Honest answers to questions we hear weekly

Anyone who has a U.S. federal tax filing or reporting requirement but isn’t eligible for a Social Security number — for example a non-resident who has to file Form 1040-NR, a foreign LLC member who receives U.S. income, someone claiming a tax treaty benefit, or a spouse or dependent being included on a U.S. tax return. An ITIN is for tax purposes only: it doesn’t authorize work in the U.S. or change immigration status.

Usually, yes. Form W-7 has to be attached to a valid federal income tax return unless you qualify for one of the exceptions in the W-7 instructions. Exceptions 1–5 cover situations such as third-party withholding on passive income (including partnership income and bank interest), tax treaty benefits, mortgage interest reporting, dispositions of U.S. real property (FIRPTA) and TD 9363 reporting. We check which route applies to you before we prepare anything.

There are two clocks. Ours: we prepare and certify your application within 1–3 business days of receiving your documents and completing the video verification. The IRS’s: The IRS says to allow 7 weeks for an ITIN decision, or 9–11 weeks if you apply during peak season (January 15 – April 30) or from overseas. Nobody — no agent and no paid service — can make the IRS process an ITIN faster.

A clear scan of your valid passport (all photo and personal-details pages), plus your U.S. tax return or the documents that support your exception — for example a letter from a withholding agent, a bank, or an excerpt of your LLC agreement. You’ll also show us your original passport on a recorded video call. A passport is the only document that proves both identity and foreign status on its own; without one, the IRS needs at least two documents, one with a photo.

Yes, but it’s harder. The IRS accepts 13 kinds of documents; without a passport you need at least two of them, one with a photo, and copies must be certified by the agency that issued them — notarized copies aren’t accepted. Contact us before you apply and we’ll tell you whether your documents will work.

No. ITINNumber.io is a private service that works as an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) under an agreement with the IRS. We are not the IRS, not a government agency, and not a law firm or bank. The IRS charges nothing for an ITIN; our fee covers preparation, document certification, filing and follow-up. You can check our acceptance-agent details on our Verify us page.

No. As a Certifying Acceptance Agent, we examine your original passport live on a recorded video call (or in person) and certify a copy for the IRS. You don’t mail your original passport to the IRS, so you’re not without it for weeks while the application is processed.

You can apply yourself by mailing Form W-7 with your original documents (or copies certified by the issuing agency) to the IRS in Austin. People use a CAA to keep their passport and to reduce the risk of rejection. Applications filed through a Certifying Acceptance Agent were rejected 12.3% of the time, against 27.3% when originals were mailed to the IRS and 18.4% through IRS offices (National Taxpayer Advocate, CY2023 to September 2024).

The IRS explains the reason in notice CP567. With ITIN Priority and ITIN Complete, we prepare one resubmission free of charge if the IRS rejects the application. If your application was filed by someone else and rejected, our CP567 rescue service reviews the reason and prepares a corrected application.

Yes. ITIN Complete includes the federal return the W-7 must be attached to (usually Form 1040-NR, or the return for a renewal), prepared by an enrolled agent or CPA and filed together with the W-7, as the IRS requires.

Yes, if they are being claimed or included on a U.S. tax return and qualify. Each person needs their own Form W-7 and documents. For dependents, a Certifying Acceptance Agent can authenticate only the passport and birth certificate; any other dependent documents must be originals or certified copies sent to the IRS. Each additional spouse or dependent is $99.

Yes. An ITIN that hasn’t been used on a federal tax return at least once in three consecutive tax years expires on December 31 of the third year. The IRS may send notice CP48 when your ITIN is about to expire.

With the same Form W-7: you tick “Renew an existing ITIN”, enter your current ITIN, and attach a federal tax return unless an exception applies. You only need to renew when you have to file a U.S. tax return. The renewal is processed on the same IRS timeline as a new application.

No. Your ITIN stays the same; never apply for a second one. You can find it on a previous U.S. tax return or IRS notice, or ask the IRS to confirm it by phone (800-829-1040 in the U.S., +1 267-941-1000 (not toll-free) from abroad).

The IRS mails notice CP565 to the address on your Form W-7. It shows your ITIN. If the IRS needs more information it sends CP566 instead, and if it rejects the application it sends CP567. We track your application and tell you as soon as we hear.

No. An ITIN does not authorize work in the U.S., does not change immigration status and does not by itself make you eligible for Social Security benefits. It’s a tax processing number for people who can’t get an SSN.

No. An ITIN identifies a person for federal tax purposes; an EIN identifies a business. A foreign-owned U.S. LLC can get its EIN without the owner having an ITIN. You may still need an ITIN yourself if you have to file a personal U.S. return or claim a treaty benefit.

Often not. These platforms usually accept a Form W-8BEN from a non-U.S. individual, or your LLC’s EIN. An ITIN becomes necessary when you have to file a U.S. tax return or want to claim a reduced treaty rate that requires a U.S. taxpayer number. We’ll tell you honestly if you don’t need one.

You pay the fixed USD price at the end of the application: after you save it and upload your passport, Razorpay’s secure checkout opens. You pay with a debit or credit card through Razorpay’s checkout; your card details go to Razorpay, never to us. If your card doesn’t work, your client dashboard also offers a PayPal option. Add-ons such as an extra family member are paid on our general payment page.

Yes — you can get a full refund any time before we file your W-7 with the IRS, even after your CAA verification call; once the application is filed, the work is done and fees aren’t refundable. We don’t refund because the IRS takes longer than its stated window or rejects an application for reasons outside our control, but Priority and Complete include a free resubmission. Refunds go back to the card or account you paid with (through Razorpay, or PayPal if you paid with PayPal). See our refund policy for the details.

The IRS charges nothing for an ITIN. You can apply yourself by mailing Form W-7 with your original documents (or copies certified by the issuing agency) to Internal Revenue Service, ITIN Operation, P.O. Box 149342, Austin, TX 78714-9342, or at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center if you are in the U.S. Our fee is for our own help — preparation, CAA certification, filing and follow-up — not for the ITIN.

An ITIN is a nine-digit number that begins with 9 and is formatted like an SSN (9XX-XX-XXXX).

Since June 1, 2026, CAA filings under Exception 1(a) (partnership income) must include the relevant excerpt of the partnership or LLC agreement. If you apply under that exception, we ask you for the excerpt along with your other documents.

No. An ITIN is only for people who can’t get a Social Security number. If you later get an SSN, use it from then on and tell the IRS, so the tax records under your ITIN can be moved to it.