Brokerage / investment accounts with ITIN — which firms accept it

Yes, you can open a brokerage account with an ITIN — but not at every firm. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is a valid taxpayer identification number for investment accounts, and the IRS instructions for Form W-9 state directly that “individuals who have an ITIN must provide it on Form W-9.” The practical question is not whether the IRS allows it (it does) but which brokerages’ account-opening systems accept an ITIN in the tax-ID field. Policies differ sharply, so check the specific broker before you start an application. If you don’t yet have an ITIN, start with what an ITIN is and how to apply.

Which brokerages accept an ITIN

Verified against each firm’s published policies in June 2026:

  • Webull — accepts ITIN. Webull’s account-opening FAQ states you “must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).” You must also be a permanent resident of the US or its territories or hold one of its accepted visa types (E1, E2, E3, F1, H1B, TN1, O1, L1). If you apply with an ITIN, expect to upload your IRS ITIN assignment letter (Notice CP565).
  • Robinhood — does not accept ITIN. Robinhood’s support page requires “a valid Social Security Number (not a Taxpayer Identification Number).” If you only have an ITIN, Robinhood is off the table until you obtain an SSN.
  • Fidelity — ITIN appears on its own application forms. Fidelity’s account application paperwork includes an “SSN/ITIN” field for the taxpayer ID, and the firm publishes a standard process for certifying or updating your SSN/TIN on an existing account. If the online flow rejects an ITIN, the paper application is the documented route.
  • Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers — both require Form W-9 certification from US residents, and third-party guides report ITIN account openings at both, but neither firm states an explicit ITIN policy on a public help page. Call before applying.

Whatever the broker, expect more documentation than an SSN applicant provides: government-issued photo ID, proof of US address, and your CP565 ITIN letter are the usual requests.

W-9 vs. W-8BEN: sign the right certification

This is where ITIN investors most often go wrong. The choice is not about citizenship — it is about tax residency.

  • If you live in the United States and meet the substantial presence test, you are a resident alien for tax purposes, which makes you a “U.S. person” under the W-9 instructions (“an individual who is a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien”). You sign Form W-9, entering your ITIN as the TIN, and your investment income is taxed exactly like a citizen’s.
  • Form W-8BEN is for foreign persons — nonresident aliens investing from abroad. The W-9 instructions tell brokers to “advise foreign persons to use the appropriate Form W-8.” Signing a W-8BEN while you live and file taxes in the US misstates your status and triggers the wrong withholding regime.

Most ITIN holders living and working in the US are resident aliens under the substantial presence test, so the W-9 is almost always the correct form. See filing taxes with an ITIN for how residency status works on your return.

The 24% backup withholding rule

Certifying a valid TIN on the W-9 is what protects your money. If you don’t give the broker your TIN in the required manner — or give one the IRS flags as incorrect — the broker must withhold a flat 24% from interest, dividends, and gross broker proceeds before they reach your account. An ITIN satisfies this requirement just as an SSN does. One trap specific to ITIN holders: an ITIN that hasn’t appeared on a federal return for three consecutive tax years expires, although the IRS permits expired ITINs to keep appearing on information returns like 1099s. Keep your ITIN active by filing, and renew it before it lapses.

How your investment income is taxed and reported

Once the account is open, an ITIN filer is taxed identically to an SSN filer. Each January-February the broker sends:

  • Form 1099-DIV for dividends of $10 or more. Qualified dividends are taxed at the long-term capital-gains rates of 0%, 15%, or 20%; ordinary dividends at your regular bracket.
  • Form 1099-INT for interest of $10 or more, taxed as ordinary income.
  • Form 1099-B for sale proceeds, which you reconcile on Form 8949 and summarize on Schedule D.

Holding a stock more than one year before selling earns long-term rates — for tax year 2025, the 0% rate covers taxable income up to $48,350 (single) or $96,700 (married filing jointly). Losses offset gains, and up to $3,000 of excess loss deducts against other income each year. If interest plus ordinary dividends exceed $1,500, you also attach Schedule B.

What happens to the account when you get an SSN

The IRS is unambiguous: “You can’t have both an ITIN and an SSN.” When you receive an SSN, stop using the ITIN, use the SSN on all tax documents, and notify the IRS so it merges your records — this preserves credit for prior withholding and filings (the full process is in our ITIN-to-SSN guide). On the brokerage side, you do not close the account; you update the taxpayer ID. Fidelity, for example, publishes a standard SSN/TIN update and recertification process for existing accounts. Submit a new W-9 with the SSN so future 1099s carry the right number. The cost basis, holdings, and history of the account carry over untouched. For bank accounts, the same logic applies — see banking with an ITIN.

Last verified: 2026-06-11. Sources: IRS — Form W-9 instructions, Webull account-opening FAQ, IRS Topic 307 — backup withholding, IRS Topic 409 — capital gains.

General information — not investment or tax advice. Broker policies change; confirm ITIN acceptance with the firm before applying. For case-specific guidance, consult an Enrolled Agent or CPA with ITIN experience.