Are you supposed to have the 6-digit IP PIN (Identity Protection PIN) that the IRS provides to victims of identity theft?
Did you have one last year? If so, do not use that one. You should get a new one each year. The IRS has been mailing the letters with this year's IP PINS in December and January. If you have not received your letter yet, it may still be coming, so you may wish to give it more time.
It's also possible to retrieve an IP PIN online at the IRS website if you don't get the letter with the new IP PIN, or if you lost it, etc.
https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/retrieve-your-ip-pin
There's also a special IRS phone number on that page for assistance.
They gave me one in 2018, I tried to file my taxes, I gave the PIN code to the prepare, they did not insert my PIN code and I've been waiting on a new pin code for 2019 and have not received one yet. The IRS said they did not receive my taxes for 2018,and now I can't file for 2019. I really need help with this.
@Lexus2 wrote:They gave me one in 2018, I tried to file my taxes, I gave the PIN code to the prepare, they did not insert my PIN code and I've been waiting on a new pin code for 2019 and have not received one yet. The IRS said they did not receive my taxes for 2018,and now I can't file for 2019. I really need help with this.
You only used the word "PIN" above. Do you mean an "IP PIN", i.e., the topic of this thread? The IP PIN is a 6-digit number provided by the IRS to certain victims of ID theft. Once you start using an IP PIN, you have to have a new one every year.
For many people who need the 6-digit IP PIN the IRS mailed letters in late December-January, but not all folks who need one receive a letter. Others have to use the IRS IP PIN Retrieval Tool at the IRS website.
If that's your situation, here's where to retrieve it:
https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/retrieve-your-ip-pin
If you have trouble getting your IP PIN online, phone the number listed in the middle of that page. I don't know if you can get through to an IRS agent or not due to the Coronavirus situation. But that number is for a specialized department in the identity unit so it may still answer.
You also said the IRS told you they never received your 2018 return. If you were supposed to use an IP PIN in 2018, but the preparer didn't use it, was the efiled return rejected, and never resubmitted by the preparer? If so, you should talk to the person who prepared the return about their omission and what resulted.
If that's your situation, when you go to efile the 2019 return, aside from the IP PIN, it will also ask you to verify with the 2018 AGI. If you did not successfully file a 2018 return, then you would use a 2018 AGI of 0.