Frequently Asked Questions for ITIN's

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An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS issues ITIN's to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

IRS issues ITIN's to help individuals comply with the U.S. tax laws, and to provide a means to efficiently process and account for tax returns and payments for those not eligible for Social Security numbers. They are issued regardless of immigration status, because both resident and nonresident aliens may have a U.S. filing or reporting requirement under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). ITIN's do not serve any purpose other than federal tax reporting.

A person who wants an ITIN must file a tax return. Tax returns are based on the previous year; therefore, the person would have to arrive the previous year. For example, a person wanting to apply for an ITIN in October of 2022, would have to arrive at some point in 2021 and complete a tax return for 2021.

Each person applying for an ITIN completes an application. If the person applying is married and/or have kids, their spouses and/or kids could also apply for their own ITIN. In this case, each would need an application, but only one tax return would need to be completed.

For those 18+: They need to provide a valid and unexpired passport. The passport does not need to be certified by the consulate as we are able to verify the authenticity of the passport here and will send just a copy of the passport. They keep their passport after the appointment.

If the individual will be receiving a 1099 or W2 from their employer for the tax year being completed, then they must bring that in. Otherwise, we can do a tax return with a minimum income. Depending on the tax return, they may owe taxes federally or the state, but amounts will vary by each situation.

For those under 18: They will also need a passport as stated above. Children in school will also need a document from the school stating the child’s full name, date of birth, and address, as well as the schools name and address wet signed by a representative from the school. If the child is not in school, they will need to get a document from their doctor with the same information as listed above also wet signed by the doctor.

The standard IRS timeframe for ITIN's is 8-12 weeks, but they can take up to 20 weeks.