How to get your ITIN, step by step
As IRS Certified Acceptance Agents (CAA) we verify your documents ourselves, so your passport never gets mailed to the IRS — the risk most people rightly want to avoid. In our Austin office, or entirely by mail from any state.
What you need for your ITIN
- Form W-7 (the ITIN application to the IRS)
- A valid passport — or two alternate documents, one with a photo
- Your tax return for the year (in most cases)
Not sure whether you qualify for an ITIN? Read the full ITIN guide →
The 6 steps to your ITIN
From your free consultation to the IRS mailing you the letter with your number. At no point does your passport travel to the government.
Free consultation with a CAA
We check whether you qualify for an ITIN, which documents you need, and whether your case files the W-7 together with a tax return.
Filling out Form W-7
We complete the form with you and check every line — the most common rejections come from misspelled names, dates, and incomplete addresses.
Document verification by the CAA
As Certified Acceptance Agents we verify your passport ourselves: in our Austin office if you’re local, or over a video interview if it reaches us by mail. Either way, it is never sent to the IRS.
Preparing your tax return
In most cases the W-7 goes in together with your first tax return. We tell you if your situation qualifies to file it on its own, without one.
Sending the package to the IRS
We mail the complete package to the ITIN Operations Center in Austin — our own city, as it happens — with tracking, so you know where your application is.
Receiving your ITIN
The IRS issues it in 6 to 8 weeks in regular season (9 to 11 from February through April) and mails it to the address on your application.
How long until your ITIN arrives?
The clock belongs to the IRS, not to us — but we track your application so you always know where it stands.
Regular season
6 to 8 weeks from the day the IRS receives your complete Form W-7, outside of peak filing season.
Filing season (February – April)
9 to 11 weeks, because application volume at the IRS climbs during those months.
What is a Certified Acceptance Agent (CAA)?
A CAA is an agent authorized directly by the IRS to verify the identity documents of ITIN applicants.
Without a CAA, the usual way to apply is mailing your original passport to the IRS (or taking it to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, if there’s one near you) so they verify it themselves — weeks without your document and no control over where it is.
As Certified Acceptance Agents we do that verification ourselves. We review your passport or other valid documents, confirm the copy attached to the W-7 is correct, and your original stays with you — in our Austin office you leave with it the same day, and by mail it ships back within 24 hours of your video interview. Nothing goes to the IRS except the application package it actually requires.
ITIN application questions, answered
The ones we get most often, answered without the jargon.
How long does the ITIN take to arrive?
Can I work while I wait for my ITIN?
Do my spouse or children need ITINs too?
What if I move after applying?
What if I lose the IRS letter with my ITIN?
I don’t live in Austin. Can you still do this?
Everything related to your ITIN
Start your ITIN application today
Free consultation with a Certified Acceptance Agent. We review your case, tell you exactly which documents you need, and file your ITIN — with your passport never leaving for the IRS.
