Last year 2021, I was not able to use Turbo Tax because it asked for a PIN that I was unable to get. I had to mail in my return. Will I be able to use Turbo Tax for 2022?

[Critter-3]

To efile the 2022 return you need your 2021 AGI from a fully processed return.  The prior year self selected PIN is just an alternate way to efile but not the only way. 

[rjs]

Any problem with a PIN for 2021 will not affect filing for 2022.

Did you need a 5-digit e-filing PIN or a 6-digit Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)? If you need a 6-digit IP PIN, the IRS will send you a new IP PIN in January to use for any tax returns that you file in 2023.

[avoidants]

yes it required a pin, so that is why I was not able to file using Turbo Tax and had to mail in my return. No one was able to tell me what to do or help in any way. Does the IRS send out this pin automatically, or do I need to request it somehow?

[mesquitebean]

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@avoidants  wrote:

yes it required a pin, so that is why I was not able to file using Turbo Tax and had to mail in my return. No one was able to tell me what to do or help in any way. Does the IRS send out this pin automatically, or do I need to request it somehow?

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Your question is difficult to answer, since it's not clear what "type" of PIN you are referring to.   A 5-digit Self-Select PIN is required by everyone to "sign" the return electronically.   It can be any 5 digits of your choice.  It does not have to be the same as the prior-year 5-digit PIN, but it can be.

Or are you referring to a 6-digit Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)?   An IP PIN comes into play if one is a victim of ID theft that has been investigated by the IRS, and the IRS has assigned you an annual IP PIN.  An IP PIN is also required each year if one has voluntarily opted-in to the IP PIN program.   If you are required to use a 6-digit IP PIN, then you cannot successfully efile without it.  The efiled return would be rejected.

If you are required to use a 6-digit IP PIN, then the IRS may mail a letter in late December/early January with your new IP PIN to be used for all returns filed in calendar year 2023, or in some instances, the IP PIN has to be retrieved using the IP PIN Retrieval Tool at the IRS website.   The latter is more common for people who voluntarily opted-in to the IP PIN feature, but the Tool can be used in either case.   It is too early to use the IRS IP PIN retrieval tool for a 2022 return to be filed in calendar year 2023.

You will also need your 2021 AGI to verify your return for efiling.   

NOTE:  If you run into any problem with a PIN (of either type) when you prepare and efile your 2022 return in the coming months, ask for help in this user community forum, and someone will likely be able to tell you what to do so it will efile.

[mesquitebean]

ADDENDUM:

You said you had to mail your 2021 return.   Has that paper return been processed yet?  If your 2021 paper return hasn't been fully processed by the IRS by late November/early December, then it's possible that next year you might have to verify your 2022 efiling using an AGI of 0 if the attempt with 2021 AGI fails, since your 2021 AGI might not make it into the IRS efiling database in time.    But folks here can help you cross that bridge if you come to it.

[avoidants]

It was a part of Turbo Tax from Last year. i dont have the screen open in front of me, but I can try to go through it a bit later and take a screen shot of it.

When going into the screen to file electronically, it asked for the AGI and a PIN. I just every combination I could think of and even talked to Turbo Tax and the IRS. Both told me that if I did not have the info, Id have to file by mail. I even got a transcript from the IRS to make sure what my AGi was.

Nothing worked

[VolvoGirl]

Yeah a lot of people had trouble Efiling 2021 last year.  How and when did you file the previous year 2020?  The IRS took a long time to process 2020 so the AGI didn't get entered in time.  So you should have used 0 to efile.  Now next year if the AGI rejects then use zero to efile 2022.

[mesquitebean]

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@ avoidants wrote:

It was a part of Turbo Tax from Last year. i dont have the screen open in front of me, but I can try to go through it a bit later and take a screen shot of it.

When going into the screen to file electronically, it asked for the AGI and a PIN. I just every combination I could think of and even talked to Turbo Tax and the IRS. Both told me that if I did not have the info, Id have to file by mail. I even got a transcript from the IRS to make sure what my AGi was.

Nothing worked

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Thanks, but a screen image is not necessary, so don't worry about that.   The efile rejection notice can be confusing, since it will say there's a problem with prior-year AGI or prior-year PIN.  It sounds like it was rejecting for your 2020 AGI, not the 5-digit PIN, which is essentially irrelevant when AGI is used. 

  Was your 2020 return filed late or not fully processed by late November 2021?    If so, then as Volvogirl mentioned, you would have needed to use an AGI of 0 last year to efile your 2021 return.   That is normally the solution, regardless of what is showing in the IRS transcript, which is a different database.   If a return is processed real late in the year, it won't make the IRS efile database in time, which is a separate database.

With the additional info you provided, it sounds like your original question was about the 5-digit PIN and not the 6-digit IP PIN, the latter of which is only needed by some filers in the circumstances I explained above, and is entered in an entirely different part of TurboTax.    So the info I left above about 6-digit IP PIN may not apply to you, and may be info that you didn't need. 

[Carl]

If you prepared your 2021 tax return with TurboTax and selected the "Print and file" option, then you 'DID" use TurboTax to complete and file your 2021 tax return. There should be no problem with you using TurboTax to file your 2022 tax return.

However, since you mailed your 2021 tax return you "MAY OR MAY NOT" have issues with e-filing your 2022 tax return. If the IRS has not yet processed your 2021 return, then your 2021 AGI will not be in the system. If that's the case, then entering an AGI of "0" usually takes care of it.  Note that just because you may have received your 2021 tax refund, that does not mean the IRS has completely processed the 2021 tax return. Last I checked, they were still months behind on processing 2021 tax returns.

[avoidants]

I will try that. I have used Turbo Tax and efiled for over 10 years. Its always gone effortlessly until this last year. I hope and pray that this next one goes smoother. I mailed off my tax return in February and got my refund back in late October.

[avoidants]

Unfortunately, no one suggested trying 0. Not the Turbo Tax folks nor the IRS. They all told me what my AGi was and I even got a transcript to make sure it was correct.

Thank you for the suggestion

[VolvoGirl]

So sorry you had trouble.  Too bad you didn't ask here, or did you?  Ask us here first next time you have trouble with anything.  Well at least you finally got your refund in Oct this year.  Lots of people are still waiting.  

[avoidants]

You know, for whatever reason, I didnt think to post my woes here with last years return. I should have. The folks here have been way more helpful than anyone that I contacted for help.

I will make sure to post any issues I have with next years return here. I hope and pray that I wont have any. If it does not take my AGI I wil try adding 0 and see if that works.

If those dont work, I will let you all know. It was a brutal process with the tax returrn last year. One that I dont want to repeat.

Phillip

[Ddublu]

I have a similar question. I volunteered to get the 6 digit ip pin from the irs in 2/2023, assuming I could use it for my 2022 taxes. I printed out the irs confirmation, and it said your 2023 pin is xxxxxx. Now I'm not sure if the pin is for 2022 taxes filed in 2023, or if it is for next years taxes that will be filed in 2024.

Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks