How do I apply for an ITIN? Internal Revenue Service

If you are an international student and you are filing an ITIN application in advance of your tax return, you will need to complete and sign a Form W-7. The next step would be to get copies of your identification documents certified. If you are in your home country outside of the US then this may be trickier as usually your responsible officer at your school can certify copies of your identification documents. You will receive a letter from the IRS assigning your tax identification number usually within seven weeks if you qualify for an ITIN and your application is complete. If you’re a foreign national living in the United States, you’ll want to apply for a credit card to build good credit. However, you probably don’t have a Social Security number, which all credit card applications ask for.

The taxpayer Bill of Rights is grouped into 10 easy to understand categories outlining the taxpayer rights and protections embedded in the tax code. A taxpayer who was experiencing a family emergency and needed to travel out of the country with his… Acceptance Agents (AAs) and Certifying Acceptance Agents (CAAs) can help you complete applications. Here’s why and how to apply for an ITIN for nonresident before tax season.

1. With TurboTax Live Full Service, a local expert matched to your unique situation will do your taxes for you start to finish.
2. Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
3. But non-citizens without work authorization sometimes have to file U.S. tax returns, too—if they have income from U.S. sources, for example, or if they are entitled to a refund of withheld money under a tax treaty.
4. IRS issues ITINs 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.

Get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file your tax return

Many applicants have reported the IRS lost their passports or other valuable and hard-to-replace identification documents. Consider getting certified copies or using one of the application methods listed below, rather than mailing original identification documents to the IRS. If you qualify for an exception, then file Form W-7 with your proof of identity and foreign status documents and supporting documentation for the exception. The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. An ITIN may be assigned to an alien dependent from Canada or Mexico if that dependent qualifies a taxpayer for a child or dependent care credit (claimed on Form 2441). The Form 2441 must be attached to Form W-7 along with the U.S. federal tax return.

We never recommend sending original copies of your identification documents. Those affected by Hurricane Beryl in Texas and Hurricane Debby in some states in the Southeastern United States have more time to file federal tax returns and make certain tax payments. The additional time allowed by the IRS includes tax returns that were extended by the original April 15, 2024, deadline as well as certain payments that are normally due after the storms impacted these people.

All Form W-7 applications, including renewals, must include a U.S. federal tax return unless you meet an exception to the filing requirement. You will usually file an ITIN application, Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, with your first tax return, which you must file as a paper return, not electronically. The Internal Revenue Service issues ITINs to foreign nationals who need taxpayer identification but aren’t eligible for a Social Security number. An ITIN won’t change your immigration status or make you eligible for Social Security benefits, but it will make applying for a credit card possible. An ITIN is only for use with federal tax filings and does not change a person’s residency or immigration status. It also expires at the end of the current year if not used on a federal tax return in the last 3 years.

How to report stipend and scholarship income on your tax return

You must also include original documentation or certified copies from the issuing agency to prove identity and foreign status. The Individual Tax Identification Number, or ITIN, allows taxpayers who don’t have what is the average a Social Security Number (SSN) to file income tax returns. Unlike other forms of ID, ITINs only have one purpose—tax filing and reporting. Having an ITIN number won’t make you eligible for benefits, such as Social Security or earned income credits that provide refunds to some low-income filers. If questions 11 through 17 on Form SS-4 do not apply to the applicant because he has no U.S. tax return filing requirement, such questions should be annotated “N/A”.

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Beginning January 1, 2011, if you are a paid tax preparer you must use a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) on returns you prepare. If you do not have a PTIN, you must get one by using the new IRS sign-up system. Even if you have a PTIN but you double declining balance method of deprecitiation formula examples received it prior to September 28, 2010, you must apply for a new or renewed PTIN by using the new system. If all your authentication information matches, you may be issued the same number. You must have a PTIN if you, for compensation, prepare all or substantially all of any federal tax return or claim for refund.

If, for some reason you do not have a passport, you must provide the IRS with a combination of current documents that contain expiration dates. Your school will typically have an officer who is responsible for certifying copies of your documents (such as passport, visa, i-20/DS-2019). See how much you can save when a TurboTax expert does your taxes, start to finish.

But some non-citizens who have U.S. tax obligations aren’t eligible to receive a Social Security number. Instead, they can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, by submitting Form W-7 to the IRS. If you are not a U.S. citizen and do not have a Social Security number, learn how to get and use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file a federal tax return. Applicants who meet one of the exceptions to the requirement to file a tax return (see the Instructions for Form W-7) must provide documentation to support the exception. If you’re required to file a tax return is a credit line an asset and aren’t eligible for a Social Security number, you need to apply for an ITIN (See the What should I do? section, above). You can apply for an ITIN by bringing your completed forms and documentation to any IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center office.