ITIN applications
Apply for your ITIN here in Orlando
How it works
Four steps
- Call the office
Tell Ali who needs an ITIN (you, your spouse, your children) and set a time.
- Bring your documents
Your passport, or other identity documents, and the tax return the ITIN is for.
- Your interview
Ali reviews the originals with you. The IRS requires an interview for every applicant.
- Off to the IRS
Ali sends your Form W-7 and return with his Certificate of Accuracy (Form W-7 (COA)).
Who needs an ITIN
The IRS issues ITINs to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes but aren’t eligible for a Social Security number. That often includes:
- people who must file a U.S. tax return but can’t get a Social Security number;
- a spouse who isn’t eligible for a Social Security number, on a joint return;
- dependents claimed on a return who aren’t eligible for a Social Security number;
- people whose ITIN has expired and who need to file again.
What to bring
- A valid passport. On its own it proves both identity and foreign status. Without one, you need two or more other current documents from the IRS list, such as a national identity card and a birth certificate, and in most cases at least one with a recent photo.
- The tax return the ITIN is for, if it’s ready, or the paperwork for it.
- For each dependent: their passport or civil birth certificate, plus any proof of U.S. residence the IRS asks for.
- Your ITIN, if you’re renewing.
Ask when you call: your situation may call for more. The IRS keeps the full list in the Form W-7 instructions.
Questions people ask
What is an ITIN?
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is a tax processing number the IRS issues to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number but aren’t eligible for a Social Security number. It’s used only for federal tax purposes.
What does a Certifying Acceptance Agent do?
A Certifying Acceptance Agent is authorized by the IRS to help people apply for an ITIN. The agent reviews your original identification documents (or certified copies), interviews you, and sends your Form W-7 to the IRS with a certificate of accuracy (Form W-7 COA) saying the documents were reviewed.
Do I have to mail my original passport to the IRS?
For you and your spouse, a Certifying Acceptance Agent can authenticate all of your identification documents, so the originals don’t need to go to the IRS. For a dependent, the agent can authenticate the passport and civil birth certificate; any other documents for a dependent must be sent to the IRS as originals or certified copies.
Is there an interview?
Yes. The IRS requires acceptance agents to interview every ITIN applicant. The agent must have your original documents or certified copies at the interview.
Do I file the application with my tax return?
In most cases, yes. Form W-7 is usually sent with the federal income tax return the ITIN is needed for, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions in the Form W-7 instructions.
My ITIN expired. What now?
An ITIN that hasn’t been used on a federal tax return for three tax years in a row expires. To renew, you file a new Form W-7 marked as a renewal. Renewals follow the same document rules.
Sources: IRS ITIN Acceptance Agent Program and ITIN documentation FAQs.