However, rest assured that our editorial content and opinions remain unbiased and independent. These affiliate earnings support the maintenance and operation of this website. Below are some questions that people often ask about how to renew an ITIN if it has expired. I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S.

If you have an ITIN, or have used one in the past, you should check to see if your number needs to be renewed. If your ITIN has expired, you can renew it when you file your tax return. Learn more about renewing your ITIN on the IRS website about ITIN expiration. If you don’t want to take the risk of mailing important original documents, or if you will need them within 14 weeks of applying, it is better to use one of the in-person methods of applying for an ITIN detailed below.

You can get an ITIN from an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent.

The purpose of an ITIN is to ensure those who work in the U.S. have a method of paying taxes, even if they don’t qualify for a Social Security number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration. You can fill out an application form for an ITIN for you, your spouse, and your dependents when you prepare your tax return with us. If you’re required to file a tax return and aren’t eligible for a Social Security number, you need to apply for an ITIN (See the What should I do? section, above).

• This is the first in a series of special IRS “Get Ready” reminders to help taxpayers prepare for the upcoming tax filing season in early 2024.
• ITIN is only used as a label by the federal government for filing taxes.
• It is used by the IRS to identify taxpayers who do not have a social security number.
• You’ll need original identification documentation to prove your identity and your foreign status.
• On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S.

While it may be challenging to understand, the IRS wants to keep taxpayer information private. The IRS (and the Treasury Department at large) cares only about getting paid. Staying trustworthy with every taxpayer is vital to keeping tax revenue flowing.

Apply for New ITIN at IRS Assistance Center

We have tax professionals and Certified Acceptance Agents (CAAs) available to answer your questions and quickly process your renewal for free. The IRS has a long list of documents or combinations of documents that can show your status and identity. Now, if your spouse and dependents aren’t going to be claimed between 2018 and 2025, they’re ineligible for an ITIN number. Check boxes for passport, driver’s licenses, USCIS docs, and any other documents that apply to your situation. If you have military identification cards, you’ll mark that in the “other” box. Enter your name (including a former name if applicable), address in the U.S., as well as your foreign, non-U.S.

How can I get an ITIN number quickly?

Learn more about specific tax credits available if you have an ITIN. You have to also provide documentation as well the two documentation requirements or identification and also supporting identification is generally satisfied with a valid passport. 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.

How to get your credit report from TransUnion

Open a bank account or apply for a mortgage loan, if you qualify. As an independent organization within the IRS, the Taxpayer Advocate Service helps taxpayers resolve problems and recommends changes that will prevent problems. If you must send original documents, you can send the IRS a prepaid express envelope with your application to have them returned faster. Don’t renew your ITIN with a Form W-7 if you have your social security number. Instead, notifying the IRS will combine your ITIN records with your new SSN, preventing anyone else from using your personal numbers on their records.

It’s not like an EIN where EIN is issued to each business entity. So, for example, an LLC, each LLC that’s registered has only an ITIN is one per person and once issue doesn’t change. According to the IRS, certain errors can hold up ITIN processing. Most errors involve missing details or a lack of supporting paperwork. Have your form checked before submitting it by a competent business attorney.

You can file via Form W-7 with your federal tax return during tax season between January and April or any time you have a reporting requirement. First of all, filing your federal tax returns is a signal of good moral character in immigration cases. If you have an ITIN, you may not be heading toward immigrating to the U.S. But if you are, using your ITIN and completing all the necessary IRS tax forms can boost your case. And you only need two of the above to meet the document requirements.

How to get your credit report from Equifax

Organizing tax records makes it easier to prepare a complete and accurate tax return. It helps avoid errors that can slow down refunds and may also help find overlooked deductions or tax credits. No matter what kind of Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) you have, you may find Self’s Credit Builder Account and secured credit card useful in building credit or establishing credit for the first time. When you apply for new credit, credit scores give potential lenders (and sometimes landlords or employers) an idea of how responsibly you manage your credit.

Depending on where you live and what type of mailing options you have, this is something that can take a while. This way it will be an exact copy of the original with a stamp from the agency notarizing it. This is the only type of documentation that will be accepted with an ITIN application. This person will review your necessary documents and forms and forward Form W-7 to the IRS. Under section 326 of the Patriot Act, financial institutions are required to open accounts if an application for an ID number (such as a W-7) is pending.

The third way to apply for a new ITIN is at an IRS Assistance Center. As with an Acceptance Agent, you will not need to mail anything sales invoice in. You just need to provide your supporting documents and completed Form W-7 to the IRS representative at the Center.

CAAs can only authenticate passports and birth certificates for dependents. For all other dependent documents, the CAA must mail the original document or certified copy from the issuing agency to IRS. You can file Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), with your federal income tax return. You must also include original documentation or certified copies from the issuing agency to prove identity and foreign status. ITINs are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and non-resident aliens may have a U.S. filing or reporting requirement under the Internal Revenue Code.

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. You will only file a tax return to the address above once, when you file Form W-7 to get an ITIN. In subsequent years, when you have an ITIN, you will file your tax return as directed in the form instructions. ITIN holders must verify their identity through the video chat process and will need a valid email address, proof of ITIN, one primary document and one secondary document.