ITIN renewal

[khaepmu]

My Thai wife has an ITIN number and, according to what I could find out by browsing the IRS webpages for ITIN numbers, her ITIN number has expired and should be renewed. This is based on the fourth and fifth digits in her ITIN number (which are 73) I just completed a W7 form for the renewal but not sure what accompanying documents I must include. Apparently,  I attach the Form W7 to my 2022 tax return to the IRS. If my memory serves me correctly, about five years ago I received a notice from the IRS saying my wife's ITIN number was no longer valid. All I can remember is taking an IRS document to the American Embassy in Bangkok along with my Thai wife's passport and they stamped and I signed it and I sent it back to the IRS. But I have no recollection of what from I needed from the IRS to get verified.  Perhaps  I must take  a completed W7 along with my wife's passport to the embassy. If I take the W7 form along with my Wife's passport to the embassy Is that all I need I wonder.  It seems that I am  supposed to include the W7 form along with my 2022 to the IRS along with the   verification from the embassy. If anyone has had recent adventures with ITIN renewals in Thailand please share. 

[StevoLe]

If you are in Bangkok, the embassy can certify Thai passports for ITIN applications.  It can also be done via mail. You will have to send your wife's original passport, if you don't have a certified copy of the passport. I have heard others have obtained certified passport copies at Thai passport offices, but I used the embassy last year.

 

Send the W7, the certified copy of your wife's passport, and your tax return (your wife and you need to sign) to the address indicated in the W7 instructions.

[khaepmu]

Thanks very much for your info. It is very helpful. It's not as complicated as I thought. I am going to use the embassy. No point in taking the W7 form to the embassy along with the wife's passport is there? I was surprised to see that certification from a Thai passport office will work. There is a Thai passport office right behind where I do my 90 day report at immigration. I might give it a try. Once again thanks for your info.

[fittobethaied]

If your Thai wife ITIN is about to, or has, expired, you should have received a notification of the same with complete instructions on how to renew. 

[khaepmu]

I went on to the IRS website for formW7. As I scrolled down trying to pick up any relevant information I came across one section that stated that if one's fourth and fifth digit in the ITIN number is 73, (there are other numbers as well that will invalidate an ITIN number) she would need a new ITIN number. Since the fourth and fifth digit of my wife's ITIN is 73, I guess she needs to renew her ITIN number. You can google IRS Form W7 and and find this.

But years ago it seems  I did get a notification from the IRS informing me that she needed a new ITIN number. Just don't remember clearly. I have been using the same ITIN number for the last four or five years. 

 

From the IRS:

"Expired ITINs: If your ITIN wasn’t included on a U.S. federal tax return at least once for tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020, your ITIN will expire on December 31, 2021. ITINs with middle digits (the fourth and fifth positions) “70,” “71,” “72,” “73,” “74,” “75,” “76,” “77,” “78,” “79,” “80,” “81,” “82,” “83,” “84,” “85,” “86,” “87,” or “88” have expired. In addition, ITINs with middle digits “90,” “91,” “92,” “94,” “95,” “96,” “97,” “98,” or “99,” IF assigned before 2013, have expired. "

[walt1]

I need to double check I guess but IIRC as long as you file the yearly 1040 tax form the ITIN remains valid.

[mackayae]

Thanks for the information.

I did not receive a notification, but my wife's ITIN falls in the above category, so I will have to renew it.

I guess they have their reasons for having to renew an ITIN after 34 consecutive years of use.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 4/23/2023 at 11:34 AM, walt1 said:

I need to double check I guess but IIRC as long as you file the yearly 1040 tax form the ITIN remains valid.

 

Perplexed....

 

I filed for and received the ITIN for my Thai wife back in 2015 with the middle digits 97. Have used her ITIN number when filing my annual "married filing separately" tax return online every year ever since.

 

Since then up till today, I've never received any expiration notice from the IRS. But when I logged onto TurboTax this past week to start working on my 2023 return, TT popped up a message saying my wife's entered ITIN number had expired.

 

News to me. Yeesh!

 

PS I see the reference above:

 

"In addition, ITINs with middle digits “90,” “91,” “92,” “94,” “95,” “96,” “97,” “98,” or “99,” IF assigned before 2013, have expired. "

 

But in my wife's case, her ITIN was assigned AFTER 2013....

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 3/24/2023 at 12:03 PM, StevoLe said:

If you are in Bangkok, the embassy can certify Thai passports for ITIN applications. 

 

I had info from some years past saying the U.S. Embassy had ceased certifying Thai passports, and that kind of certification from then on needed to be done by the Thai MFA???

 

[StevoLe]

12 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I had info from some years past saying the U.S. Embassy had ceased certifying Thai passports, and that kind of certification from then on needed to be done by the Thai MFA???

 

We certified my wife's Thai passport at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok in 2022.

 

My wife tried to certify her passport at MFA,  but they refused or didn't understand what was needed.   This was in Udon, you might have better luck somewhere other location.

 

This is the link from U.S. Embassy in Bangkok website, so it appears to still be valid.  I heard they resumed it due to all the expiring ITIN numbers.

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/certified-true-copies-of-a-foreign-passport-for-use-with-individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin-applications/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 2/5/2024 at 10:58 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Perplexed....

 

I filed for and received the ITIN for my Thai wife back in 2015 with the middle digits 97. Have used her ITIN number when filing my annual "married filing separately" tax return online every year ever since.

 

Since then up till today, I've never received any expiration notice from the IRS. But when I logged onto TurboTax this past week to start working on my 2023 return, TT popped up a message saying my wife's entered ITIN number had expired.

 

News to me. Yeesh!

 

PS I see the reference above:

 

"In addition, ITINs with middle digits “90,” “91,” “92,” “94,” “95,” “96,” “97,” “98,” or “99,” IF assigned before 2013, have expired. "

 

But in my wife's case, her ITIN was assigned AFTER 2013....

 

 

 

Things have sort of washed clear on the TurboTax ITIN problem I cited above in recent days...

 

TurboTax reps, in their support forum, have basically acknowledged their online system for the current 2023 returns cycle had an error that caused the system to say perfectly valid ITIN numbers were invalid.

 

They've now recognized the error, and say they are in the process of correcting it.

 

My wife's valid ITIN, which TT last week judged invalid, is now accepted as valid again.