What does ITIN stand for?

What does ITIN stand for?

The acronym ITIN stands for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. An ITIN is issued by the IRS and contains nine digits. All ITINs start with a 9 and use a 7 or 8 for its fourth digit. Only foreign nationals who do not qualify for a Social Security number may have an ITIN, so United States citizens do not have or need one. The number is used only for tax reporting purposes to the IRS.

If you need an ITIN number for filing your taxes, you must prove that you are a foreign national by submitting the documents required for ITIN application. Applicants can simplify the process if they have a valid passport. With a passport, the IRS does not require any other documentation to prove identity. If you find yourself wondering, “What do I need to get an ITIN number?” and you do not have a current passport, there are a number of other forms of I.D. you can use:

– Driver’s license,
– U.S. Visa
– Photo I.D. issued by the U.S. government
– Foreign voter’s registration card
– Civil birth certificate

Once an individual has the valid forms of I.D. required by the IRS, he or she may follow the rest of the ITIN W7 instructions to complete the application. This means completing the W7 form and submitting it with your federal tax returns that you need the ITIN for along with your original documents. Certified copies of the original documents are also acceptable.

If you have used an ITIN in the past, you may need to renew it at some point. In the case of a renewal, you should double check that all of the information you plan to submit is correct and make sure it matches all of your documents. Fill out the W7 application online again, print it out, then send your packet with your original documents or certified copies to the IRS. If you follow all of the information on the instructions page, you should receive your ITIN shortly.