Key takeaways
- An Acceptance Agent (AA) helps you complete Form W-7 but cannot verify your identity documents, so you still mail your original passport to the IRS.
- A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can authenticate your passport in person or by video, so your original documents stay with you.
- Mailing your passport to the IRS carries real risk: you lose control of it, you cannot predict when it comes back, and it can be lost in transit.
- The IRS charges $0 to issue an ITIN. Your real-world cost is $0 to $1,000+, depending on whether you hire help and whether a tax return is bundled in.
- myITINapp is a Certifying Acceptance Agent, so you keep your passport and we submit the packet for you.
What is the difference between an Acceptance Agent and a Certifying Acceptance Agent?
Both are authorized by the IRS to help you get an ITIN using Form W-7. The one critical difference: only a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can authenticate your identity documents, so you keep your passport. A regular Acceptance Agent (AA) cannot verify your passport, so you must mail your original documents, such as your passport, to the IRS and wait. As a CAA, myITINapp verifies your documents directly, so they never leave your hands.
What do an Acceptance Agent and a CAA both do?
Both acceptance agents and CAAs help their clients complete the W-7 ITIN application form. They also review supporting documents and mail the application packet to the IRS.
They also work with the IRS to resolve any issues, such as a request for more information (for example, an IRS notice), and many will prepare your tax return if they offer that service. The difference is not in filing the form. It is in who can verify your documents.
What can a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) do that an Acceptance Agent can't?
A CAA can authenticate your original supporting documents, in person or by video call, and sign a Certificate of Accuracy (COA) confirming the documents were verified. An Acceptance Agent cannot verify your passport, so with an AA you still have to mail your original documents to the IRS. This is the single reason to choose a CAA: with myITINapp, your passport and birth certificate stay in your hands and are never put in the mail.
Do I have to mail my passport to the IRS?
With an Acceptance Agent or filing on your own, yes. With a CAA, no. Because an Acceptance Agent cannot certify your identity documents, your original passport is mailed to the IRS. That means:
- You lose control of your passport for the entire review, which can run for months.
- You cannot predict when it comes back, and you cannot travel without it in the meantime.
- Documents can be lost or damaged in the mail, and replacing a passport is slow and expensive.
As a CAA, myITINapp verifies your passport during your appointment and you keep it the whole time. That is the protection an Acceptance Agent cannot offer.
Acceptance Agent vs Certifying Acceptance Agent: side by side
- Completing Form W-7: both an AA and a CAA do this.
- Reviewing your supporting documents: both do this.
- Mailing the packet to the IRS: both do this.
- Verifying and authenticating your passport (Certificate of Accuracy): only a CAA can. An Acceptance Agent cannot.
- Do you mail your original passport to the IRS? With an Acceptance Agent, yes. With a CAA, no, you keep it.
- Risk of your passport being lost in the mail: present with an Acceptance Agent, none with a CAA.
- Handling IRS follow-up notices: both do this.
How much does it cost to get an ITIN?
The official fee charged by the U.S. government to process an ITIN is exactly $0. The IRS does not charge to issue or renew an ITIN. Your real-world cost depends on who helps you.
An Acceptance Agent usually costs less, because an Acceptance Agent cannot verify your identity. That means you still have to send your original passport to the IRS and wait. A CAA costs a little more because a CAA verifies your identity for you and takes care of the process, so your passport stays with you.
At myITINapp, once your Form W-7 is ready we do the virtual verification, and once you hand your passport over to us we handle the rest for you.
How much does a Certifying Acceptance Agent charge for an ITIN?
A CAA typically charges $300 to $500 for a standalone ITIN application, and $500 to $1,000 when it is bundled with a tax return. An Acceptance Agent may charge less for W-7 help alone, but that lower fee does not include certifying your documents, so you still mail your passport to the IRS.
- Basic document review, $50 to $150: checking documents plus a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
- Standard CAA application, $300 to $500: document authentication, Form W-7 preparation, and IRS submission.
- Bundled tax-filing package, $500 to $1,000: ITIN submission plus full U.S. tax return preparation.
- Add a dependent, $75 to $150 per person: spouse or child added to the primary application.
Who is behind myITINapp?
myITINapp is part of MiklosCPA, a full-service CPA firm. Beyond your ITIN, we can handle your full accounting and tax needs if you want. Our founder is a CalCPA chair based in Southern California, and we are known for delivering high-quality work.
FAQ
Who can verify my passport, an Acceptance Agent or a CAA?
Only a CAA. An Acceptance Agent cannot authenticate your passport, so with an Acceptance Agent you still mail your original documents to the IRS. myITINapp is a CAA, so we verify it and you keep it.
Do I mail my passport with an Acceptance Agent or a CAA?
With an Acceptance Agent, or filing yourself, you mail your original passport and wait months to get it back. With a CAA, your passport is verified and stays with you.
What is the difference between an Acceptance Agent and a CAA?
Both complete Form W-7 and submit it, but only a CAA can certify your identity documents so you keep your passport.
Is there a fee to get an ITIN from the IRS?
No, the IRS charges $0 either way. The only cost is professional help, and only a CAA's fee lets you keep your passport.
How much does a CAA charge for an ITIN?
A standalone CAA ITIN application usually runs $300 to $500, and $500 to $1,000 bundled with a tax return. An Acceptance Agent may charge less, but it does not include document certification.
Is myITINapp an Acceptance Agent or a CAA?
myITINapp is a Certifying Acceptance Agent. We verify your documents, you keep your passport, and we submit your application for you.
Michael B
