If you need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) FACT Professional Inc. can support, you. Our office has income tax experts who are IRS Certified Acceptance Agents. By processing ITINs through our office, you can avoid the hassle of going to the IRS office or even worse mailing your passport to the IRS.
What is the Process?
To apply for an ITIN our office will prepare your income tax return and form W-7 (ITIN Application) for whoever requires the ITIN.
Preparing form W-7 requires the following documentation:
- Copy of the passport’s first page for each person who needs an ITIN
- A copy of the visa of each person who needs an ITIN
- A copy of the I-94 for each person who needs an ITIN
(If you do not have the documents above, please schedule consulting time with one of our tax accountants to discuss what other documents can be provided.
Once we receive the above information, we will prepare forms W-7 for each person applying for their ITIN. Afterward, our office will prepare a W7-COA which is a specific certification process. Our office has been certified by the IRS to prepare this document and verify the accuracy and validity of the provided documents.
Upon completion of these steps our office will paper file (mail):
- Federal Income Tax Return (with original signatures)
- W7 Application (with original signatures)
- W7-COA (signed and certified by our office)
- Copies of documentation
(This tax return cannot be electronically filed.)
We will wait for the IRS to process the ITIN application. Once it is processed, they will process your income tax return as well as mail the original ITIN to our office. Once we receive the original ITIN document, we will confirm your mailing address and mail you the ITIN.
For State Tax Return filing, our office will use the ITIN to electronically file the state tax return.
Do you need to file a tax return before you get an ITIN?
The ITIN is an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, it is only for Income Tax Filing, therefore you can only obtain an ITIN when filing an income tax return.
Can FACT Professional, Inc. certify my documents If I prepared my tax return and ITIN and application myself?
Our office has a separate service for certification only, where we will verify the validity of the documents but not the prepared tax return or W7. If we catch any errors on the tax return or W7 we can recommend corrections only.
How long does it take to obtain the ITIN?
The process can take 2 – 9 months varying on how busy the ITIN processing office is in that given year.
What if I am moving to a new address and I haven’t received my ITIN yet?
Our office has the ITINs mailed to us before they go out to you. Once we receive the ITIN, we will call you to confirm your mailing address in case you moved.
Does FACT Professional renew ITINs?
The ITIN renewal process is like the general new ITIN application process. Our firm handles renewal processes as well.
Do ITINs expire?
Unfortunately, ITINs expire, so it is critical to keep them active and be aware of expiration dates. Typically, ITINs expire every 5 years, but they must be used every year.
The IRS mails notices the year the ITIN is expiring ensuring taxpayers have time to apply for renewals.