Apply ITIN for my wife. How long will it take ?

[Critter-3]

You should have gotten the ITIN notice way before the return was processed.  Call the IRS to see what the hold up is ...

IRS:  800-829-1040 (7AM-7 PM local time) Monday-Friday

When calling the IRS do not choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

• First choose your language.  Then listen to each menu before making the selection.
• Then press 2 for "personal income tax".
• Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".  
• Then press 3 "for all other questions."
• Then press 2 "for all other questions." 
• It may then ask for your SSN, but do not enter it.  Just wait.    If it asks for SSN a second time, still do not enter it.
• Then it will get "tired", and you'll get another menu.  Choose 2 for "personal".
• Then in the next menu choose 4 for "all other inquiries", and it should transfer you to an agent but expect a long wait.
• I usually use a speakerphone so I can work on something else while waiting.

If you continue to have no luck reaching the IRS, you can try contacting the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service for your area.    They are especially prone to help if you have an economic hardship, or if there have been continued delays with lack of info from the IRS.    At the following IRS website, find the USA map and click on your state, and it will give you the number of your IRS Taxpayer Advocate.    If the Taxpayer Advocate can't/won't help you, ask them to transfer you to an an IRS agent.  A couple of users reported that at least for them, that was a backdoor route to the IRS.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-a-Local-Taxpayer-Advocate

Also see this article for more info on how the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service works::
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc104.html

[Rosalida435]

Hi the ITIN application was only for your wife? When you sent your taxes did you also apply for an ITIN? 

[shyamsah]

Yes, ITIN was applied only for my wife. 

[Rosalida435]

Almost 6 months?

[Rosalida435]

Hi I saw people asking if they are processing May so probably June is going to take little longer 

[shyamsah]

Yes, it may take longer considering the situation arisen by pandemic.  You may get earlier too if lucky. Nothing is certain.

[shyamsah]

Dear all:

 I have an unresolved problem with IRS. I have been trying to reach out  since 2 months, but rarely been successful to have an agent to talk over phone. I sent my paper tax return and ITIN application for my wife and my child in Feb 12, they processed my tax return and deposited my refund in June 28, but never issued ITIN notices for my dependents. I have been waiting for very long and still see no sign of any help. I even reached out to IRS taxpayer advocate service over phone, they all are suggesting me to file a new ITIN application. Can we file new application as they have already processed my married-joint tax return? they have amended and adjusted my refund higher than I was expecting. They wouldn't process my return if they hadn't my dependents ITIN assigned. They said they don't have ITIN information in their system every time I called to a live agent on phone. Please guide me.

[Critter-3]

OK ...  back to this filed return.   You say the refund was a bit larger than expected ... if it is a few dollars more then they probably added interest since the processing took so long.   And if they gave you credit for the kids then an ITIN had to be issued.

Did you try looking at your transcripts online to see what the IRS has on file ?  

https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account

[Nevada37]

I can imagine how you feel since I am going through the same ITIN tax refund process  I can’t help you  I am not an expert How about going to an IRS office in person?

[shyamsah]

That's correct. I got credits for my kid. Also receiving advance child tax credit for my another son (he has SSN) whom I added for the first time while filing the return. That means they sure do have assigned the ITIN for my other dependents. The amount was more than double I was expecting.

[shyamsah]

Nevada37: thank you. yes, I have tried getting in touch with IRS agent over phone. Never tried in person. Will that make any difference?

[shyamsah]

Critter-3:  I have never tried to get and analyze my tax transcript. Will that be helpful? does transcript have any ITIN info for dependents?

[Critter-3]

Maybe ... maybe not but you can try if you can possibly get an appointment. 

The issue you really have is the notice for the ITIN and the returning of any original docs you may have sent from the ITIN processing department.  Did you move since applying?

And on your return ... if you had used a fake SS# in the program that started with a 9 ( like 999-XX-XXXX) then the program would have included the kid benefits ... so it sounds like the IRS properly added the ITIN and recalculated the return.  For that alone you should have gotten a notice in the mail.  Look in your IRS account for any notices that may not have gotten to you yet. 

The  newly designed IRS site is wonderful ...

[shyamsah]

Critter-3: Ok. Yeah, I moved in March within the county and have update current new address with IRS as well as with ITIN operation by phone. They sent out  advanced child tax credit check for my another child with SSN to my new address. That means they sure do have my current address. While filing Tax returns along with W7 application, we put "applied" in the space provided for SSN/ITIN box for my spouse and son who requires ITINs.

[Critter-3]

If you did not use a  correct fake ITIN in the program then it would not have given you the proper credit for the dependent ... there should have been $500 as an other dependent ... maybe that is what you were not expecting.  On the return you filed the words APPLIED FOR was correct. 

Now for the address change ... that was probably the issue.  Even though they have the correct address now they may not resend the notice ... log in to your IRS account and click on the notices option on the right.