What is a Certifying Acceptance Agent
As a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), Dana Hatton, EA, CAA, is authorized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to assist alien individuals and other foreign taxpayers who are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) with applying for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Dana can offer this service to our clients and foreign nationals to assist in the compliance with IRS tax filings and withholding regulations. Our formal agreement under Section 301.6109-1(d)(3)(iv)(A) of the U.S. Treasury Regulations with the IRS allows us to:
- Prepare the IRS Form W-7, Application for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). As ITIN specialists, we take the time to fully understand your situation so that we submit your Form W-7 application in accordance with the set rules and procedures, significantly helping to reduce any likelihood of your ITIN application being delayed or rejected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Following significant recent changes to the applications procedure, the IRS now requires individual applicants to provide either original identity documents (such as a valid passport or birth certificate) or a certified copy of acceptable ID documents from the original Issuing Agency. Furthermore, the IRS no longer accepts notarized copies of such documents for the purposes of obtaining an ITIN.
- Review the required supporting documentation to verify the applicant’s identity and foreign status.
- Issue a Certificate of Accuracy to the IRS that the ITIN application is complete, accurate and that the documentation provided to us for review is authentic. This is limited to primary and secondary applicants. Applications for dependents will still require that originals documentation or certified copies from the issuing agency be mailed to IRS.
- Submit the application on behalf of the foreign individual to the IRS ITIN Operations office for processing.
- Receive the ITIN directly from the IRS and communicate directly with the IRS on behalf of the applicant with respect to the issuance of the ITIN.
- Offer expedited ITIN application service with the IRS, who processes ITIN applications submitted by Certifying Acceptance Agents before processing ITIN applications submitted directly by ITIN applicants.
