ITIN INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

WHAT IS A ITIN?

An ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is a tax processing number, issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), for certain resident and nonresident aliens, their spouses, and their dependents. An ITIN is only available to individuals who are required to have a taxpayer identification number for TAX PURPOSES, but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). It is a nine-digit number beginning with the number "9" has a range of numbers from "50" to "65", "70" to "88" , "90" to "92" and "94" to "99" for the fourth and fifth digits and is formatted like a SSN (i.e. XXX-XX-XXXX). ITIN'S are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and nonresident aliens may have United States federal tax filing and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. 

Only individuals who are required to file a U.S. federal income tax return, or who file a tax return to claim a refund of over-withheld tax are eligible to receive an ITIN. 

An ITIN does not 

• Authorize work in the U.S.
• Provide eligibility for Social Security Benefits
• Qualify a dependent for Earned Income Tax Credit Purposes

HOW TO APPLY?

If you are applying for an ITIN to file a tax return, you must attach your original, completed return to Form W-7. After your form W-7 has been processed, the IRS will assign an ITIN to the return and process the return. If you are not required to file a tax return or if you fail to file a completed tax return with your Form W-7, you will not be issued an ITIN, unless you meet one of the exceptions as described in the instructions of Form W-7. An ITIN only needs to be renewed if it will be included on a tax return. Beginning with the tax year 2018, spouses and dependents don't need to renew their ITIN'S unless they qualify for an allowable tax benefit or file their own tax return. 

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?

To begin the the ITIN application process, you will need: 

• A complete IRS Form W-7

WHAT DOES IT COST TO OBTAIN AN ITIN NUMBER?

If you file a tax return with Gold Star Tax Service, you can apply for ITIN for FREE!

Applying and obtaining an ITIN number yourself directly from the IRS does not cost. You will need to submit the correct documentation to get approved. (The documentation you need to apply will cost you money of course). The problems that many people face is more then often their application is rejected by the IRS. 

When it comes to filing out a ITIN application, to prevent mailing and or losing your ORIGINAL documents for months, or worse, many months have gone by, and your application not being approved, it's strongly recommend to contact a CERTIFIED ACCEPTANCE AGENT (CAA). Hiring a CAA is a easier and faster process than applying through a Tax Preparer or applying on your own. 

WHAT IS A CERTIFIED ACCEPTANCE AGENT, AND WILL THEY MAKE MY ITIN PROCESS EASIER?

A Certified Acceptance Agent (CAA) is authorized by the IRS to help non- U.S. Citizens apply for ITIN'S correctly. In addition a CAA is authorized to certify they have reviewed and accepted your original supporting documents, so you don't need to send away your original passport and documents to the IRS.