The Internal Revenue Service is offering the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) to all taxpayers who filed their federal tax returns last year from Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia as part of a pilot program to help determine taxpayer demand for the IP PIN and the Service's ability to issue the PIN to a larger number of taxpayers. These locations have the highest per-capita percentage of tax-related identity theft. The program is voluntary and optional.
Taxpayers who wish to take advantage of this pilot opportunity for additional filing protection should visit www.irs.gov/getanippin to register and create an account. The IRS can’t issue an IP PIN to a taxpayer unless that person’s identity has been verified online. Once issued an IP PIN, taxpayers need to use it to confirm their identities on all federal income tax returns filed during the 2015 calendar year and future tax years. Taxpayers receive a new IP PIN by postal mail.
The IRS Identity Protection PIN is a 6-digit number assigned to victims of identity theft whose cases have been resolved. The IP PIN allows affected individuals to avoid delays in filing returns and receiving refunds. Many taxpayers across the country have been forced to use IP PiINs because their identity or someone else has fraudulently filed a return in their name. THIS program for Georgia, Florida, and the District of Columbia is voluntary: it is an optional way for taxpayers who live in areas where tax-related identity theft is more prevalent to add an additional layer of protection .
Resolving tax-related identity theft remains a top priority for the IRS. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes nationwide, and preventing tax refund fraud caused by identity theft is one of the biggest challenges facing the IRS. The IRS is focused on preventing, detecting and resolving tax-related identity theft cases as soon as possible.
