Why the IRS shut down the e-file PIN
In February 2016, the IRS spotted an automated attack that tried to generate e-file PINs using roughly 464,000 stolen Social Security numbers, successfully generating PINs for about 101,000 of them. The IRS took the tool offline, brought it back with added defenses, then retired it for good in June 2016 after a second wave of automated attacks.
The IRS shut the tool down and formally retired it after that filing season. The standalone e-file PIN no longer exists, so there’s nothing to recover or request if you’re missing an old one.
What to use instead
| Option | What it is | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Select PIN | Five digits you choose yourself | Most filers, verified against your date of birth and prior-year AGI or PIN |
| Prior-year AGI | Your adjusted gross income from last year’s return | Backup if you don’t remember your Self-Select PIN |
| IP PIN | A six-digit code the IRS assigns you | Required if you’ve opted in or were a confirmed identity-theft victim |
How the Self-Select PIN works
For your self-select PIN, you choose any five digits, except all zeros, as your electronic signature. Your tax software carries your PIN forward each year as your prior-year PIN, along with your AGI, so returning filers rarely need to look anything up. If you’re filing jointly, each spouse enters their own PIN.
Getting an IP PIN if you need one
Anyone with a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can opt into the IP PIN program voluntarily, and confirmed identity-theft victims get enrolled automatically. You retrieve your IP PIN each January through an IRS Online Account, the IRS’s free portal for viewing your tax records and verifying your identity, and you must enter it on every return you file that year, including prior-year and amended returns.
Fixing a rejected e-file over a PIN error
If your return gets rejected for a PIN issue, check the specific reject code first. It usually points to a missing IP PIN for you, your spouse, or a dependent, or to an AGI or Self-Select PIN that doesn’t match IRS records. Once you know which one applies, you can retrieve the correct number through your IRS Online Account and resubmit.
