At a minimum, you should complete Form W-7 when you are ready to file your federal income tax return by the return’s prescribed due date. If the tax return you attach to Form W-7 is filed after the return’s due date, you may owe interest and/or penalties. If you are required to have a federal tax identification number (or file a federal income tax return), and you are not eligible to get a SSN, you must apply for an ITIN.
- However, it’s highly recommended that you send certified copies instead of originals.
- For example, if you are an immigrant in the U.S. who has applied for legal status to work or reside in the U.S., you would need an ITIN to file a tax return while waiting for a decision.
- There isn’t a window in which you have to apply or a deadline you have to meet each year.
- This service is critical to taxpayers who are legitimately concerned about sending original documents to the IRS (such as a passport) that may get lost.
- ITINs are the alternate option of Social Security numbers for those taxpayers who are not eligible for a Social Security number.
And, because they’re verified on-site, your original documents may not need to be mailed to the IRS. Our CAA will submit copies of these documents, along with your ITIN application or renewal, to the IRS for you. Ask your tax professional if a CAA is available at your H&R Block location. It takes up to seven weeks for the IRS to issue a new ITIN if you apply in person.
How Do I Know if I Qualify to Apply for an ITIN?
Certified mail is the best way to make sure that the IRS received a form a taxpayer sent before a deadline. The advocate can save the cost of a return receipt by writing the receipt number on the tax return (usually above or below the taxpayer’s signature). Be sure that the advocate (or the taxpayer) holds onto the certified mail receipt. The only identification document that is sufficient by itself is a passport because it is accepted for both identity and foreign status. Everything else, including a matricula card or a voter registration card, needs a second document, which is usually a birth certificate.
We facilitate the ITIN application process by filing the necessary documents and can authenticate your identity to forward the completed forms to the IRS to receive your ITIN quickly. Get started with ITIN W-7 Application’s easy-to-use online application. We offer several benefits, including detailed instructions, live assistance and a downloadable PDF to either print and mail with your documentation or submit in person. To get your questions answered about the process, use our live chat feature. A $500 non-refundable credit is available for families with qualifying relatives. This includes children over 17 and children with an ITIN who otherwise qualify for the CTC.
The same rule of thumb goes for your dependents and your spouse. If you aren’t claiming them on your tax return, there’s no reason for them to get an ITIN number. If you would like our help with your ITIN application, please complete THIS registration form. We will send you instructions and a link to schedule your appointment. We typically receive a response from the IRS within 10 to 12 weeks after submitting the application. There is no guarantee that the IRS will grant your application and issue you an ITIN.
EIN Express offers a fast service to get your ITIN number online quickly without having to send your original documents to the IRS. First, you have to understand that while an ITIN is an identification number, it isn’t the same as an SSN or EIN. Namely, this means it does not provide you with the same benefits these other identifications do. It does, however, offer its unique benefits to an illegal immigrant. ITIN number is also needed to open a personal bank account in the US if you don’t have an SSN. Some credit cards require you to have an established bank account to apply.
However, we do not recommend sending original documents with your ITIN application and strongly recommend that you use copies of these documents. It is important to renew your ITIN in sufficient time to avoid any tax complications when filing taxes or carrying out other tax-related transactions. If you are not eligible for a SSN and have triggered a tax filing obligation, then you will need to apply for an ITIN. And exactly how to get your hands on an ITIN during tax season will be the focus of this piece. ITINs are the alternate option of Social Security numbers for those taxpayers who are not eligible for a Social Security number. Applicants who apply for an ITIN by mail directly with the IRS must submit either the original of each supporting document or a certified copy of each supporting document.
After 11 weeks
Click HERE for a list of the documents that the IRS requires if you are not including a US income tax return. ITINs with the middle digits “70,” “71,” “72,” “78,” “79,” and “80” have expired. If your ITIN’s middle digits (the fourth and fifth positions) are “70,” “71,” “72,” “78,” “79,” or “80,” your ITIN is expired, unless you already submitted a renewal application and it was approved. You need to take action to renew it if it’ll be included on a U.S. federal tax return. IRS issues ITINs to foreign nationals and others who have federal tax reporting or filing requirements and do not qualify for SSNs.
The service fee for helping you with the ITIN application and certifying your passport is €599 (excl. BTW where applicable). Preparation of supporting documentation required by the IRS is €125. ITIN stands for the words, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Q16: If I do not want to mail my original documents to the IRS when renewing my ITIN, do I have other options?
ITIN is only used as a label by the federal government for filing taxes. It serves no other purposes and does not offer a person the same benefits an SSN does. The IRS has a process in place to ensure that documents are returned to applicants. The original and certified documents will be returned to applicants using the mailing address on the application via postage paid standard U.S. mail within 60 days of receipt and processing of the Form W-7. No, a tax return is not required for an ITIN renewal application.
Once we have reviewed an electronic copy of the application, you send us the form on paper with your signature. We will then schedule a short appointment to complete the application process. Finally, as soon as we have 5 Differences Between Tangible and Intangible Assets the video conference, we can return your passport to you. You will send you an invoice for the cost of returning your passport to you. We would like to help you save time and avoid mistakes in your application.
How to Apply for an ITIN Number?
By law, no one – other than as provided in the above exceptions – can look at the taxpayer’s records, unless the taxpayer authorizes via power of attorney. The SSA keeps data regarding amounts earned and social and medicare payments but neither agency shares information with ICE, except as provided in the above exceptions. It is important to advise taxpayers about potential consequences. The IRS Disclosure Statute (I.R.C § 6103 (c) et al.) prohibits the sharing of information but has many exceptions.
Once the package is assembled, attach the Form W-7 to the front of your first-ever US federal income tax return, along with the supporting documents. Be sure to take a selfie for sentimental purposes (optional step). You can leave all the tax ID numbers on your 1040 tax return blank. Once your ITIN is assigned, you’ll use it in those boxes on future returns. Normally, the IRS requires a non-resident income tax return with the ITIN application. If you need an ITIN for some other approved reason, you must include the supporting documentation required by the IRS.
The protections against the disclosure of information are set in law so they cannot be rescinded by a presidential executive order or other administrative action unless Congress changes the law. Parents or guardians may complete and sign a Form W-7 for a dependent under age 18 if the dependent is unable to do so, and must check the parent or guardian’s box in the signature area of the application. Dependents age 18 and older and spouses must complete and sign their own Forms W-7. There are some tax credits that you may be eligible to claim with an ITIN. Some state governments accept ITINs as proof of identification when applying for a state issued ID. Having state issued identification can expand your traveling options.
You need an ITIN to file your taxes and open a U.S. bank account when you don’t have a Social Security Number (SSN). When you apply for your Individual Tax Identification Number, the process requires you to print your application materials. Knowing the potential risks and benefits involved, only proceed with an ITIN application or tax filing if you feel comfortable. Many people who are not authorized to live in the United States worry that filing taxes increases their exposure to the government, fearing this could ultimately result in deportation. If you already have an ITIN, then the IRS has your information, unless you moved recently.