ITIN or SSN

[indiana_jones]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Virginia

This is a tax question, but also involves a little bit about an immigration issue.

My wife is waiting approval for her work authorization document after filing all necessary forms with the Immigration office to become a permanent resident. The work authorization will allow her to receive a Social Security Number.

According to the estimate Immigration gave us, she should receive the SSN right around the middle of April (when we must file our taxes). My question is this: Should we just go ahead and get an ITIN for her and file our taxes now, or should we try and wait until the last possible moment for her SSN to file taxes? Are there any downsides at all to filing with an ITIN? I'd prefer not to wait until the last minute, but if there is an advantage to using an SSN, then can someone please advise me? Thanks

[Snipes5]

In order to get an ITIN you must be ineligible for an SSN. Since she is in the process of getting an SSN, my guess is that you can't get an ITIN.

Further, in order to get an ITIN, you must file form W-7 along with notarized copies of identification info, with the tax return itself. The whole thing goes to Philadelphia, and it can take them quite a while to sort it out.

I would wait for the SSN to show up. Sometimes you can get the number sooner by calling the Social Security Administration. The number is available way before you get it in the mail.

If it looks like it will go past the April 15 deadline, file an extension.

Snipes