 TITLE: What Is a Taxpayer Identity Protection PIN? CONTENT: Additional Ways to Protect Yourself From Tax Identity Theft\n-----------------------------------------------------------\nGetting an IP PIN isn't the only way to help prevent tax identity theft, nor is it an infallible solution. You can also:\n*   **File your tax return early.** Many taxpayers can begin filing their tax returns by the end of January. Filing early will prevent fraudsters from using your information to file a tax return in your name, at least for the current tax year.\n*   **Protect your personal information.** Ideally, fraudsters won't be able to use your personal information to file a fraudulent return because they don't have access to it. There are many ways to help protect your personal information, including using strong passwords online, shredding paper documents and being wary of phishing attempts.\n*   **Never share your IP PIN.** If you decide to get an IP PIN, never share it with anyone aside from a trusted tax preparer. After requesting an IP PIN by mail, the IRS may call you to verify your identity—but the IRS will never ask for your IP PIN.\nTax identity theft isn't the only type of identity theft you need to worry about—and others could wind up being more costly to resolve. You may want to sign up for a free credit monitoring service to quickly identify if someone else uses your information to take out a loan or open a credit account. There are also identity theft protection services, such as Experian IdentityWorks℠, that offer more robust monitoring and recovery assistance. END