Fixed-fee service · ITIN
The identifier that unlocks certain IRS refunds — obtained cleanly, without gambling with your passport.
The ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is the tax number the IRS assigns to people without a US social security number. Certain refund claims require it. We prepare the complete W-7 file for €149 — and we start by checking, for free, that you actually need one.
No win, no fee · Pricing 100% public · FR / EN
The entry, settled
The deduction applies to the fee on the matching recovery claim, at the moment it falls due — that is, only on success.
The basics
What it is, and who it is for
Nine digits assigned by the IRS — nothing more, nothing less.
What it is
A tax identifier issued by the IRS, through form W-7, to people who have no US social security number. Its only purpose is to identify your filings with the US administration: it does not make you taxable in the United States and creates no new reporting obligation. It is an access key, not a status.
Who it is for
Non-resident investors whose refund claim with the IRS requires it — typically when the over-withholding is claimed after the fact through a 1040-NR return. Let us be clear: it is useless for completing a W-8BEN or getting the treaty rate at source. Plenty of people request an ITIN for nothing — our first step exists precisely so you are not one of them.
The process
What we actually do
The first step costs nothing: checking that this service is actually useful to you.
01
We check that you need one — for free
In many situations your national tax number is enough and the ITIN is superfluous. The diagnostic is free and its verdict is honest: if the answer is no, you pay nothing and we tell you what to do instead.
02
We prepare the complete W-7 form
The right application reason ticked, the exact supporting documents, consistency with the refund claim the ITIN attaches to: rejections for incomplete files are won or lost right here.
03
We de-risk the identity-document question
The IRS requires the original passport or a copy certified by the issuing authority. Before anything is sent, we review the options accepted in your situation — and their timelines — so your passport is not tied up for weeks without need.
04
We file and track it through to assignment
The application goes out coordinated with your refund claim, and we follow the processing until the number arrives — visible step by step in your account.
Price & timing
A fee you pay once — or not at all
If you then entrust us with the recovery, the fee is fully deducted from the success fee. You never pay twice for the same work.
€149
complete W-7 file, filing and tracking included
free usefulness check first
− €149
deducted from the success fee if you then entrust us with the recovery
≥ 7 wks
processing time announced by the IRS — often exceeded at peak periods
Straight talk
What can go wrong
The ITIN is the slowest procedure in our catalogue. Better to know that before you start.
The passport, the heaviest requirement
The IRS wants the original or a copy certified by the authority that issued the document — an ordinary copy, even locally stamped, is not always enough. Sending your original passport to the United States for several weeks is no small thing: we examine every accepted alternative first.
Timelines in weeks, not days
The IRS announces around seven weeks of processing, more at peak periods. If your refund claim is approaching its deadline, the ITIN goes first — it sets the tempo of the whole file.
Rejection for an incomplete file
A returned W-7 means weeks lost and an identity document tied up for nothing. A mis-ticked reason, a missing document, an inconsistency with the attached claim: these avoidable mistakes are exactly what the fixed fee eliminates.
An ITIN can expire
An ITIN that appears on no US federal return for three consecutive years expires. If yours has been dormant for a while, a renewal may be needed before any new claim — we check that upfront.
What comes next
The ITIN is only a means — here is the end
Withholding-tax recovery
The ITIN earns you nothing by itself: the refund claim it unlocks is what pays you. Entrust it to us and the ITIN fee is fully deducted from the success fee.
The recovery service →W-8BEN form
Going forward, the W-8BEN removes the problem at the root: the treaty rate applies at payment time, and the ITIN becomes unnecessary for your everyday dividends.
The W-8BEN service →Deadline calculator
Seven weeks of ITIN plus IRS processing: the calendar matters. Check for free what your deadlines still allow.
Calculate my deadlines →FAQ
Your ITIN questions
Do I need an ITIN to complete a W-8BEN?
As a general rule, no. The W-8BEN accepts your national tax number in the relevant box, and the treaty rate applies at source without an ITIN. It only becomes necessary for certain refund claims filed directly with the IRS — if a provider sells you a “mandatory” ITIN for a plain stock portfolio, ask why.
Do I really have to send my original passport to the United States?
Not necessarily. The IRS also accepts a copy certified by the authority that issued the passport, and other routes exist depending on the situation. This is the point we lock down before anything is sent: you know the options, their timelines and their risks before posting a thing.
Does an ITIN make me taxable in the United States?
No. It is an identifier, not a tax status: it creates neither US tax residence nor any new reporting obligation. Here it serves one purpose only — claiming the money you are owed.
Why is the €149 deducted later?
Because the ITIN is not an end in itself: if you entrust us with the recovery that motivates it, the €149 fee is fully deducted from the success fee. The paperwork should never cost you twice.
Check first, file second — never the other way round.
The usefulness check is free. If the ITIN is truly needed, the W-7 file goes out complete, first time.