2020 joint tax returns with W-7/ITIN Application - post your timelines

[JKLSemicolon 411]

On 7/25/2021 at 6:51 AM, RajPatil said:

Thank you. I made a scan of the passport and all of my civil documents are uploaded except for 1 which requires passport on hand so my wife’s NVC process is stuck at the moment. 

What is the missing civil document that you need the passport for? Just curious.

[RajPatil 1]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:41 PM, JKLSemicolon said:

What is the missing civil document that you need the passport for? Just curious.

It’s the police clearance certificate which they need passport to process. 
 

Any updates from anyone? I’ve been checking on some April filers from other forums too and seems to me all April filers are still pending as well. It’s like the ITIN operations stopped working all together  

 

[top_secret 2,414]

On 8/13/2021 at 5:39 PM, RajPatil said:

Any updates from anyone?

Sorry to say I still have not heard anything.  Mine was mailed on May 5 and until now no sign of movement.

[VisaDonnie 54]

On 5/21/2021 at 8:13 PM, VisaDonnie said:

All I can tell you is my experience with this:

 

We got married 29 Dec 2020. On March 8th We went to the IRS Tax Assistance Center office in Atlanta with our 2020 Federal return and our W-7 asking for an ITIN#. My wife also brought her passport/visa and a certified copy of our marriage license. I was not going to risk mailing in my wife’s Passport/Visa and it getting lost in the mail.

 

The TAC verified her passport/visa and our marriage paperwork. They also filed our federal tax forms as well with the W-7 requesting an ITIN#. We also could not file our State taxes yet until we got the ITIN#.

 

On May 18th we got her ITIN# in the mail, and it said our Federal taxes should be filed within 60 days, they owe us money so I don’t care.

 

Now I can mail in my state return because I have an ITIN# to put down on the form.

 

So it took 11 weeks to get the ITIN# issued. You have to keep the paper they send you in the mail with the ITIN# because when your spouse gets a green card and files for a SS# you need to send this paper back to the SS office. If you have any questions fire away.

 

Cheers,

 

Don

Here is my update on this: 

 

I got my State tax refund on June 28th and my federal tax refund on July 21st and last week we went to get the biometrics done so now just waiting for our interview at the US embassy in Atlanta for my wife’s Green Card.

 

Hope this helps…:)

Edited August 17, 2021 by VisaDonnie

[top_secret 2,414]

The IRS updated their status page.  It says they are up to the second week of May now, which should put a few of us in the running for some results soon.

 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue#collapseCollapsible1629472454123

 

Quote

Requested an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (updated August 20, 2021)

The IRS is opening and processing Form W-7s as quickly as possible despite social distancing requirements. We are currently processing Form W-7s that were received in May2021, with majority of receipts being from the second week of May. We are taking every action to minimize delays, and we are processing requests in the order they were received. The taxpayer will be notified once the ITIN is assigned or if additional information is needed. Original identification documents that are submitted with the Form W-7 will be returned to the taxpayer at the mailing address of record as quickly as possible. The associated tax return will then be submitted for processing.

 

[JKLSemicolon 411]

There were actually two separate envelopes addressed to my wife from the IRS ITIN center in my informed delivery last week but they haven’t made it to the mailbox yet. The local post office is currently delivering first class mail with about a week delay compared to when informed delivery says it should arrive. Just another unexpected twist to deal with. Hopefully they will show up soon or else I will start having to research what happens if they don’t...

[sarabou17 36]

On 7/12/2021 at 3:50 PM, JKLSemicolon said:

I called the IRS ITIN number today as it has been more than 65 days since the application was received and the original documents and certified copies I sent still have not been returned.

 

I eventually got connected to someone through option 3 (all other inquiries) because option 2 (check the status of an ITIN application) kept giving a message to try back later or the next day.

 

Here are the things I was told by the (somewhat impatient and clearly stressed) rep:

 

- They can only look up

the status of the application if my wife (the applicant) calls.

- The original docs and certified copies will be returned 30-60 days after receiving the ITIN letter (as opposed to within 60 days of receipt of the form which is what it sounds like from the IRS website)

- They are “way behind” in processing ITIN applications right now, but if ours was sent at the beginning of May we’re still within the processing window.

 

I’m just going to keep waiting, as I don’t see any benefit to calling back with my wife right now. Good luck to everyone else with a pending ITIN application.

I'm in the same boat.  Fedexed Itin app and tax return to Austin.  They received it May 13th.  I added "signature required" so I have name of the receiver.  It's been 104 days and I haven't heard anything.  When I called they said the same thing.  My husband has to call about ITIN.  They said they are way behind.  They refered me to their tax advocate service.  I was told the normal waiting time for ITINs is 8 weeks and that they whole thing, ITIN and tax return should take  14 weeks.  I hope to hear something really soon.  Has anyone had luck using this tax advocate service of the IRS to move things along?

[sarabou17 36]

On 7/23/2021 at 9:13 PM, RajPatil said:

@JKLSemicolon @top_secret please keep me updated with regard to your status. I also have an ITIN filed early May and made the stupid mistake of attaching my wife’s passport. We need the passport to continue with her NVC process now

It's a crazy process so don't feel too bad.  There is a specific number to call about documents that have not been sent back.  It's hard to get anyone on the phone at the IRS but someone actually answered when I called this number.  (It's not that main number that they never answer.)  It doesn't hurt to try I guess.  Good luck!

Any original documents or certified copies submitted in support of an ITIN application will be returned within 65 days. People who do not receive their original and certified documents within 65 days of mailing them to the IRS may call 1-800-908-9982 to check on their documents' whereabouts.

[sarabou17 36]

On 8/23/2021 at 5:12 PM, JKLSemicolon said:

There were actually two separate envelopes addressed to my wife from the IRS ITIN center in my informed delivery last week but they haven’t made it to the mailbox yet. The local post office is currently delivering first class mail with about a week delay compared to when informed delivery says it should arrive. Just another unexpected twist to deal with. Hopefully they will show up soon or else I will start having to research what happens if they don’t...

Well that is encouraging!  Please keep us posted! 

[top_secret 2,414]

@RajPatil  @sarabou17

ITIN News!  Today, August 26, we received two letters from IRS.  One contained my wife's newly issued ITIN, and in a separate letter they returned the original document we sent. (photocopy of her Philippine Passport, certified to be a true copy by Philippines Department of foreign Affairs, Passport division)

 

So to recap our timeline

• May 5, 2021 Filed W-7, Federal Taxes, and California State taxes by ordinary first class mail.
• May 11, 2021 California State acknowledged my filing in my California FTB online account.
• May 22, 2021 California State showed my return as authorized and scheduled for direct deposit.
• May 22, 2021 California State return direct deposited into my checking account.
• Aug 26,2021 Received ITIN and original document returned by IRS.

Still no mention of the $12,000 return they still owe me and it still does not appear in "Where's My Refund?" web site but I assume my return is now at the back of the 6 to 8 week paper return line.

Edited August 26, 2021 by top_secret

[sarabou17 36]

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

@RajPatil  @sarabou17

ITIN News!  Today, August 26, we received two letters from IRS.  One contained my wife's newly issued ITIN, and in a separate letter they returned the original document we sent. (photocopy of her Philippine Passport, certified to be a true copy by Philippines Department of foreign Affairs, Passport division)

 

So to recap our timeline

• May 5, 2021 Filed W-7, Federal Taxes, and California State taxes by ordinary first class mail.
• May 11, 2021 California State acknowledged my filing in my California FTB online account.
• May 22, 2021 California State showed my return as authorized and scheduled for direct deposit.
• May 22, 2021 California State return direct deposited into my checking account.
• Aug 26,2021 Received ITIN and original document returned by IRS.

Still no mention of the $12,000 return they still owe me and it still does not appear in "Where's My Refund?" web site but I assume my return is now at the back of the 6 to 8 week paper return line.

Yeah I think that is a safe assumption!  Wow that's great news!  So happy for you both    I was thinking they made giving refunds a priority but I saw in the article you posted on their workload and they're slow on refunds too.  Of course, they processed my payment immedidately, they day they recieved it 😉  Keep us posted on the return timeline please!  I'm curious if it will be faster.  If they started processing ITIN applications mid August then they actually processed them a lot faster than the 8 weeks it's supposed to take.  Progress is good! 

[sarabou17 36]

On 5/19/2021 at 7:35 PM, top_secret said:

On May 5  I filed Federal and California State.

 

Ordinary US Mail to Austin ITIN address for Federal and ordinary Sacramento filing address for California State.

 

Letter electing to be treated as resident for tax purposes and stating we were married at the end of 2020. With all our information and wet signed by both of us.

 

Completed W7 form, wet signed by wife.

 

Copy of wife’s Philippine Passport bio page, certified to be a true copy by the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs Passport Division.

 

1040, W2, 1099 and various associated schedules and forms.

 

It seems California State just requires you to file the same status as you did on your Federal Return and attach a copy of your Federal Return.

 

We'll see what they have to say.  I suspect it will be a very long time before we hear anything or receive any return from the IRS.

 

According to TurboTax, our return is $10,100 greater with us filing jointly than if I filed separately.  Well worth the extra 10 minutes it took to fill out the W7.

I looked around for a professional to help with taxes but in the end I did it myself using the instructions on the various forms.  If I was successful, I will be so proud!

[sarabou17 36]

On 7/13/2021 at 8:58 PM, mindofkanton said:

@JKLSemicolon we applied for my wife's ITIN on 3/31/21 and we got her ITIN number on 6/24/21.  I was planning on doing it by myself until I spoke to some accountants who told me I was doing it wrong.  I used TurboTax and was ready to send it until they explained to me that how to submit them concurrently.  Based on my timeline hopefully your wife's ITIN is sent in 4-5 weeks.

That's great that Turbo Tax helped you.  But I couldn't use TurboTax because if your spouse doesn't have an SSN you can't file online.  Did you not run into that problem?  Or did they help you with your paper return?  Can I ask how you got help? I asked for advice on the ITIN and they gave me incorrect information.  (They said you mail the ITIN separately.)  It was then I decided to go "el lobo solo" and do it myself!

[JKLSemicolon 411]

Update: after calling the IRS ITIN number (800-908-9982) a few times I was able to get someone to speak to my wife, verify her information, and then get her authorization for the agent to speak to me about her application. Since my wife is out of the country, I used a strategy that I have described before somewhere in this forum (have my wife log in to my Google Voice account on her computer, call that number from my phone, then call the IRS and merge the calls).

 

Recall our return/W-7 was received in Austin on May 5.

 

The ITIN approval was sent on August 12 and the original documents would have been mailed shortly after, but they never arrived (though they were scheduled to on August 16 and 20 according to USPS Informed Delivery). I was able to get the ITIN over the phone so that I can enter it on our state tax return, and they will mail another acceptance letter for our records - hopefully that one will arrive.

 

Nothing shows up on the "Where's my Refund" page yet when entering either of our information. At this point my bigger concern is that someone with sticky fingers has my wife's original documents that we had mailed in. I'll be sending a missing mail claim to the postal service and later, the postal inspector if needed and we will see if anything comes of it.

[JKLSemicolon 411]

Another update: the original documents finally arrived yesterday (9/4). The postmark date was 8/14, and Informed Delivery showed them arriving on 8/20. Quite a delay, but it’s a relief to know they weren’t stolen.