One of the most difficult things to do when attempting to get a US Credit Card is to get your Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). This is a number that stands in place of a Social Security Number (SSN) so that credit agencies like TransUnion and Equifax can associate your credit history/score with an individual. The ITIN or SSN acts as a unique identifier that is unique to each person. Without it, you cannot build a credit history and therefore won’t qualify for credit cards because issuers won’t know if you’re a good credit risk or not.
In my previous series, US Credit Cards, I walked you through how to get US-based credit cards as a Canadian but the method that I detailed to get your ITIN largely looks dead so I worked with US Tax Resources to find another solution.
As part of that new method, we gave away one free consultation to one lucky reader to test out and today we have testimonial that the method works and is viable. Here’s that testimonial.
February 27, 2020
I just got my new ITIN yesterday! Thanks again to Jayce for the contest – and for Pointsnerd! – and to Ian Davis at US Tax Resources for all his help.
Ian reached out to me to start the process once he knew I had won the contest. Overall, everything was very straightforward – we were able to complete everything online with just a handful of emails.
The whole process, from start to finish: I filled out the US Tax Resources online intake form, Ian asked me to clarify a few points, and within a week he had sent me the tax filing package – including my ITIN application – that he had prepared for me. Along with my certified true copy of my passport, I mailed out the package at the end of January was quite pleasantly surprised to find a letter from the IRS with my ITIN in my mailbox yesterday.
Throughout, Ian was friendly, polite and quite responsive, despite the timing of my application during what must be his busiest time of the year and some hiccups with emails ending up in junk mail.
I joined the points game a bit late – I suspect my failed ITIN application at the beginning of 2019 using a letter from Amazon Direct Publishing just missed the boat on that method working fairly straightforwardly. And when that didn’t work, as a churner who probably falls on the lazier and more risk-averse end of the spectrum, I was pretty much ready to give up on getting an ITIN and just go as far in the US card game as global transfers could take me. As unsatisfying and disappointing as finishing with just a Blue Cash Everyday and Green card, and maybe another Amex or two every year, might be…
But when I read Jayce’s post on this very-close-to-surefire method to get an ITIN, it immediately appealed to my laziness (US Tax Resources could do the paperwork for me) and risk-aversion (Ian’s expertise assured me that the method is both legitimate and would probably work).
So I completely ready to pay for US Tax Resources’ service in order to scale up my US churning. While their service is not cheap, it is easily justified by even one strong signup bonus (where the net gain exceeds the $249 + HST) that would not otherwise be accessible. Needless to say, winning the Pointsnerd draw for a free tax package made it a no-brainer.
Jayce asked me to include in this review whether I would recommend US Tax Resources. My answer: yes, for the reasons above. Indeed, P2 plans on using them next year.
I’ve been holding off on the next US card in my sights, the Hilton Honors, to make sure my ITIN is attached. Very excited the wait is finally over!
Thanks again, Jayce and Ian!
Lyming
ITIN Contest winner
Conclusion
I’m happy to see that the method I detailed in my previous post on ITIN is now confirmed to be successful. I would encourage everyone that is interested in getting a US credit card to use US Tax Resources as your method of getting your ITIN.
Take a read through the post and decide for yourself if you want to accelerate your credit card game by opening up a whole new world of points and miles.