Users can only use some features when the right time has come. The Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gives to each person to protect their data and identity is one of these features.
When the tax season is over, this important service stops working. It starts up again in January, when the next tax season starts.
The United States Government offers this IP PIN as a security measure to stop tax return fraud, which we briefly talked about. It is a six-digit number that is given to each person who files taxes every year.
Its main purpose is to make sure that no one else can file a tax return for the taxpayer without their permission or at least without the number. Setting up an IP PIN is helpful for everyone who deals with the IRS, even if you don’t file taxes. This is because the PIN protects your account from identity theft.
Because this is a safety measure, if you have ever been a victim of identity theft or a similar crime, you should sign up for a new number as soon as the service starts up again in January 2025. This is because the service needs to be renewed every year to keep security active.
If you register first, no one else will be able to do it for you and steal parts of your financial identity or government access. This is a good thing if your identity is at risk.
How to register for the IRS IP PIN?
It’s easy to sign up for this government service, but there are a few steps that need to be taken to make sure that everyone respects and takes seriously cybersecurity. For proper management of your IP PIN, you should already have an Online Account if you have this number from previous years.
If not, the first thing you should do is make one. This number then adds an extra layer of security, stopping people who shouldn’t be able to from getting to your personal information and stopping fake tax returns.
But this doesn’t mean that your old IP PIN will be the same every year. As an extra security measure, the IRS creates a new IP PIN every year, so taxpayers have to register again every year to make sure that their returns are safe.
Some people don’t take cybersecurity as seriously as they should, which is why they need to take these extra steps every year to make sure their data is safe.
Why doesn’t it work if it’s so important? Well, the system will be down for maintenance from November 23, 2024, to January 20, 2025. This is to make sure that all of the safety features are still in place and that the numbers still work correctly before tax season starts up again.
People who missed their chance to sign up for the 2025 tax season before the IP PIN service was shut down will have another chance to do so in January, when the program reopens. The government agency put this information on their portal so that any questions can be answered before the end of the year.
If someone wants to know more about the process, they can go to the IRS website and find step-by-step instructions on how to make a new IP PIN. These instructions will also answer any questions they may have about what to do with it.
Read Also :- Social Security early check in December – Only for some retirees