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Accounting & Taxes
ITIN · IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent

Get your ITIN without mailing your passport to the IRS

Applying on your own means putting your original passport in the mail to Austin, Texas, and waiting weeks without it. As an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent I verify the passport myself and file Form W-7 with a Certificate of Accuracy — your original doesn't go to the IRS: it stays with you or, for a video interview, comes to me by courier and goes straight back.

  • Your original passport never goes to the IRS
  • Video interview from any country — your passport comes to me by courier, never to the IRS
  • IRS-authorized CAA · Authorized IRS e-file Provider
Book a free 15-minute ITIN checkOr start with the document checklist →

What is an ITIN and why you need one

ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is a 9-digit tax identifier issued by the IRS to individuals who must pay US taxes but are not eligible for an SSN (Social Security Number). Format: 9XX-XX-XXXX (always starts with 9). Who needs an ITIN: 1. Non-residents who must file a US tax return (1040-NR) — for example because they have a US LLC, US rental property, US-source investment income, or other US-source income subject to US tax. 2. Foreign spouses of US persons claiming joint filing status (married filing jointly election under §6013(g)/(h)). 3. Foreign children of US residents claimed as dependents on the parent's return. 4. Foreign students with US scholarships/grants reportable to IRS. 5. Buyers of US real estate from foreign sellers (FIRPTA withholding context). ITIN does NOT grant: work authorization, immigration status, Social Security benefits, Medicare, or EITC eligibility. It is strictly a tax-identification tool. Once issued, an ITIN stays valid as long as it appears on a US federal tax return (yours, or as a dependent on someone else's) at least once in any 3 consecutive tax years — IRC §6109(i)(3). Otherwise it expires and must be renewed via Form W-7.
Certifying Acceptance Agent

Why submitting your ITIN application through a CAA matters

A CAA (Certifying Acceptance Agent) is an IRS-authorized tax professional permitted to verify original documents for ITIN. I completed the training and obtained CAA authorization, which gives my clients these advantages over mailing documents to the IRS: 1. Your passport does not go to the IRS. Without a CAA, you mail the original (or a copy certified by the issuing agency) to the IRS, and it usually comes back within 60 days. With a CAA, IRS rules require me to hold your original passport during the interview ([IRS — Acceptance Agent Program](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/itin-acceptance-agent-program)). The interview can be in person or by video; if we don't meet in person, you send the passport to me by tracked courier and I return it the same way right after certifying it. 2. A checked package. I prepare the W-7 with the correct reason code (a–h), supporting documents matched to your situation, and Form W-7 (COA), the Certificate of Accuracy — so fewer things can go wrong. 3. The same IRS processing time for every route: about 7 weeks, or 9–11 weeks during the peak season (January 15 – April 30) or when applying from abroad.

How I obtain ITIN — 5 steps

Full cycle from consultation to receiving the number in the mail.

1

Consultation and eligibility verification

We confirm you have an action item that requires an ITIN (filing 1040-NR, opening an LLC, receiving dividends, etc.). If you already have an SSN — no ITIN needed. Once eligibility is confirmed — proceed to step 2.

2

Form W-7 + supporting docs preparation

I complete Form W-7 (Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) for you — in English, per IRS rules. I pick supporting documents matching your reason for applying (8 reason codes, a–h; I'll select the right one).

3

Document verification as CAA

I verify your passport personally — in person or during a video interview. For a video interview the original reaches me by tracked courier beforehand and goes straight back: the IRS requires the CAA to hold it. I prepare the Certificate of Accuracy — Form W-7 (COA).

4

Submission to IRS Austin Service Center

I send the package (W-7 + CoA + your tax return) to the IRS Austin Service Center — the specialized center that processes ITIN requests. Standard processing path.

5

ITIN delivery — 6–8 weeks

IRS mails the ITIN number to you. This becomes your permanent tax ID. You use it for all future filings, US bank accounts, brokerage accounts.

What documents are needed for ITIN

Standard package for ITIN submission via CAA: 1. Original passport — the simplest option. One passport satisfies the entire supporting-docs requirement. During the interview it has to be with me — in person or sent by tracked courier — and I return it right away. It never goes to the IRS. 2. If no passport — a combination of two documents covering both identity and foreign status: national ID card + birth certificate, OR driver's license + birth certificate, etc. I'll tell you the exact combo on the consultation. 3. Form W-7 — I fill it out for you based on your situation and reason for applying. 4. Supporting tax document — the US tax return for which the ITIN is needed (1040-NR, statement claiming treaty benefit, etc.). Without a valid tax filing purpose, IRS rejects the W-7. 5. Form W-7 (COA) — Certificate of Accuracy. I prepare it as a CAA. For dependents (spouse, children) — a separate W-7 per person + their own ID documents.

Get the ITIN document checklist

One page listing exactly what I need from you to prepare Form W-7: the identity documents, the reason code, and the tax filing your application attaches to. Leave your email and the PDF is yours.

I keep your email so I can answer if a question comes up about your application. No newsletter. Privacy policy

Two ways to get it done

Both include my verification of your passport as a Certifying Acceptance Agent, so the original stays with you either way.

ITIN application

Form W-7 prepared with the right reason code, your supporting documents matched to it, my Certificate of Accuracy, and submission to the IRS.

Fits you if the tax return your ITIN attaches to is handled elsewhere, or an exception applies — treaty benefit, LLC member, FIRPTA.

ITIN + 1040-NR

Everything in the ITIN application, plus preparation and filing of the non-resident return your application has to be attached to.

Fits most first-time applicants: the IRS rejects a W-7 that arrives without a valid filing purpose.

I quote by email after I see your situation — the number of applicants, the reason code and the return all move the price. You get the exact scope and figure in writing before any work starts.

Opening an LLC in the US?
ITIN is typically needed after LLC formation — for filing Form 1040-NR. I run both processes in parallel →

Related articles

Frequently asked questions — getting an ITIN

What an ITIN is, who needs one, how to obtain via CAA, timelines, documents

ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is a 9-digit tax identifier from the IRS for people not eligible for an SSN. Format: 9XX-XX-XXXX. You need it if you have to file a US tax return (Form 1040-NR), claim treaty benefits with a bank/broker, or be claimed as a dependent on someone's return. It does NOT grant work authorization or Social Security benefits.

Need an ITIN?

Book a consultation — 30 minutes, we'll discuss your situation, evaluate eligibility, and prepare the ITIN plan.

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Kateryna Dzhevaga·IRS CAA · Authorized IRS e-file Provider·Federal practice (all 50 states)·EN · RU · UK

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