Handling your financial and other crucial tax-related information online has become very critical in this digital era. Among the important things, verification of the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is essential for many.
Hence, in this article, you will learn about the steps concerned with verifying your ITIN number online so that you know your tax-related matters are correct and free of unwanted complications.
What is ITIN?
An ITIN means the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service.
It is a nine-digit number formatted like an SSN and is used by individuals who wouldn’t be eligible to get a Social Security Number but would be required to have a Taxpayer ID number for tax reporting purposes.
ITIns are issued regardless of immigration status since both the resident and nonresident aliens may have a U.S. filing or reporting requirement under the Internal Revenue Code.
Am I able to check the validity of my ITIN number online?
This leads to the more common question of whether you are able to verify your ITIN number online. The Internal Revenue Service offers a host of services online, but it doesn’t have an online portal that you can log in to directly verify an ITIN.
There exist, however, a series of related aspects and online services offered by the IRS that will help validate and prove the validity and genuineness of your ITIN.
What is the IRS identity verification number?
It provides many other services to assist taxpayers with their requirements. You can contact the IRS directly in case you require identity verification. You can contact the IRS Identity Verification Service at 1-800-830-5084.
This service helps by verifying your identity and aids in continuing processing of your tax return or ITIN application, in cases where identity issues are preventing processing.
Why can’t my identity be verified online?
Why they may not be able to verify your identity online: Inconsistent personal information, obsolete contact information, or problems with the data supplied in the verification process.
The IRS is serious about identity verification to save the taxpayers from fraud and identity theft, and for this reason, sometimes online verification may not be possible and you will be forced to use other means such as phone verification or visiting an IRS office in person.
Log in to IRS Online Services
While you cannot verify an ITIN directly online, the IRS does have a host of online services controlling information related to your taxes. Of course, this requires you to first create an account on their website. Here’s how to do it:
Go to the IRS Website: Go to www.irs.gov and click “Sign In” or “Create an Account” at the top right.
Account Creation: These prompts will lead you through the creation of an account. You will be expected to fill in your details and come up with a strong username and a password.
Verify Identity: As you open the account, you will be verifying your identity. This involves answering your security questions or following any other documentation as may be requested.
Use the Online ITIN Verification Tool
Once you have created an account and verified your identity, several online tools and services are available from the IRS.
While no tool explicitly allows you to directly verify an ITIN, using related tools will enable you to check your tax return status and verify that your ITIN is active and in good standing.
Log in to your IRS account Log in with your username and password.
Go to the section that applies: If your application has to do with information about your tax account, go to areas titled “View Your Account” or “Account Status.”
Check your ITIN status: Log into your account and check for your ITIN details. In case of any problem or when it is expired, this will be noted in your account details.
Enter ITIN Details
Manage Your Tax Information Online If you are going to handle your tax details online, ensure that you fill in the ITIN details correctly.
If some of it is wrong or outdated, then your tax filings may be delayed or not processed at all. Here are some tips for entering your ITIN details correctly :
Double-check your ITIN: Make sure you have your ITIN number available and confirm that it is accurate. ITINs have nine digits and are formatted like SSNs, for example, 9XX-XX-XXXX.
Update personal information: You can change any personal information if it changes, like an address change; you should update this previously mentioned information in your IRS account.
Entries review: Review your entries prior to submitting any forms or update for any errors.
Conclusion
The verification of one’s ITIN number online will involve going through a host of IRS online services and tools.
Although there is no online tool to directly verify ITINs, you can very well handle and verify the related information about your tax through your IRS online account.
Follow every step that this article has provided, and you will be in a position to ensure that your ITIN status is active and all the associated tax information related to you is correct and updated.
If there are any kind of problems or further support is required related to your ITIN, contact the IRS directly.
For further assistance with ITIN applications, check out our ITIN page.