An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service to taxpayers who are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN). Individuals must have a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN, unless they meet an exception. It is used for tax purposes only.

To enter information for Form W-7 Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number in the TaxAct® program:

1. From within your TaxAct return (Online or Desktop), click Federal. On smaller devices, click the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner, then select Federal
2. Click Basic Information in the Federal Quick Q&A Topics menu to expand the category and then click Form W-7 - ITIN Application
3. Click +Add Form W-7 to create a new copy of the form or Review to review a form already created. A window will open for you to enter the information directly on the form.

As the TaxAct program requires a valid ITIN to calculate certain credits and deductions (i.e. Child Tax Credit), enter a dummy ITIN of 999-88-9999 for individuals who do not yet have an ITIN. This ensures the return is calculated correctly for an individual that will be receiving an ITIN. When you print the return, be sure to white out the dummy ITIN(s) from anywhere they appear in the return before mailing the Form W-7 application (and the attached tax return) to the IRS ITIN Operation Service Center.

For filing with some states it may be possible to paper file the state return and send a copy of both the Form W-7 (ITIN application) and the Federal return. The state will let you know if they need additional information or if they prefer you wait to file your state return after receiving the ITIN from the IRS. You can check with your state Department of Revenue office to verify their preference.

For detailed information about the ITIN application process, please refer to the IRS website General ITIN Information* and IRS Tax Topic 857 Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) - Form W-7.

Note. Your ITIN may expire before you file a tax return for 2019. All ITINs not used on a federal tax return at least once in the last three years will expire on December 31, 2019. ITINs with the middle digits 83, 84, 85, 86, and 87 will expire at the end of 2019 also. Additionally, all ITINs with middle digits of 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 81, or 82  (Example: (9XX-73-XXXX) are now expired. 

*Note. You may also want to refer to ITIN Updated Procedures FAQs for additional information.