How to get Certified Passport Copy for Individual Tax ID Number

[No name 88 48]

It's tax time again and I've been trying to find out how to get an individual tax identification number for my wife so we can file jointly. I thought they allowed notarized passport copies but I guess that's no longer allowed as of 2012. They now ask for a certified copy of the passport or two other documents but I hate sending originals of anything. So I'm thinking I'll just ask the US consulate in the wife's home if I can get a certified copy of her passport for a W-7. In their credit the consulate responded and said they could notarize her passport. Is this the same thing the IRS wants for the ITIN for certified copy? See my communication below with the consulate.

My message to the consulate:

Message: W-7 for (ITIN) Individual Tax Identification Number.

I want to get a ITIN for my wife who is a Vietnam Passport holder and has no SSN. This would be for the purpose of filing a joint return with a W-7. Does the US citizen services unit certify VN passports for the purpose of applying for an ITIN? If so how long does this take?

Thank You for your assistance.

Consulate Response:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your inquiry.

You can have your wife’s Vietnamese passport notarized at the American Citizen Service Unit. Please visit the Consulate's website to make an appointment:https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=HCM&appcode=1 . The document is available for you to take at the moment it is executed. The fee is $50.00 per page.

If you have further questions, please DO NOT reply to this email but submit your inquiry again to: http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/contact_acs.html. We WILL NOT respond to any inquiry sent directly to this email address.

Sincerely,

Information and Public Outreach Team

Consular Section

U.S. Consulate General in HCMC

Website: http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The IRS says certified by the issuing agency, which I took to mean by the passport agency that issues Vietnamese passports.

One of my friends from the UK is having his wife mail her passport to him in the US. He will go to an IRS taxpayer assistance center nearby with her passport and the completed tax return. They will verify the passport and hand it back to him, then send the tax return on for processing. Better than mailing her passport with tax return to Austin for an unknown period of time. She won't be needing her passport for some tome, so that worked for him. It may not be what you want to do.

There are acceptance agents in a few cou tries, but not Vietnam. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Acceptance-Agent-Program

Edited January 27, 2014 by Nich-Nick

[No name 88 48]

The IRS says certified by the issuing agency, which I took to mean by the passport agency that issues Vietnamese passports.

One of my friends from the UK is having his wife mail her passport to him in the US. He will go to an IRS taxpayer assistance center nearby with her passport and the completed tax return. They will verify the passport and hand it back to him, then send the tax return on for processing. Better than mailing her passport with tax return to Austin for an unknown period of time. She won't be needing her passport for some tome, so that worked for him. It may not be what you want to do.

There are acceptance agents in a few cou tries, but not Vietnam. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Acceptance-Agent-Program

Why do they make these new tax rules and then have nothing in place to certify a document? A--holes! I look at the link for an agent in Singapore as I'll be there and it's blank.

[Ryan H 3,834]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to General Immigration-Related Discussion.

[Natalie and Bruce 18]

We went to the US embassy in Kiev, and had them authenticate/certify a copy of my wife'e Ukrainian passport. It was $50 USD. It's not just a notarized copy, it states it's a true copy, and that they examined the original, and the copy matches word for word, figure for figure.

From the August, 2013 instructions for form W-7:

You can submit copies of original documents if you do any of the following.

Have the copies certified by the issuing agency.

Have the officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas provide certification and authentication services. Contact the Consular Section, American Citizens Services of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in advance to determine the hours of operation for these services.

[NickD 203]

Things must have changed since my wife and stepdaughter came here. Called the IRS, told them we already applied for the AOS with the USCIS, send us a notice they are here legally, but their processing time is like a year, so can't apply for SS numbers until they get their green cards. Was told just to leave their SS numbers blank. Both were living with me and I was supporting them.

Ha, also asked if I could deduct those high USCIS fees, said yes if I was a business and they were my employees, but can't if for personal reasons. This I could not deduct.

In regards to getting any kind of certified copy in the US, could find nothing. Our clerk of court use to do this, but that became history years ago. Where it was against the law to even make a photo copy had to go to the agency like for marriage and birth certificates to pay for a certified copy. With foreign passports, USCIS was happy with a photo copy. 50 bucks per page could really add up, even blank pages?