Get your taxes done using TurboTax

OK, Folks.  Here's what I just learned about the importance of including a federal "Identity Protection Pin."

1. I worked on my taxes, using TurboTax, for several days.  Finally, I decided to file both my Federal & my State taxes electronically.

2. This would have been the first year I filed my State taxes electronically. What made me change my mind: an apparent $5 discount (20% off, was the ad pitch).  But, when I came near the end of the process, I found a little sentence that said: "$40 refund fee."   So apparently I'd be charged not $20 for filing my State taxes, but $60. DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING!   Needless to say, I decided to NOT file my State taxes electronically, but rather via the mail.

3. So now back to my Federal 1040.  That, I DID file electronically--since TT did not, per usual, charge any fee.

4. But a half-hour later, I got a notice saying that my Federal 1040 had been REJECTED.  At first, I didn't know why.

5. But after another half-hour or so, I got an email from TT, explaining why my 1040 had been rejected:  I'd forgotten to include my "Identity Protection Pin."   My WHAT, I asked myself?   It took a little more rummaging thru my files, to discover that, yes, last year, in April, I HAD applied to the Federal government (Internal Revenue Service) for such a PIN.   I'd simply forgotten.  But then, after a little more detective work, I learned that, even tho I'd be filing a 1040 for Tax Year 2024, I'd nonetheless need a new 2025 PIN.  That, because the PIN is for any form you electronically file to the IRS during the current year.   So...I discovered how to get a 2025 PIN.  Go to      www.IRS.gov/get-an-ippin

There, the tabs will lead you to a brand new PIN, reserved for you.  Now, that's assuming that you filed for a 2024 pin last year; and that you created, at that time, an IRS password;  if 2025 is the first time you're filing, then you'll have to go thru the process of being a first-time requester.  I can't quite recall the process, but the website should walk you thru it.  At the end, you'll be asked to create a password.  Be sure to write it down, and store it somewhere (with your taxes?  in a special Password book?) where you can retrieve it next year. 

6. Now once you get this Identity Protection PIN, you have to enter it on your TT 1040 form.  Ultimately, it will end up on your Federal 1040, just to the right of where your signature would normally go.  But surprise:  TT does NOT let you simply type it in.  Instead, you have to go to the top of the Form, and click on "Easy Step"--the process that walks you thru each step in the following process.   Now the instructions I'd found earlier had said to first go to the "Federal" tab.  THIS IS WRONG.  There IS NO "Federal" tab--at least, not in my "Home & Business" version of TT.  Thankfully, a smart TT tech named Tristan (whom I called at the Intuit Customer-Service # of 800-446-8848 knew the solution.  

Namely:

a) As mentioned, click on "easy Step" at the top left of the page.  

b) Navigate your way to the page whose heading says, "Let's Get Your Biggest Personal Refund."   Underneath, you'll find 6 tabs, spread out horizontally: "Personal Info";  "Business";  "Personal";  "State Taxes";  "Review";  "File."   Click on the 3rd tab, "Personal."    

c) A drop-down menu appears, with 5 tabs spread out horizontally: "Personal Income";  "Deductions & Credits";  "Other Tax Situations";  "Federal Review";  "Smart Check."    Click on the 3rd tab, "Other Tax Situations."    

d) A new drop-down menu appears.  This time, the entries are listed vertically:  "Alternative Minimum Tax";  "Business Taxes";  "Additional Tax Payments";  "Other Return Info";  "Other Tax Forms";  "Retirement Savings."   You want the 4th entry, "Other Return Info."  Right beneath it is the heading, "Identity Protection Pin."  AT LAST!  Click on it, and you can then type in your 6-digit ID Protection PIN.   And lo & behold, that PIN automatically gets transferred to your actual 1040 Form, appearing nicely just where it's supposed to, to the right of your empty "Signature" line.  Since you're filing electronically, that Signature line, + the date, are blank.  Ditto for your spouse's Signature line.  

And by the way, if you & your spouse are filing jointly, you do NOT need to apply for a separate Identity Protection PIN for them.  Just the one PIN of the main tax-filer is all you'll need.    

'Hope you find this helpful.   In the future, if any of the TT team is reading this, it would be SO helpful if you could make this process of "adding an Identity Protection PIN"  somehow simpler.  Thanks!   Dennis