ITIN to SSN After EAD Tips

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See also: ITIN to SSN After EAD Tips, Newly Married Immigrant Tips

Matured

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1 Introduction
2 Can you use an ITIN instead of an SSN?
3 Apply for SSN
4 Template or Form to apply
5 What IRS says?
6 Process to Rescind your current ITIN
7 Address to send to
8 Creditors
9 Use your SSN for filing Taxes else no rebate
10 You can get it done at local IRS office too
11 Check List
12 Sources/References

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Introduction

This year due to unprecedented advance of priority dates. There are thousands of legal immigrant (H1 workers) now can apply and receive EAD for themselves and their spouse. Most of these spouses were on H4 earlier.
Which means they couldn't have applied for Social Security Number or SSN. For tax purposes and in other financial matters they had been using ITIN or Individual Tax Identification Number.
But after arrival of SSN they can no longer use ITIN, IRS regulation suggests that you can keep only one at a time. And IRS must be officially informed of this.
Below are tips and TODOs that one should opt for after they receive EAD for their spouse. This information though current now, but could change without notice so please confirm official sources (some of them are mentioned) at source/reference section below.

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Can you use an ITIN instead of an SSN?

From IRS website Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of an SSN are not eligible to receive a stimulus payment. Both people listed on a "married filing jointly" return must have valid SSNs to qualify for the payment — if only one has a valid SSN, neither can receive the payment. However, a new law passed in June, the HEART Act, made an exception to the SSN requirement for married members of the military, including couples with children. In November, stimulus payments will be sent to more than 10,000 military families affected by this change and who already had filed a return. They need do nothing more. See the New Law: Additional Military Families to Get Stimulus Payments This Fall.

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Apply for SSN

As soon as you got EAD first thing you should do is apply for SSN. You can do this at local SSN office.

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Template or Form to apply

Re: <name>

ITIN: XXX-XX-XXXX

SSN: YYY-YY-YYYY

To whom it may concern,

The purpose of this letter is to notify you that <name>, ITIN: XXX-XX-XXXX, has applied for and received a Social Security number. The assigned SSN is YYY-YY-YYYY.

Please be advised that this SSN will be used all future filing purposes. Feel free to void the ITIN. Please associate all prior tax information under the ITIN with the new SSN.

Sincerely,

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What IRS says?

Refer to the publication 1915 of IRS Publication.
On page 6, last sentence of first paragraph says that: An alien individual cannot have both an ITIN and a SSN.
So you’ve to rescind your ITIN. The same publication tells us how.
On page 18 it says: What steps do I have to take when I have an ITIN and become eligible for a Social Security Number?

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Process to Rescind your current ITIN

Make proper application for a SSN and upon receipt advise the IRS ITIN Unit in writing of your new SSN.
The new SSN will become the primary number and must be used for all future filing purposes.
The IRS will void the ITIN. All prior tax information under the ITIN will be associated with the new SSN.
Also in the letter you should mention why you don't want the ITIN. Reason for most is "Because new SSN is received."

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Address to send to

In case, you’re wondering about the address of ITIN unit, it’s there on page 8:

Internal Revenue Service

ITIN Operation

P.O. Box 149342

Austin, TX 78714-9342

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Creditors

Contact credit bureaus so they can roll over your spouses credit history which was earlier attached with ITIN to new SSN specially if history was good :)

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