E-file rejected due to "invalid spouse IP PIN"

So 2nd time rejection on my attempt to e-file, as notified by H&R Block expat service (who have been great, but I only have expletives for the IRS currently).

I previously posted about my first e-file being rejected due to my wife's SSN not matching her name (see here https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=100006.0). This was despite nearly 10 years of filing under her married name by paper, but her maiden name is actually what is still on her SSN card I believe, and I was told that e-filing it had to match exactly. So I resubmitted under her maiden name as per her SSN.

Now I have a new rejection:

"The Spouse did not enter a valid Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)."

When you go to the IRS site on this https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin it states:

"If you are a confirmed victim of tax-related identity theft and we have resolved your tax account issues, we’ll mail you a CP01A Notice with your new IP PIN each year.

If you don't already have an IP PIN, you may get an IP PIN as a proactive step to protect yourself from tax-related identity theft.

If you want to request an IP PIN, please note:

You must pass a rigorous identity verification process.
Spouses and dependents are eligible for an IP PIN if they can pass the identity verification process."

To our knowledge, we have never been issued with a CP01A notice and a PIN for my wife. So based on the info provided, it would seem like getting her an IP PIN would be a proactive step, not a prerequisite. So why would the IRS reject based on an incorrect PIN? I didn't supply one to H&R block or tick the box that said we had one.

Further, in order for her to get a PIN, you have to go through a rigorous identity check - likely the ID.me creation. I doubt she would be able to do this if her SSN is under her maiden name still, but all other forms of ID she will have will be under her married name.

I am getting extremely fed up with all of this. We are meant to file taxes to comply and I am meeting hurdle after hurdle at every turn with no clear route forward. My wife is clueless about all of this and never done any of IRS fillings or taxes so I have to deal with this all as well.

Any advice would be helpful.

When E-file doesn’t work, send paper copies. Job done.

When E-file doesn’t work, send paper copies. Job done.

That should work for sure.

I’d also recommend your wife changes her name with SSN to match her passport. That’ll eliminate that confusion and she will simply have one name.

When E-file doesn’t work, send paper copies. Job done.

That is all fine in theory, until you get what happened to me last year where I did that, never heard, did not receive my refund, got chased around by multiple agents on the phone down a rabbit hole over the course of 5mo trying to figure out what happened, then finally an agent said my 8812 form was damaged (from scanning?) and so they adjusted my income to exclude this for the refund I was due. I received no communication about this, no info, had to chase, and it still isn't resolved and I have resent these forms for clarity in January and still nothing.

I had successfully paper filed for a number of years prior, so up until that point I would have agreed with you. But given last year's experience, I am very keen to move away from paper filing.

I am going to go through the process of changing my spouse's SSN card to match her married name, I suspect this will be not as straight forward either though as it changed 11 years ago and anything around the IRS in general I have found to be peak incompetent.

Update to this, H&R block expat eventually got back to me on this, and I was able to file a form 8879 with them authorizing them to submit on mine and my spouse's behalf. They resubmitted and it has been accepted. My first successful e-file for US taxes ever...