When I was preparing to file my taxes this year, I planned to do a joint tax return with my wife. However, I soon realized that she doesn’t have a Social Security Number (SSN), since she doesn’t work in the U.S. That’s when I found out about the ITIN — the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
An ITIN is issued by the IRS for people who aren’t eligible for an SSN but still need to file taxes or be included on a tax return. It works as a substitute for an SSN in tax-related matters. I learned that by applying for an ITIN for my wife, we could still file jointly and potentially qualify for better tax benefits.
To apply, I submitted IRS Form W-7 along with a copy of our tax return and documents proving my wife’s identity and foreign status. The process was straightforward, and we eventually received the ITIN in the mail.
If you’re in a similar situation — married, filing jointly, but your spouse doesn’t have an SSN — applying for an ITIN might be a good solution. It helped us stay compliant with tax laws and simplified the filing process.
