CertaCheck eligibility
ITIN preparation with an IRS-authorized CAA

Your ITIN application, prepared and filed for you.

Certa prepares your Form W-7 and, if needed, your U.S. federal tax return. An IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent authenticates your identity documents, prepares the filing package, and keeps you updated until the IRS responds.

Your original passport is reviewed by your CAA and returned to you with tracking — it is not ordinarily mailed inside your IRS application package. Physical inspection by the CAA is required.

Check my eligibility — freeSee what’s included

About two minutes. No payment required.

Complete service with federal return preparation: $499 one time. Already have a completed return? ITIN service is $249.

Application status On track

Your document

Returning to you — tracked

  1. ✓Application prepared
  2. ✓Document received by your CAA
  3. ✓Identity verified in your interview
  4. 4Original returned to you — tracked
  5. 5Package mailed to the IRS

Your original passport is reviewed by your CAA — not mailed inside your IRS application package.

IRS-authorized CAA reviewOriginal passport returned after authenticationTax return preparation availableClear one-time pricingSecure case dashboard

How your passport is handled

Your CAA examines the original. The IRS receives the filing package.

IRS rules require your Certifying Acceptance Agent to physically possess and inspect your original passport or an issuing-agency-certified copy during your verification interview. Certa provides the approved delivery instructions, records custody the moment your document is received, and returns the original to you with tracking after authentication.

Available review methods, expected timing, and any shipping details for your location are shown and confirmed with you before you pay. Full details in the FAQ.

  1. 1Send or bring your originalTracked delivery to your CAA, or bring it to an in-person appointment.
  2. 2Custody is recordedYou see the moment it's received, checked, and stored securely.
  3. 3Inspected during your interviewYour CAA examines the document's security features while meeting you.
  4. 4Returned with trackingThe original comes back to you — it isn't mailed to the IRS.

Is Certa right for you?

Certa may be a fit if you…

  • Need an ITIN to file a U.S. federal tax return
  • Are not eligible for a Social Security number
  • Need help preparing the return that accompanies the application
  • Want a professional to prepare and manage the whole filing package

Certa currently supports primary applicants only — spouse and dependent applications aren’t available yet. The free eligibility check will tell you right away, and can notify you when that changes.

How it works

Four stages, one managed process

You answer plain questions and hand over one document. Certa's professionals do the rest.

  1. 1

    Check eligibility for free

    Answer a few questions and see whether Certa currently supports your situation. About two minutes, no payment.

  2. 2

    We prepare your application and return

    Complete a plain-language intake instead of working through IRS forms alone. Certa prepares your Form W-7 — and your federal tax return if you need one.

  3. 3

    Your CAA authenticates your documents

    Follow Certa's secure delivery instructions for your original passport or an issuing-agency-certified copy. Your CAA physically examines it during your interview, records the result, and returns the original with tracking.

  4. 4

    We prepare and dispatch your package

    Certa assembles the filing package, mails it to the IRS with tracking, and keeps your dashboard updated through the IRS response.

What you’re paying for

More than a form. A professional manages the whole filing process.

The IRS is a black box. Certa isn’t. From the first eligibility question to the envelope’s tracking number, a real case team does the work and your dashboard shows every step in plain language.

Federal tax owed to the IRS is not included — it always remains the taxpayer’s responsibility. IRS approval and processing time can’t be guaranteed by any service.

  • Eligibility screening before you pay anything
  • Form W-7 prepared correctly
  • U.S. federal tax return preparation
  • Document review by an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent
  • Secure delivery instructions, recorded custody, and tracked return of your original document
  • Certificate of Accuracy prepared and signed
  • Filing package assembled, mailed to the IRS, and tracked
  • Payment voucher and money-order handling when your return has tax due
  • A private dashboard with plain-language status at every step
  • Updates through the IRS response

Who handles your case

Your case is handled by Toa Tax Professional.

An IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent listed in the IRS Maryland directory.

Your assigned professional reviews your application, physically inspects your original identity document, signs the Certificate of Accuracy, prepares your filing package, and remains accountable for the case through dispatch.

Verify Toa Tax Professional on IRS.gov

On the IRS page, search for “Toa Tax Professional.”

Credential
IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent
Location
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Signs
Your Certificate of Accuracy

Questions before you start? support@certa.tax

How your documents are protected

Specific protections, not slogans

You're trusting us with your most important document. These are the actual controls.

Encrypted in transit and at rest

Your passport number, dates, addresses, and tracking references are field-encrypted in our database, and every connection uses TLS.

Access restricted to your case team

Only the Certifying Acceptance Agent and staff assigned to your case can open your documents — enforced by the system, not by policy alone.

Sensitive access is recorded

Every download of your documents and filing package is written to your case's audit history, along with every custody and filing decision.

Documents aren't kept forever

Uploaded document images are stored privately and purged on a schedule after filing — they exist to prepare and verify your application, nothing else.

Pricing

Two services. One-time prices. No subscriptions.

Most applicants need the complete service — a first-time ITIN application is usually filed together with a federal tax return.

Recommended

Complete ITIN service

For applicants who need Certa to prepare the federal return.

$499one time

  • Eligibility review
  • Form W-7 preparation
  • Federal tax return preparation
  • IRS-authorized CAA review and Certificate of Accuracy
  • Document custody with tracked return of your original
  • Filing-package preparation and tracked dispatch
  • Status updates through the IRS response
  • Payment voucher, money-order fee, postage, and handling when applicable

Tax owed to the IRS is not included. IRS approval and processing time are not guaranteed.

Check my eligibility — free

Already have a completed return?

For applicants with a completed, filing-ready federal return.

$249one time

  • Eligibility review
  • Form W-7 preparation
  • IRS-authorized CAA review and Certificate of Accuracy
  • Document custody with tracked return of your original
  • Filing-package preparation and tracked dispatch
  • Status updates through the IRS response

You provide the completed return; Certa files the application around it.

You only pay after your free eligibility check confirms Certa supports your situation — and every document-handling detail is disclosed before payment.

Your case is handled by Toa Tax Professional. Verify Toa Tax Professional on IRS.gov

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

The honest answers — including the ones other services bury.

Do I need a completed tax return before I start?
No. Most first-time ITIN applications must be filed together with a federal tax return, and Certa's $499 complete service prepares that return for you. If you already have a completed, filing-ready return, the $249 service prepares and files the ITIN application around it.
What is included in the $499 service?
Everything: eligibility screening, your Form W-7, preparation of your U.S. federal tax return, document authentication by an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent, the Certificate of Accuracy, assembly and tracked mailing of the complete filing package, and status updates until the IRS responds. When your return has tax due and you choose mailed payment, the payment voucher, money-order purchase fee, postage, and handling are included too.
What is the difference between the $249 and $499 services?
One thing: who prepares your federal tax return. At $499, Certa's tax professional prepares it for you. At $249, you bring a completed, filing-ready return and Certa handles the ITIN application, authentication, and filing around it.
How will my passport and identity documents be handled?
The image you upload is used for preliminary review only — it is never the authenticated document. IRS rules require your Certifying Acceptance Agent to physically possess your original passport (or an issuing-agency-certified copy) during your verification interview. Certa provides the approved delivery instructions, records exactly when your document is received and by whom, stores it securely, and returns the original to you with tracking after authentication. Your original passport is not ordinarily included in the IRS filing package. Available review methods, timing, and any shipping details are confirmed with you before payment.
How long does the process take?
Your part — the eligibility check, intake, document delivery, and a short verification interview — typically takes days, driven mostly by document shipping. After your package is mailed, the IRS typically processes ITIN applications in around 7–11 weeks; timing is the IRS's and can vary with season.
Can Certa guarantee that the IRS will approve my ITIN?
No — and no honest service can. What Certa guarantees is professional preparation: a correctly prepared application, authentication by an IRS-authorized CAA, a properly assembled package, and updates until the IRS responds. If the IRS requests more information, your dashboard and your case team will guide you through it.
What happens if my tax return shows that I owe money?
If your prepared return has a balance due and you choose mailed payment, Certa prepares the payment voucher (Form 1040-V), obtains the money order, and includes it in your filing package. The money-order purchase fee, postage, and handling are covered by your service fee.
Does Certa pay the tax I owe?
No. Federal tax owed to the IRS is always the taxpayer's responsibility. You fund the exact tax amount; Certa covers the handling costs around it.
Can I apply for a spouse or dependent?
Not yet. Certa currently supports primary applicants only. If you need a spouse or dependent application, the eligibility check will offer to notify you the moment support opens.
What happens after the application is mailed?
You get the mailing date and tracking number in your dashboard and by email. Certa tracks the package, records when the IRS acknowledges it, and updates you at every status change through to your ITIN letter — which lands in your secure Certa vault.

Find out whether Certa can help with your ITIN.

Start with a free eligibility check. No payment and no IRS forms required.

Check my eligibility — free