Can I mail my tax return in to claim my daughter as a dependent if I don’t have her SSN that I filed for yet?

[austin-hurt15]

My daughter was born in 2020 and we have filed for a SSN but have not yet received it. Can I mail my tax return in to claim her as a dependent without a SSN or should I keep waiting to receive her card?

[hchan32]

One option is to file Form W-7 to request an ITIN for your daughter. You will need an SSN or ITIN in order to be able to claim your daughter on your return.

Another option is to wait for her SSN card. You can request an extension (Oct 15) to file your taxes. However, keep in mind that an extension to file does not mean an extension to pay your taxes. Calculate any tax that will be due and pay by April 15.

The second option may be more appealing since you will be able to claim more credits (like the Child Tax Credit)  when your daughter has a valid SSN vs. an ITIN.

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**

[SteamTrain]

Opinion:

Do not go the ITIN  route.  Those have to be sent in by mail and processed manually.....that could take many months, and the SSN may be issued before they even get to it and you can't get that mail-filed paperwork back or stopped.  Then you are supposed to cancel the ITIN  (I don't know how that is done)....then that's a mess of cross purposes.  So just don't fool around with an ITIN.

Wait for her SSN, if it isn't received by late March, file for an extension.  That gives you until October to get it, enter it properly, and file your final tax forms.