ITIN Service

First: check whether you actually need one

Most founders who ask us for an ITIN do not need one. It is worth two minutes to be sure, because the application takes two to three months and there is no way to rush it.

You do not need an ITIN to form a US LLC, to get an EIN, to open a Mercury or Wise account, or to run Stripe on a single-member LLC. Those run on the company’s EIN. If someone told you an ITIN is required to start a US company, that is wrong.

You do need one if you must file a personal US tax return (Form 1040-NR), if you are claiming a tax-treaty benefit to reduce withholding, if a US payer is withholding 30% and asks you for a Form W-8BEN with a taxpayer number on it, or if a platform such as Amazon KDP asks for one during tax-interview verification.

If you are not sure which applies, tell us what you were asked for and by whom. If you do not need an ITIN we will say so — it is a short conversation and it saves you a fee and a three-month wait.

The part nobody explains: your passport

An ITIN application needs proof of identity and foreign status, and for most applicants that means a passport. There are three ways to satisfy the IRS, and they differ enormously in risk:

1. Mail your original passport to the IRS in Austin, Texas. The IRS returns supporting documents to the address on line 2 of your Form W-7 within 60 days. Sixty days without a passport is not acceptable for most people.
2. Use a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). A CAA can authenticate most supporting documents and return them to you at the end of the appointment, so your passport never leaves your hands.
3. Visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Free, but they are in the United States, which defeats the point for most of our clients.

We use the second route. Bizstartz is not itself an IRS-authorised Certifying Acceptance Agent — we work with one, and your application is prepared by us and certified through them. In practice that means your passport is authenticated by the agent and stays with you. Your documents are never posted to Texas.

We are saying that plainly because the distinction is worth knowing, and because a provider vague about it may be planning to mail your passport.

How long it takes — honestly

The IRS says to allow 7 weeks for notification of your ITIN application status, and 9 to 11 weeks if you apply during tax season (15 January to 30 April) or if you applied from overseas.

Almost every Bizstartz client applies from overseas. So plan for 9 to 11 weeks, and longer if you apply in the first quarter. Any provider quoting you four weeks is quoting the best case for a US-resident applicant, which is not you.

What we need from you

• A valid passport — and, if you are not using a CAA, a certified copy from the issuing authority rather than a notarised photocopy
• The reason you need the ITIN, and the document that triggered it (the platform request, the treaty article, or the return you must file)
• The US tax return the W-7 will be attached to, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions that allows a standalone application
• Your foreign address, exactly as it should appear — this is where documents are returned

What we do

• Confirm you need an ITIN before you pay for one
• Establish which exception you file under, or prepare the return the W-7 attaches to
• Prepare Form W-7 and assemble the identity evidence in the order the IRS expects
• Certify your documents through our partner Certifying Acceptance Agent, so your passport stays with you
• File and track the application until the number is issued
• Prepare the Form W-8BEN that the ITIN was needed for, where that was the reason

Who this is not for

• Anyone who has been told they need an ITIN to open a business bank account. They do not. That runs on the EIN.
• Anyone needing a number this month. The IRS timeline is the IRS timeline. Nobody can expedite it.
• Anyone eligible for a Social Security Number. The IRS will not issue an ITIN to someone who can get an SSN.

Questions

Do I need an ITIN to open a US bank account for my LLC?

No. Business accounts are opened on the company’s EIN. See US bank account support.

Can I apply without filing a US tax return?

Only under one of the IRS exceptions — for example, treaty benefits, or third-party withholding on passive income. Otherwise Form W-7 must be attached to a return. We work out which applies to you before filing.

Will I have to send my passport away?

No. We certify through a partner Certifying Acceptance Agent, who authenticates the document and returns it at the appointment. Only applications mailed directly to the IRS involve parting with documents, and those are returned within 60 days.

Does an ITIN expire?

Yes. An ITIN not used on a federal tax return for three consecutive years expires, and it must be renewed before it can be used again. Renewal uses the same Form W-7.

Does an ITIN give me the right to work or live in the US?

No. It is a tax processing number only. It confers no immigration status, no work authorisation and no Social Security benefit.

What if the application is rejected?

We correct it and apply again. Rejections are usually mechanical rather than fatal — a document that did not satisfy the identity or foreign-status test, a missing exception, or a return the W-7 should have been attached to. We find which it was, fix it, and refile. What nobody can do is shorten the clock: a refiled application goes back into the same queue, so plan for the 9 to 11 weeks again from the date it is resubmitted.

What does it cost?

$300. That covers confirming you actually need an ITIN, establishing which exception you file under or preparing the return the Form W-7 attaches to, assembling the identity evidence, certification through our partner Certifying Acceptance Agent so your passport stays with you, and tracking the application until the number is issued.