CP01A

A CP01A delivers your Identity Protection PIN — the unique six-digit number that must go on your federal return this year. It arrives annually, each year with a new PIN. It isn't a problem letter; it's a key.

“Here is this year's IP PIN. Enter it in the marked box when you file — every listed person who has one must include theirs. E-filed returns without it get rejected; paper returns without it process slowly. Don't share it with anyone but your tax preparer.”

The only failure mode is losing the letter before filing season. The PIN changes every year; last year's doesn't work, and the state's PIN (if any) is a different animal.

• The notice itself, stored securely with tax records
• PINs for every family member who received one — spouse and dependents each enter their own
• Nothing else — this letter is the document

• Entering the PINs correctly across primary, spouse, and dependent lines
• Retrieving a lost PIN before filing
• Handling the rejected-return scramble when a PIN was missed
• Advising whether voluntary IP PIN enrollment makes sense for the rest of the household