How to Get a Wisconsin Identity Protection PIN

To get a Wisconsin Identity Protection PIN, you enroll through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s My Tax Account portal, and the department issues you a seven-character alphanumeric code to include on every state income tax return or homestead credit claim you file from that point on.¹ Enrollment is free, voluntary, and handled entirely online. There is no paper form.

Enrolling Through My Tax Account

The entire request happens inside the DOR’s My Tax Account (MTA) system at tap.revenue.wi.gov/mta. If you’ve never used MTA, you’ll need to create a login and link your individual income tax or homestead credit account before you can request a PIN.¹

Once you’re logged in:

Select the “View Periods” link for your individual income tax or homestead credit account.
Select “Request Identity Protection PIN.”

After the DOR processes the request, you’ll get an email letting you know your PIN is ready. You retrieve the code itself back inside MTA under your account messages, not through regular mail. The enrollment has no expiration, but the PIN code itself regenerates every year on December 31, so the number you use next filing season will not be the same one you used this year.¹

Who Can Request One

Anyone who files a Wisconsin individual income tax return or homestead credit claim can request a PIN as a preventive measure. You do not have to be a confirmed identity theft victim.¹ People who’ve been notified of a data breach or who have reason to think their Social Security number is floating around tend to be the most obvious candidates, but the program is open to any filer who wants the extra layer.

One limit worth knowing before you try: you can’t request a PIN for a dependent who doesn’t file their own return.¹ A child or other dependent who files their own Wisconsin return can get their own PIN through MTA. If they don’t file, the program doesn’t cover them.

Using the PIN When You File

Once you’re enrolled, all seven characters of your PIN have to appear on every Wisconsin income tax return (Form 1 or Form 1NPR) or standalone homestead credit claim you submit.² Tax software includes a dedicated Wisconsin IP PIN field during the state filing section. On a paper return, the PIN goes next to your signature on page 3 of Form 1.

Leaving the PIN off or entering it wrong has consequences. An electronically filed return can be rejected on the spot. A paper return will go through, but your refund can be held up while the DOR sorts things out.¹ Save the code somewhere you’ll actually find it come tax season.

If You File Jointly

Spouses enroll separately. If both of you have requested a PIN, both PINs must appear on the joint return. One spouse having a PIN does not require the other to get one, but once both are enrolled, missing either code on the return can trigger a rejection or delay.¹

Finding a PIN You’ve Lost

Because the PIN lives in MTA rather than arriving by mail, retrieving a forgotten one means logging back in. Two paths work:¹

Open “View Mail” in your individual income tax or homestead credit account, choose “View Messages,” and look for the message titled “Wisconsin Identity Protection PIN Registration.”
If that message isn’t there, go to “View Periods” for your account and select “Resend Wisconsin IP PIN.”

If neither works, the DOR’s income tax line is (608) 266-2772, and the email is DORIncome@wisconsin.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and you’ll have to answer verification questions before anyone discusses your account.¹

Canceling Later

If the program turns out to be more hassle than help, you can cancel inside MTA by opening “View Periods” and choosing “Cancel Identity Protection PIN.”¹ The catch is the timing. Cancellation only takes effect on January 1 of the following year, so any return you still have to file during the current year must include your current PIN. Canceling in February after you’ve already filed is painless; canceling in October before you’ve filed means you still need the code to submit this year’s return.

The State PIN Is Not the Federal PIN

The Wisconsin IP PIN and the IRS IP PIN are separate programs with separate codes. The IRS version is a six-digit number used only on federal returns.³ The Wisconsin version is seven alphanumeric characters used only on state returns.⁴ Neither code works on the other return, and enrolling in one does nothing to enroll you in the other. If you want both layers, request the federal PIN through IRS.gov and the Wisconsin PIN through My Tax Account.

1
Wisconsin Department of Revenue. WI Identity Protection PIN
2
Wisconsin Department of Revenue. 2025 Form 1 Instructions
3
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
4
Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Wisconsin Identity Protection PIN