Every ITIN application ends up at the same IRS office in Austin, Texas, no matter how you get it there. You can mail Form W-7 and your documents yourself, bring them to a participating IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, or work through an authorized Acceptance Agent. Where to send your ITIN application depends only on which of those three routes you pick; the destination is the same.
Mailing Form W-7 Directly to Austin
If you’re using the U.S. Postal Service, send your package to:
Internal Revenue Service
ITIN Operation
P.O. Box 149342
Austin, TX 78714-9342
Private carriers like FedEx and UPS can’t deliver to a P.O. box, so use the street address instead:
Internal Revenue Service
ITIN Operation
Mail Stop 6090-AUSC
3651 S. Interregional, Hwy 35
Austin, TX 78741-00001Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7
The package should contain your completed Form W-7, your federal tax return (unless one of the exceptions in the W-7 instructions applies to you), and original or certified-by-issuing-agency copies of your identity and foreign-status documents. The IRS returns originals after processing. If yours haven’t come back within 60 days, call to follow up.2Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
The trade-off with mailing is obvious: your passport or national ID sits at the IRS for weeks. If you need those documents in the meantime, the next two options let you keep them.
Applying in Person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center
Some IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers review and authenticate ITIN documents on the spot and hand them back at the end of the appointment. Staff check your Form W-7, verify your identity documents, and forward the application to Austin for you.3Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers with ITIN Services
Not every TAC offers ITIN service, so check the IRS list of participating locations before you go. Appointments are required; call 844-545-5640 to schedule one.4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers Providing In-Person ITIN Document Review Bring your completed Form W-7, your tax return, and every supporting document you’d otherwise be mailing.
Submitting Through an Acceptance Agent
The IRS authorizes two kinds of agents to help with ITIN applications, and the difference matters for whether you keep your documents.
A regular Acceptance Agent helps you complete Form W-7 and reviews your paperwork, but originals still travel to the IRS with the application. You’re waiting for them to come back just as you would with a direct mailing.
A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) has additional authority. A CAA can authenticate your passport and other identity documents, attach a Certificate of Accuracy to your application, and return your originals to you immediately. Only copies are sent on to Austin.5Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Acceptance Agents For most applicants who can’t get to a TAC and don’t want to part with a passport, a CAA is the better choice.
The IRS keeps a searchable directory of authorized agents by state and country. Fees are set by the agent, not the IRS, and vary widely; expect anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars, more if the agent also prepares your return.
What Goes in the Envelope
Whichever route you use, the package has three parts.
Form W-7. It asks for your legal name, mailing address, foreign address, date and place of birth, country of citizenship, and the reason you need an ITIN. The IRS recommends applying at the same time you file your tax return.6Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Application Frequently Asked Questions
A federal tax return. Most applicants must attach one. The IRS processes the W-7 first, issues the ITIN, and then processes the return. A handful of narrow exceptions let you skip the return, mostly involving passive income with withholding, treaty benefits, mortgage interest on U.S. real property, the sale of a U.S. real property interest, or a foreign corporation’s e-filing requirements. If one applies, you submit the documentation for that exception in place of a return.1Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7
Identity and foreign-status documents. A valid passport covers both requirements by itself. Without one, you need at least two documents from the IRS’s approved list, such as a national identity card, foreign driver’s license, or U.S. visa.1Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7 One rule trips up a lot of first-time applicants: the IRS will not accept notarized copies. Only originals or copies certified by the issuing agency, carrying that agency’s seal, are valid. The one carve-out is for dependents of U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.7Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Documentation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Long It Takes and How You’ll Hear Back
Outside of tax season, the IRS typically processes ITIN applications in about 7 weeks. During peak filing season (January 15 through April 30), or if you applied from outside the United States, plan on 9 to 11 weeks.8Internal Revenue Service. How to Apply for an ITIN
Approved applicants receive Notice CP565 in the mail with the assigned ITIN. A denial comes as Notice CP567 with the reason, usually invalid documents, missing information, or ineligibility.
There is no online status tracker. To check on an application, call 800-829-1040 from inside the U.S. or 267-941-1000 from abroad (not toll-free).9Internal Revenue Service. Help with Tax Questions – International Taxpayers
Renewing an ITIN
Renewals go to exactly the same place. Check the renewal box at the top of Form W-7, attach your tax return and supporting documents, and mail to Austin or submit through a TAC or agent the same way you would for a new application.1Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7 You only need to renew if the ITIN will appear on a return you’re actually filing.