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DictionaryIdentity and taxes

Form W-7: what it means

Form W-7 is the IRS's official application to get an ITIN, or to renew one that has expired or is about to. It is filed together with a federal tax return, with some exceptions, and with original documents or certified copies that prove your identity and foreign status, such as a passport.

In Spanish it is

Formulario W-7

Also written as: W-7 · ITIN application · ITIN renewal

The full explanation

You can mail it, bring it to an IRS center or go to a Certifying Acceptance Agent, who reviews the documents and returns them on the spot. It is free; be wary of anyone who charges to "get" you a fast ITIN.

An example

Esteban's ITIN expired because he did not use it for three years. Before filing this year, he completes Form W-7 to renew it and sends it with his return.

You will see it in…

  • The IRS website, in Spanish, with the form's instructions
  • VITA sites and Certifying Acceptance Agents
  • The IRS letter confirming or rejecting the application

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “Form W-7”

More words on this topic: Identity and taxes

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Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

  1. 1. IRS · About Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number · in English · Verified on October 16, 2026
  2. 2. IRS · Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) · in English · Verified on October 16, 2026