To find your ITIN, look at the IRS notice CP565 you received when the number was assigned, any federal tax return you’ve filed since, or your IRS online account. If none of those are within reach, you can recover the number by calling the IRS, booking an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center, or contacting the tax professional who submitted your Form W-7. An ITIN is nine digits, always starts with a 9, and follows the same format as a Social Security number, so once you know where to look it’s easy to recognize.
Start With Your CP565 Notice
The cleanest record is the CP565 notice the IRS mailed after processing your Form W-7. It’s a one-page letter that confirms the exact nine-digit number assigned to you and tells you to keep it with your important documents.1Internal Revenue Service. CP565 Notice – Confirmation of your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number If you applied recently, it’s probably still in the folder or envelope with your original paperwork.
If you’ve lost the CP565, the IRS directs you to contact them to retrieve your number.2Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number The options below cover every way to do that.
Check a Prior Federal Tax Return
Any federal return filed under your ITIN shows the number. On Form 1040 or Form 1040-NR, it appears in the identification area at the top of the first page, in the same slot where a Social Security number would sit. If you were claimed as a dependent or listed as a spouse on someone else’s return, your ITIN appears in the “Dependents” section of that filing. Your most recent return is usually the fastest place to look.
Returns are signed under penalty of perjury, so the ITIN printed on them is a reliable record outside the CP565 itself. Keeping old returns is a low-effort way to make sure the number stays findable.
Sign In to Your IRS Online Account
The IRS lets you view your tax records through an online account at IRS.gov.3Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN If you can create or sign into an account, the records displayed there will show the ITIN tied to your filings. This is the quickest route when nothing is on paper and you’d rather not sit on the phone.
Setting up the account requires identity verification, which can be a hurdle without U.S.-issued photo identification or a credit history the system can match against. If you’ve verified before or have the right documents ready, it’s about a five-minute task.
Call the IRS
When there’s no record you can find on your own, calling the IRS is a dependable fallback. The general individual line is 800-829-1040.4USAGov. Internal Revenue Service The agent will run identity-verification questions before releasing your ITIN, so have your full legal name, date of birth, and the mailing address you used when you applied or last updated your file.
Getting the address exactly right matters. The IRS matches what you say against what’s in their system, and small differences like an old apartment number can cause a mismatch. If you’ve moved, be ready to give your previous address too. Wait times run long during tax season, so summer or fall calls tend to go faster.
Visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center
If phone verification isn’t working, you can go into an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center for in-person help. These offices review original identification documents, handle ITIN applications and renewals, and return your documents the same day.5Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers Providing In-Person ITIN Document Review You’ll usually need an appointment, scheduled through IRS.gov or by calling the main IRS line.
This route helps if phone verification has failed, if there’s a language barrier, or if you need to resolve more than one ITIN issue in the same visit. Bring government-issued photo identification and any tax documents you have.
Ask the Preparer Who Filed Your W-7
If a tax professional helped you apply, that office likely still has copies of your application materials. Certified Acceptance Agents and Certifying Acceptance Agents are authorized by the IRS to help with ITIN applications by verifying your documents and submitting Form W-7 on your behalf.6Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Acceptance Agents Most offices keep those files for several years.
A quick call or email to the firm that handled your original application can get you a copy of the Form W-7 they submitted or the CP565 that came back. For people who’d rather deal with someone familiar than navigate federal phone menus, this is often the path of least resistance. A record lookup from an existing client file is usually far cheaper than a new application.
Request a Tax Transcript
If you’ve filed at least one federal return under your ITIN, you can request a tax return transcript that includes the number. The IRS provides transcripts online through your IRS account, by phone at 800-908-9946, or by mailing Form 4506-T.7Internal Revenue Service. Request for Transcript of Tax Return
There’s a catch worth knowing about. Form 4506-T asks you to enter your ITIN, which is a problem if you’ve completely lost the number. In that case, call the IRS or visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center first. If you remember the number and just want an official document confirming it, a transcript works.
What if Your ITIN Has Expired
An ITIN stays valid indefinitely as long as it’s used on a federal return at least once in every three consecutive tax years. If you stop filing for three straight years, the ITIN expires on December 31 of that third year.3Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN Expiration doesn’t erase the number. It’s still yours, and the IRS still has it on file. But you can’t use it to file a return or claim tax credits until you renew.
Renewal uses the same Form W-7 you filed originally, with the “renew” box checked and supporting identification submitted by mail, through a Certifying Acceptance Agent, or at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number If you file a return with an expired ITIN before renewing, expect refund delays and denial of certain credits until the renewal processes.
Why It’s Worth Tracking Down Now
Not having a valid taxpayer identification number when a payer needs one carries a direct cost. Payers who report income to the IRS without a correct TIN on file may be required to withhold 24% of the payment as backup withholding.9Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 307, Backup Withholding That money goes to the IRS, and getting it back means filing a return and waiting months.
You may also need your ITIN to open interest-bearing bank accounts, meet mortgage reporting requirements, or complete other financial transactions that ask for a taxpayer identification number. Once you locate it through any of the methods above, write it down somewhere secure and keep a backup copy of whatever document confirms it.