A Social Security number and Individual Taxpayer Identification Number serve the same purpose. They allow an individual in the U.S. to file their taxes, open a bank account or apply for a loan or ...

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a nine-digit tax ID number issued by the IRS. It’s for people who need to file taxes but can’t get a Social Security Number (SSN).

Millions of immigrants who aren't lawfully present in the U.S., and don’t have social security numbers, use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to pay their taxes each year.