Small Business Taxes & Management

Special Report


IRS Advises Taxpayers with Expiring ITINs--Avoiding Delays--Common Errors

 

Small Business Taxes & ManagementTM--Copyright 2016, A/N Group, Inc.

 

The IRS is again urging any taxpayer with an expiring Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and a need to file a return in the upcoming filing season to file a renewal application in the next few weeks to avoid refund and processing delays. In addition, the IRS encouraged people to check their renewal application, Form W-7, carefully before filing and offered tips for avoiding common errors being seen.

ITINs are used by people who have tax-filing or payment obligations under U.S. law but are not eligible for a Social Security number. Under a recent law change by Congress, any ITIN not used on a tax return at least once in the past three years will expire on Jan. 1, 2017. In addition, any ITIN with middle digits of either 78 or 79 (9NN-78-NNNN or 9NN-79-NNNN) will also expire on that date.

This means that anyone with an expiring ITIN should act now to make sure they have a renewed ITIN in time to file a return during the upcoming tax season. Failure to do so will result in refund delays and possible loss of eligibility for some tax benefits.

The IRS said that an ITIN renewal application filed now before the end of the year will be processed before one submitted in January or February at the height of tax season. Currently, a complete and accurate renewal application can be processed in as little as seven weeks. But this timeframe is expected to lengthen to 11 weeks during tax season.

The IRS reports several common errors being seen in recent weeks that are currently slowing down and holding up some ITIN renewal applications. The mistakes generally center on missing information, and/or insufficient supporting documentation. The tax agency stressed that ITIN renewal applicants should be sure to use the latest version of Form W-7, revised September 2016. This is the version of the form, along with its instructions, currently posted on IRS.gov.

To ensure prompt processing of the form, ITIN renewal applicants should also complete the following steps: :

ITIN renewal applicants are also reminded that only a passport with a U.S. entry date is now acceptable as a stand-alone identification document for dependents. This is a change from past policy. This means that dependent ITIN applicants who use a passport without a date of entry must provide additional documentation, along with the passport, to prove U.S. residency. Acceptable documents include:

Dependents from Canada, Mexico, or dependents of U.S. military personnel stationed overseas are exempt from these additional requirements.

ITIN renewal applicants can get help by visiting IRS.gov/ITIN, consulting a Certified Acceptance Agent or Acceptance Agent or making an appointment at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC). Here are details on each of these options:

 


Copyright 2016 by A/N Group, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The information is not necessarily a complete summary of all materials on the subject. Copyright is not claimed on material from U.S. Government sources.--ISSN 1089-1536


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--Last Update 12/09/16