ITIN from Uruguay

Your ITIN from Uruguay, with an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent.

If you live in Uruguay and have a tax obligation in the United States, the ITIN is the number the IRS will ask you for. Here is what changes when you apply from Uruguay: the tax treaty, the documents that work and how the process runs from there.

Find out which case is yoursWhat changes from Uruguay
From Uruguay

Three things that depend on living in Uruguay.

Tax treaty

There is no U.S. income tax treaty with Uruguay.

Without a treaty there are no reduced rates to claim: many U.S.-source payments to nonresidents, such as dividends, carry the general 30% withholding. That makes it more important to file correctly, because a return is often the only way to recover what was withheld in excess or to deduct expenses.

Documents

Your passport, or your cedula with a second document.

A current passport is the only document that works on its own. Your cedula can count as a national identity card, but only if it shows name, photograph, address, date of birth and expiration date; many identity documents do not show an address, so check yours. Without a passport you need two current documents from the IRS list, and if you claim dependents who live in Uruguay, their passport only works on its own if it carries a U.S. entry stamp.

Your tax number

Your RUT does not replace the ITIN.

Your RUT identifies you before DGI; the IRS does not recognise it. When you have to file with the IRS, report U.S. income or sign a U.S. tax form and you cannot get a Social Security number, the number it asks for is the ITIN. You keep both, each for its own country.

How it works

From Uruguay, without guessing what the IRS wants.

Big Skill Solutions is an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent. That lets us verify your identity documents and certify the application ourselves, instead of you mailing your originals to the IRS and waiting for them to come back.

We tell you the exact rule, because it matters from abroad: the interview can be done by video call, but the documents cannot be checked on a screen. We have to receive and examine your originals, or copies certified by the agency that issued them, by an embassy or consulate of your country, or by a U.S. embassy or consulate. Before you send anything, we agree with you how they reach us and how they come back.

  • ✓We check your case firstThe questionnaire tells you whether you need a return and which W-7 reason applies, before you spend anything.
  • ✓Video interviewIn Spanish or in English, at a time that works from where you are.
  • ✓A complete fileIncomplete documentation is the most common reason for rejection. We review everything before filing.
  • ✓And the tax return, if one is neededWe are also an IRS Registered Tax Preparer: the W-7 and the return go out together.
Questionnaire

Which case is yours?

Five questions. We tell you which Form W-7 reason applies, whether you need to file a return, and which documents you will be asked for. At the end you can request a quote for your specific case.

The questionnaire needs JavaScript. If you cannot enable it, write to info@big-skill.com and we will review your case with you directly.

Frequently asked questions

What people in Uruguay ask us.

Do I have to travel to the United States to get an ITIN from Uruguay?
No. The interview with a Certifying Acceptance Agent can be done by video call. What the rules do require is that the agent receives and examines your original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency, by an embassy or consulate of your country, or by a U.S. embassy or consulate.
Can I use my RUT instead of an ITIN?
No. Your RUT only works before DGI. For the IRS you need a U.S. number: a Social Security number if you are eligible for one, and the ITIN if you are not.
If there is no treaty with Uruguay, do I pay tax twice?
Not automatically. Without a treaty, relief usually depends on the rules of Uruguay itself, such as credits for tax paid abroad. On the U.S. side, filing a correct return is what lets you deduct expenses and recover excess withholding. Talk to your local accountant about the Uruguay side; we handle the U.S. side.
Does an ITIN give me a work permit or immigration status?
No. An ITIN exists solely to meet tax obligations with the IRS. It does not authorize work, it grants no immigration status, and it carries no entitlement to Social Security benefits.
Is a tax return always required?
That is the general rule: Form W-7 is filed attached to a federal return. The only exceptions are the five IRS Exceptions, and each one requires specific documentation from a third party, such as a bank, a lender or a withholding agent.

The five Exceptions, the 13 documents the IRS accepts and the rest of the rules are in the complete guide: ITIN, explained

Would you rather we looked at it with you?

We work Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 17:00 Panama time, which is 10:00 to 19:00 in Montevideo.

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