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hello everyone welcome to stilt video series [Music] an ssn and an itin to some extent serve the same purpose so it is not uncommon for non-residents to get confused with both of these numbers but it's worth noting that you cannot have both at the same time and each of these numbers are issued differently and to different individuals in this video we'll take a deep dive into the intrinsic differences between an itin and ssn and what each number means to you difference between a social security number and an individual taxpayer identification number while used interchangeably by some individuals there's a sharp distinction between ssn and itin which everyone should know before learning about the differences it's better to get acquainted with the two numbers first and their usage in the us what is the social security number or ssn ssn is issued by the social security administration or ssa and it is like a personal id for most americans it is issued to people who are either born in the united states or who are authorized to work in the u.s ssn is a nine digit number with the format xxx x dash x x x in which the first three letters are called an area number the next two are called group number and the last four are collectively called serial number its main purpose is to track individuals across a broad range of services offered by the us government and its associates but nowadays it's a de facto national id number for taxation and various other purposes what is individual taxpayer identification number or itin itin is issued by the irs and is used for tax filing purposes an itin is issued to those who for some reason aren't allowed to have an ssn but have to pay their taxes so itin is only issued to non-resident aliens and not to the citizens unless they are ineligible for ssn thus with the help of itin the irs can identify you as a taxpayer which in turn helps you file your taxes itin is a unique nine digit number with the format 9xx-7x dash xxx as you can see the first number always begins with nine and the fourth with seven what is the difference the main difference between an ssn and itin is that the ssn is issued to u.s citizens and authorized non-citizens while itin is issued to the resident with foreign status or undocumented immigrants the latter cannot be issued in ssn but if they are allowed to stay in the u.s then they have to pay their taxes so in a way itin is used in place of an ssn for taxation purposes ssn is issued to citizens and certain non-citizens residents itin is issued to undocumented aliens and non-resident aliens who work or conduct business in the u.s in certain cases where there's a partnership trust and real estate involved the foreign entities would be issued an itin for paying their taxes benefits of an ssn ssn is among the most important identification document numbers issued to someone in the united states many of the tasks like opening a bank account getting a driving license and applying for a visa requires ssn for identification and processing as a non-citizen you'll be able to work in the us and file your taxes seamlessly afterward you'll be able to claim various tax credits like child care credit which is not possible with an itin so always strive to get yourself an ssn over an itin how to apply for an ssn as a non-citizen if you're a non-citizen living or are going to live in the u.s then here are the steps involved for getting your own ssn fill out form ss5 application for social security card provide at least two documents that prove your identity and immigration status a work permit will do if you're a student or a j visa holder then submit the ds 2019 certificate of eligibility for exchange visitor status and i-20 certificates provide any other documents like ead i-94 if asked for submit all of these at your local ssa office and complete all formalities please note that only original documents will be accepted for verification once issued it will be mailed to your mailing address benefits of itin as opposed to ssn an itin doesn't authorize you to live or work in the united states it is specifically designed for taxation and other purposes the major benefit of having an itin is that it allows you to pay taxes in the us without an ssn and remain compliant with u.s tax laws while you are not eligible for claiming social security benefits you can claim it afterward if you become eligible for an ssn all your tax payments before that will count towards earnings for social security purposes some states accept itin for opening interest-bearing bank accounts and as an id for driving license so as a non-citizen if you're not eligible for ssn you should get an itin how to apply for an itin as a non-citizen if you want to get your own itin here are the steps involved fill out the form w7 application for itin number which you can download from the irs website you need to choose the right option for the reason for applying itin question whether you're a spouse or dependent etc submit federal income tax documents like form 1040 form 1040a or form 1040ez whichever applies to you supplement it with other documents like passport us or other government-issued id cards proof of u.s residency send all of the documents to the irs office via mail or walk into the office directly providing original documents is recommended however if you cannot provide original copies then they need to be certified and notarized you will be mailed your itin once it is issued which is usually six weeks from the date of application will my ssn or itin expire there's no expiry associated with ssn once issued it is your identity forever and seldom requires changes or updates itin on the other hand will expire after five consecutive years of non-usage this means if you don't file your taxes using your itin for five consecutive years then it will expire automatically before 2013 there was no such context but when the irs realized that about a quarter of the issued itins were unused for years it decided to dismiss the inactive ones if you become eligible for ssn and it gets issued to you then your itin will become invalid and you'll be asked to pay taxes with the ssn instead the best way to decide whether you should apply for an ssn or itin is to check the eligibility criteria as a rule of thumb you should go for ssn if you're sponsored by a us-based employer to work in the u.s if not then itin is best suited for you it's better to get in touch with a reputed immigration attorney to help you in this process once issued you should start filing taxes as soon as possible we hope this video has been helpful to you at stilt we provide financial services for immigrants and the underserved subscribe to our channel and visit stilt.com for more details [Music]