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The main purpose of an ITIN is to report income to the IRS and pay taxes. However, with an ITIN you can also open bank accounts, apply for loans, rent, buy, go to college, get a driver's license, start a business, invest, and so much more! To qualify, the following must be true:
If you want us to certify your foreign or identity documents, then you will need to schedule a Certification Interview. At this meeting, our Certifying Acceptance Agent will examine your documents for authentication and will ask you related questions. Once the interview concludes, you can take back your documents.
For those who would rather mail their documents to the IRS, you will need to schedule a regular appointment during which you will fill out our intake form and will submit your documents.
If you only want us to certify your documents, then bring to the appointment your already prepared tax return and application. Our agent will review them for accuracy, and if changes are needed, will recommend our tax preparation service.
Once our team has all of your tax documents and information - this usually occurs at the certification interview - they will start preparing your tax return. During the tax season, the estimated time for tax preparation is about a week. Off season, the estimated time is approximately three business days. There may be a delay in preparing your return if there is information missing.
Once the tax return is prepared, you will come to our office to review and sign the tax return and application. A team member will go over your tax return with you so you understand everything before signing.
If you are brining a completed tax return for us to review at the Certification Interview, then you will sign the tax return and application at the same appointment if the documents are accurate.
Once signed and paid, we will mail your application to the IRS. It takes 7 to 11 weeks for the IRS to process the application and assign you an ITIN. We do not issue ITINs. Only the IRS does that.
Because you cannot file a state tax return without a tax ID, you will need to wait until the IRS issues you an ITIN before filing the state return. The IRS typically takes 7 to 11 weeks to approve an ITIN. Once approved, we will need you to physically sign a state tax return since we have to paper file it. Expect your federal and state refund to be delayed because of paper filing. In future years, you will be able to e-file.
A passport is the only stand alone document that can prove both residency and foreign status.
Otherwise, you need to submit two documents, one proving identity and one proving foreign status. All documents submitted must be original and unexpired. At least one document must have a picture if 18 years or older.
Dependents must prove that they reside in the United States. While technically Mexico and Canada residents can apply for an ITIN, because they cannot be claimed for a credit, the application will be denied. Only the following documents are acceptable: US school or medical records, US utility bill or bank statement, and entry stamp in a passport or I-94. For details on these documents, see the FAQ section.
Still have questions after reading this page and the FAQs? Call us!
Yes if you will be filing a joint tax return with your spouse. Note, that your spouse will need to report his or her worldwide income on the tax return, if any. We can still certify original documents if they're brought to our office. The certification interview with the spouse will be virtual.
You are considered married and eligible to file a joint tax return if you are legally married in any country. A religious or common law marriage does not qualify unless the country where you got married legally recognizes such marriages. You can file a joint tax return even if your with spouse lives abroad and has never been in the US.
No. While the rules technically allow dependents who live in Canada and Mexico to apply for an ITIN, the ITINs are currently being denied because these dependents cannot be claimed for any federal credits, which is a requirement to receive an ITIN as a dependent.
To be accepted, the record must be
(1) for a term ending no more than 12 months before the application (so no old school report cards);
(2) an official report card or transcript;
(3) signed by a school official;
(4) dated; and
(5) contain the student’s name, coursework with grades, date of grading period, school name and address.
To be accepted, the record must
(1) consist only of a shot/immunization record
(2) include patient's name, chronological dates of the patient's medical history and care, date of birth, and verifiable address;
(3) name, address, and phone number of the doctor, hospital, or clinic where treatment was last administered; and
(4) dated no more than 12 months before the application.
That depends. In order to apply for an ITIN, you need to include a tax return for a prior year. If you had any US source income in the past, you can file a nonresident tax return for that year. Income is defined broadly. It includes almost anything received of value other than a gift. This can be a prize, winning cash from a casual game among friends, getting paid for helping a family member out, selling or renting personal property such as an old phone, and more. If you never had US source income of any kind, then you will need to wait to apply for an ITIN until you have.
If you earned income, you can apply for an ITIN. However, you cannot claim credit for taxes withheld if you worked using someone else's name and social security number. You will need to report the income earned and pay the full amount of tax, which may result in duplicate tax payments. If you worked using your name and a fake social security number, you can report the tax withheld on your W2.
Reminder that an ITIN does not authorize you to work in the US and working under a false identity is a crime. Our assistance in your ITIN application is in no way an endorsement or condoning of any violations of the law.
The cost of your application depends on the services purchased. Certification is $100 per applicant, application is $50, and the tax preparation starts at $100 but the final payment depends on various factors such as marital status, type of income, number of state tax returns, and whether dependents are claimed.
Yes, we can simply certify your documents if you prefer to prepare your own return or use a different tax preparer. However, because the tax return impacts the approval of the application, we will review it for you, and if there are errors, will recommend that you purchase tax preparation from us.
It takes between 7 and 11 weeks to receive your ITIN assuming the IRS has no follow up questions. Usually, we receive the ITIN approval letter. In that case, we notify you as soon as we get it in the mail. Sometimes, the letter is sent directly to you. Please notify us once you get it so we can file your state tax return.
Once the IRS issues you an ITIN, they will forward your tax return to the tax processing department. Depending on the backlog and number of tax returns paper filed that year, it can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months before they process your return and send you your refund. If your application included an amended tax return, expect that time to take even longer.
You can and should file past tax returns if you had taxable income, but you cannot claim any credits in those years since credits require you to have an active tax ID before that return's filing deadline. For example, if you had a child born in 2023 but did not get your ITIN until 2025, you can file your 2023 tax return using your ITIN but you cannot claim the child credit for the 2023 tax year.
Yes. You can amend prior year returns to change your filing status to married filing jointly to claim the bigger standard deduction and more favorable tax rate. However, if you claimed any credits on your original return, such as child credit or earned income tax credit, those credits will be denied since your spouse did not have an ITIN by the filing deadline and you will need to repay those credits.
Taxpayers with an ITIN can claim the following tax credits: federal child tax credit for children with an SSN, other dependent credit (for children with ITINs or other dependents), dependent care credits, college credits, Minnesota child credit, working family credit, K-12 education credit, homeowners and renters property tax refund, and other less known credits. However, you must have an ITIN before the filing deadline of the tax year for which you are claiming those credits.
In addition to being compliant with your tax obligation, with an ITIN, you can claim tax credits, get refunds, open bank and investment accounts, start a business, rent a home or an apartment, purchase a house and car, take out various loans, get a driver's license, attend college, apply for scholarships, and build a credit history. With an ITIN, you can more fully and efficiently participate in the US economy. You are not, however, allowed to work in the US. You will need a work permit for that. An ITIN does not change your immigration status.
