The Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax-processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure that people—including undocumented immigrants—pay taxes even if they do not have a Social Security number and regardless of their immigration status.
ITINs allow the IRS to bring in billions of dollars the federal government otherwise would have no way of collecting. This fact sheet explains what ITINs are, who has them, and the purposes for which they are used.
What is an ITIN?
- It was created for tax purposes. The ITIN was created by the IRS in July 1996 to allow foreign nationals and other individuals who are not eligible for a Social Security number (SSN) to comply with U.S. tax laws.
- ITINs are not SSNs The ITIN is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number 9 and has a 7 or 8 in the fourth digit; for example, 9XX-7X-XXXX.
