Your identification proves who you are. The return or exception explains why you need the ITIN.
From US$199 · one-time fee in U.S. dollars
An ITIN application needs Form W-7, evidence of identity and foreign status, and a federal return or the documents supporting a qualifying exception.IRS A valid passport usually proves identity and foreign status together, but certain dependents need additional U.S. residence evidence. Review the applicant category before sending documents.
Nolly.com is based in Toronto and works with people worldwide, including people living in the U.S. without an SSN.
Standard ITIN applications are US$199 and exclude the U.S. tax return. Priority is US$265, with a dedicated specialist, priority document review and priority replies.
Your interview is a live video call. No mailing your original passport to the IRS.
For a first-time ITIN application.
Includes:
Standard, plus a dedicated specialist, for US$66 more.
Everything in Standard, plus:
IRS processing time is the same for both.
Identification is only one part of the packet. Before requesting copies of every document you own, tell the preparer why the number is needed. A return-based application, a property transaction and a scholarship exception can call for different tax-purpose evidence.
For the normal route, keep the completed federal return with Form W-7. If you claim an exception, use the applicable W-7 table to identify the exact supporting records.IRS A general statement that a bank wants a tax number should not be treated as the evidence for every exception.
Keep the payer request, property contract or school letter in its original form. Highlight the relevant holder, year and transaction for your reviewer. If someone asks for more evidence, it is easier to find when it has a clear job in the packet.
A first-time application and a renewal should also be distinguished at the start. Give the preparer an earlier ITIN notice or IRS correspondence so an existing number is not overlooked while assembling new identification.
If you already have a number, use the ITIN expiry guide before preparing a first-time application.
A valid passport is normally the single document that can establish both identity and foreign status. Without it, the W-7 instructions generally require at least two accepted document types meeting the identity, foreign-status and photograph conditions.IRS
Check the expiration date, legal name and complete document pages before the review. A blurry photograph of part of the identity page is not the same as a usable record of the document. Ask what the preparer needs for inspection instead of sending an unreadable image repeatedly.
Where a U.S. visa is required for the application, the relevant passport visa pages must be included.IRS Tell the reviewer about the applicant's category rather than assuming all passport holders have the same visa requirement.
If the name differs across the passport, payer form or tax return, identify that before signing. Keep the explanation and any supporting name record together. Do not quietly change an identity field to match a payment statement without checking which name is correct.
The IRS mail route generally calls for original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency.IRS A photocopy marked accurate by an unrelated person is not automatically the kind of certified copy the instructions describe.
Ask the passport issuer about its certification process if you intend to use that route. Keep the response and confirm which pages it certifies. Avoid assuming a local notary stamp will meet a requirement that specifically concerns the issuing authority.
The instructions contain limited military-family notarization provisions.IRS Those are particular exceptions, not a general rule for every overseas applicant. Tell the preparer if that situation applies so the required accompanying records can be checked.
A Certifying Acceptance Agent can inspect and certify permitted identity documents through the IRS program, with limits for dependents.IRS Confirm the applicant's documents before choosing a service. Nolly.com's interview is a live video call. No mailing your original passport to the IRS.
A dependent application must first be supported by an allowable tax benefit or the applicant's own filing need.IRS A birth certificate proving a relationship does not establish entitlement to every benefit on a return.
A passport without a U.S. entry date does not prove U.S. residence for certain dependent applications. The Canada and Mexico exception does not remove residence proof for a dependent claiming the credit for other dependents.IRS Have the category and benefit reviewed before relying on a passport alone.
Ask which age-appropriate residence record is accepted for that applicant. School, medical or other records have particular conditions in the instructions. Do not send an unrelated household bill and assume the child's name or residence has been established.
For a child under eighteen without a valid passport, the W-7 instructions require an original birth certificate.IRS Plan the identity review around the actual documents available, especially when family members apply together with different ages and residence histories.
Compare legal names, dates of birth, addresses and any earlier ITIN across the forms. Put supporting records in a logical order. If the return names several applicants, make sure each person's evidence is identifiable rather than placing all passports into an unexplained bundle.
Use the current W-7 submission instructions when the application accompanies a return. That package does not use the ordinary return-only mailing address.IRS Agree who sends it and keep the final copy and proof of submission.
Retain a simple list of what was submitted and what remains with you. If the IRS later requests a missing document, answer against that list rather than preparing a second, contradictory application.
Identify the federal return or exact exception and its evidence.
PurposeReview passport validity, name and any required visa pages.
IdentityConfirm the allowable benefit, age and residence proof where applicable.
FamilyCheck names and previous numbers, then retain the submission record.
FilingIt normally proves identity and foreign status, but the application still needs its tax purpose. Certain dependents also need residence evidence.IRS
The standard mail route uses originals or issuing-agency-certified copies. Review the acceptance-agent route if you want document authentication.IRS
No. A dependent claiming the credit for other dependents still needs the applicable U.S. residence proof.IRS
Follow the W-7 instructions rather than the ordinary return-only address.IRS
More questions? See the full Nolly.com FAQ.
Every IRS fact on this page comes from IRS.gov or the other official pages listed below and was checked on October 3, 2026. Nolly.com's own prices are the only exception. Nolly.com is a private company and is not part of the IRS.
Nolly Services Inc, d/b/a Nolly.com, appears on the IRS page Acceptance agents – Canada. Nolly.com is a private company and isn't part of the IRS.
Checked against IRS.gov on October 3, 2026. General information, not tax advice.
Start with your federal tax purpose and the number already in your records.
