If you’ve lost your ITIN number, the number itself still exists in IRS records and you can recover it. The quickest route is checking any tax return you’ve filed or the CP565 notice the IRS mailed when the number was first assigned. If those are gone, call the IRS, book an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center, or set up an IRS online account. One catch worth knowing up front: if the number hasn’t appeared on a federal return in three consecutive years, it has expired, and you’ll need to renew it before your next filing goes through cleanly.
Check Your Own Records First
Before you call anyone, dig through your files. Your ITIN is printed on every federal tax return you’ve filed, in the box at the top of Form 1040 where a Social Security Number would otherwise go. It also appears on any W-2 or 1099 issued by a client or employer who had the number on record.
The single most useful document is the CP565 notice. The IRS mailed this to you when your ITIN was assigned, and it shows the number in plain text. If you used tax software in prior years, check whether you still have access to those accounts or saved PDF copies of returns. The IRS recommends keeping tax records for at least three years, so anything filed within that window is worth searching for.
Call the IRS
The most direct recovery method is calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 during business hours. From outside the United States, call 267-941-1000, which is not toll-free.1Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) You’ll move through an automated menu before reaching a representative, so have this ready before you dial:
- Your full legal name exactly as it appeared on your original Form W-7
- Date of birth
- The mailing address on your most recently filed return
- A valid passport or government-issued photo ID
- Total income or refund amount from your last filing, which the agent uses as an added identity check
Once the representative confirms your identity, they can read the number to you over the phone or trigger a replacement CP565 notice by mail. That notice usually arrives in seven to ten business days at the address the IRS has on file.1Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center
If you’d rather handle it in person, certain IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers offer ITIN-specific services. Staff can review your documents, confirm your identity, and help with retrieval or renewal in the same visit. This route is particularly useful if you also need to renew, because the center can authenticate original documents on the spot and hand them back the same day instead of you mailing a passport to Austin.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers with ITIN Services
Appointments are required. Call 844-545-5640 to schedule one. Wait times for available slots can run several weeks depending on the location, so book as early as you can.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers with ITIN Services
Set Up an IRS Online Account
ITIN holders can create an IRS online account through the ID.me identity verification system. The IRS confirms that either a Social Security Number or an ITIN can be used to set up the account.3Internal Revenue Service. Creating an Account for IRS.gov Once you’re verified, you can pull tax transcripts and return data that display your ITIN. No phone hold times, but ID.me itself requires a government photo ID and a selfie.
The catch: setup currently requires you to enter an SSN or ITIN. So this path works best if you remember part of the number or can pull it from a document fragment. If you have no record of the number at all, calling or visiting in person is the more realistic option.
Update Your Address Before Requesting Anything by Mail
If you’ve moved since your last filing, update your address before the IRS sends anything. File Form 8822 (Change of Address) to notify the IRS of a new home address.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address Processing takes four to six weeks, so plan around that if you’re expecting a replacement CP565 or a renewal confirmation.5Internal Revenue Service. Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
You can also update the address by phone during the same call in which you retrieve your number, though the representative may run additional verification before making the change. Either way, don’t request a mailed CP565 until the correct address is on file. The IRS will mail it to whatever address they have, not the one you mention on the phone.
Check Whether Your ITIN Has Expired
Losing track of your ITIN often means you haven’t used it in a while, which raises a second problem. An ITIN not included on any federal tax return for three consecutive tax years expires on December 31 of that third year.6Internal Revenue Service. How to Renew an ITIN If the last return you filed with your ITIN was for tax year 2021, the number expired at the end of 2024.
Some older ITINs issued before 2013 with middle digits 70 through 82 were part of earlier expiration waves and need renewal regardless of use. If you’re not sure, the IRS can confirm the status when you call or visit.
Renew an Expired ITIN
Renewal uses Form W-7, the same form as the original application. Check the “Renew an existing ITIN” box in the application type section at the top.7Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number You’ll include original identification documents or certified copies. A valid passport is the simplest option because it proves identity and foreign status in a single document.8Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Supporting Documents
Three ways to submit:
- By mail to IRS ITIN Operation, P.O. Box 149342, Austin, TX 78714-9342, sending the completed W-7, identification documents, and your tax return. Originals are returned after processing.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7 (12/2024)
- In person at a designated Taxpayer Assistance Center, which authenticates your documents on the spot and returns them immediately. Call 844-545-5640 for an appointment.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers with ITIN Services
- Through a Certified Acceptance Agent, an IRS-authorized person or organization that can verify documents locally so you don’t have to mail originals or travel to a TAC. The IRS keeps a searchable directory by state and country; agent fees vary widely.10Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Acceptance Agents
Standard processing runs about seven to nine weeks from when the IRS receives a complete application. During peak tax season (mid-January through April), that stretches to nine to eleven weeks. Submitting before January gives you the best chance of having a valid ITIN in hand by the filing deadline.
Don’t Skip Filing While You Sort This Out
The IRS will accept a tax return filed with an expired ITIN, but processing slows down. Refunds get held, and credits that require a valid ITIN, including the Child Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit, aren’t applied until the renewal is complete. Once the ITIN is active again, the IRS processes those credits, though the delay can run months if you wait to start renewal until after you file.
The bigger risk is not filing at all. The failure-to-file penalty runs 5% of the unpaid tax for each month the return is late, capped at 25%. The failure-to-pay penalty adds another 0.5% per month.11Internal Revenue Service. Failure to File Penalty Interest on unpaid tax compounds daily at the federal short-term rate plus 3%, currently 7% annually.12Internal Revenue Service. Interest Rates Remain the Same for the First Quarter of 2026 A lost ITIN is never a reason to skip a return. Retrieve the number, renew it if it has expired, or file with an expired number if you have to, but don’t leave the filing unfiled.