Getting an ITIN without mailing your passport
If you have to file a U.S. tax return but cannot get a Social Security number, you need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Applying on your own means sending Form W-7, a tax return and your original passport, or a certified copy from the issuing agency, to the IRS by mail, and waiting weeks to get it back. A mistake in the package can mean a rejection and starting over.
SolutionHub is an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). That lets us handle your ITIN application from start to finish: we confirm you qualify, prepare Form W-7, verify your identity documents ourselves and send the complete package to the IRS together with your tax return. We work from our office in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, and with applicants online, in English or Turkish. ITINs are one of the tax services we focus on. We are a private firm, not a government agency, and you can also file an ITIN application directly with the IRS without an agent.
Who needs an ITIN?
The IRS issues ITINs to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes but are not eligible for an SSN. Common cases include:
- nonresident aliens who must file a U.S. tax return, for example owners of a foreign-owned U.S. LLC with U.S. business income,
- resident aliens filing a U.S. return who cannot get an SSN,
- spouses and dependents of U.S. citizens and residents who are claimed on a return, and
- spouses and dependents of nonresident aliens.
For a plain-English explanation of what the number is and what it can and cannot be used for, see what an ITIN is.
An ITIN is for federal tax purposes only. It is not a work permit, it does not give or change immigration status, and it does not make you eligible for Social Security benefits. You also do not need an ITIN just to give a payer Form W-8BEN; our W-8BEN guide explains when the form asks for one.
What our ITIN application service includes
Form W-7 and eligibility
Every Form W-7 must state a reason for applying. Choosing the wrong one is a common cause of rejection. We review your situation on a free call, confirm whether you need an ITIN at all, and complete Form W-7 for each applicant in your family who needs one.
What a Certifying Acceptance Agent can do
Under the IRS Acceptance Agent Program, a CAA may authenticate identity documents for ITIN applicants. According to the IRS:
- For primary and secondary applicants (you and your spouse), a CAA can authenticate all identification documents except foreign military ID cards.
- For dependents, a CAA can authenticate the passport and the civil birth certificate. Other documents for a dependent must still be sent to the IRS as originals or certified copies.
Every applicant, including each dependent, must be interviewed. The IRS allows the interview to take place by video, but the CAA must have the original documents, or certified copies from the issuing agency, in hand during it.
Tax return and submission
In most cases, the W-7 must be attached to the federal tax return that requires the ITIN, such as a Form 1040-NR nonresident return or a regular individual tax return. A few exceptions allow applying without a return. We prepare the return and the W-7 together, so names, dates and numbers match, and mail the complete package to the IRS.
ITIN processing time
The IRS page How to apply for an ITIN says to allow 7 weeks to be notified about your application. During peak season, from January 15 to April 30, or if you apply from abroad, allow 9 to 11 weeks. There is no IRS fee to apply.
ITIN renewal
An ITIN expires if it is not used on a U.S. federal tax return for three consecutive tax years. It expires on December 31 of the third year (see How to renew an ITIN). If you will file a federal return again, you renew it with a new Form W-7, checking the renewal box, generally attached to that return. If your ITIN only appears on information returns such as a Form 1099, you do not need to renew it. We handle ITIN renewal the same way as a first application.
Related services
Many ITIN applicants also need help with the rest of their U.S. tax picture. U.S. citizens and green card holders living abroad who want to include a non-U.S. spouse on their return usually need an ITIN for that spouse when filing their U.S. expat tax return.
Start your ITIN application
Tell us who needs an ITIN and why, and we will confirm the documents to prepare and give you a fixed price before any work starts. Book a free ITIN consultation.