Today TaxMama® hears from Then150 in the TaxQuips Forum, with a long post (you can read it on your own). Let me summarize. He’s from New Zealand and studied and worked in the U.S. off and on for a couple of years. He messed up his tax returns and wants to fix them – and he may end up owing money. He also wants to get his wife an ITIN (alien ID #) and sent off her original documents (birth certificate, etc.) to the IRS. Now, he’s sitting on tenterhooks waiting to get them back – and to get her ITIN issued. What now?

 Dear Then150,

Bill Porter, our EA from the Twin Cities, MN provides a detailed answer about how to fix the tax problems. What I’d like to do is address the ITIN application and those original documents.

You really should have gone to a tax pro – one who is an acceptance agent. I really don’t like the idea of giving up my original documents (birth certificate, etc) to the black hole that is the IRS paperwork processing system.  They even have Acceptance Agents in NZ. They can review your documents and certify to their authenticity.

It can take more than 6 months for the IRS to process your application. I do hope you get your documents back. Sigh.

Meanwhile, if it has been more than 3 months, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to make sure they have a record of having received your documents. If they have lost them, or don’t know the status, call the Taxpayer Advocate Service and get help tracking them down.

And remember, you can find answers to all kinds of questions about IRS procedures and other tax and business issues, free. Where? Where else? At www.TaxMama.com.

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