What Is An ITIN and How To Get One

Southwest Tax Solutions • Jul 23, 2021

What Is An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number?

ITIN Overview

Individual taxpayer identification number or ITINs are used to distinguish individual persons from business entities. An individual must apply for an individual taxpayer identification number when they pay tax, as a resident or non-resident alien who is not eligible to receive social security numbers.

ITINs are issued by the Internal Revenue Service, and used to track income taxes. They were specifically created so that residents of the U.S. who do not qualify for social security numbers can pay taxes and have access to social services. This may include for example: foreign students or people on work visas which do not provide SSN.


Introduced in 1996, as a part of the Taxpayer Relief Act signed by President Bill Clinton, ITINs are a nine digit number, formatted like a social security number.

There are a ton of reasons why someone may need to apply for an ITIN but most don't know the way to do so. It can also be a daunting, intimidating task best left to professionals with experience. Southwest Tax Solutions has lots of experience getting clients their ITINs as quickly as possible.

However, if you choose to go it alone, read the steps below!

How To Get An ITIN

An individual taxpayer identification number could be issued one of the following ways:


1. You can order for an individual taxpayer identification number on the IRS website by clicking on 'Individual Taxpayer Identification Number' and then clicking on the link that says 'Apply for an ITIN.' If you are already in the USA receiving wages from your employer, you will need to print off Form W-7 and fill in your details before mailing it in


2. If you are on the phone with individual taxpayer identification number department, an IRS individual taxpayer identification number specialist will ask you a few questions before they process your ITIN application electronically and deliver it to you by mail.


3. Filling in Form W-7 and sending it using certified mail is another form of ordering individual taxpayer identification numbers from the IRS.

There are plenty of reasons why someone may need an ITIN. An individual would need their own individual taxpayer identification number if they make any non deductible payments such as income tax or investment earnings that cannot be directly reported by another person or business entity such as a corporation or limited liability company.


Here in El Paso, Texas, individuals who want to benefit from opportunities offered by the state and federal government, may not always have social security numbers to gain access. In most cases, having an ITIN can be used as an alternative to having a social security number or SSN.

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Third Child Tax Credit Coming September 15

14 Sep, 2021
The IRS is sending out tens of millions of dollars in Child Tax Credit payments to families across the United States in the coming days, making it the third such payment that has been sent by the IRS. The IRS stipulates that the money is paid out on September 15, and these payments will continue every month until the end of the year, at which point eligible taxpayers will receive the remaining amount in one lump sum in 2022. Over 30 million households in the United States have qualified for payments of up to $300 per month for children who are eligible aged five and under, as well as $250 per kid between the ages of six and 17.  Taking into account the last half of the Child Tax Credit payment, which will arrive in 2022, those eligible households will receive a total of up to 3,600 per child aged five and below, with the maximum amount for children between six and 17 being 3,000 dollars. To receive the full amount, the US taxpayer must have had a modified adjusted gross income of 75,000 dollars or less for single individuals, 112,500 dollars or less for head of households, or 150,000 dollars or less for married couples filing jointly. How To Track Where Your Payment Is If you did not get the payment, but you are eligible and discover that the Child Tax Credit has already been paid out, double-check to see if your address and bank account information are correct with the IRS. . If you're eligible and there's no sign of the payment, you can come into the Southwest Tax Solutions, so we can track where your payment(s) are and possibly get you more. If you choose to go it alone, request the IRS provide you an update if you miss any of these deadlines: Five days since the direct deposit date, provided the bank hasn't yet received the payment Four weeks since the payment was mailed to a standard address Six weeks since the payment was mailed if the post office has a forwarding address on file for the recipient Nine weeks since the payment was mailed for those with an international address If you have not missed any of those deadlines, the IRS will not be able to track your payment. This is why we urge you to come into our locations so we can get in touch with an IRS agent and manually locate it ourselves. In many cases, eligible households that have not yet received a check will find that their Child Tax Credit status has been updated on the portal to indicate "pending." If this is the case, it implies that the IRS is vetting your information and you will not receive the payment until the agency determines whether or not you meet the qualifications. However, the vast majority of families do not need to do anything to receive the money since they have already submitted their 2019 or 2020 taxes and claimed the Child Tax Credit. Alternatively, you may have used the IRS' non-filers tool to submit your information. You can also use the aforementioned Child Tax Credit Update Portal to modify your address, update your bank account information, and view payment history, among other things.
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