Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number

The arguments in favor of the metal card were its permanence, accuracy (records could be imprinted from the embossed token), and economy (because of the imprinting capability). Still, in early June 1936, the Board decided to use a small paper card (McKinley and Frase 1970, 327 and 329). Since 1972, when SSA began assigning SSNs and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, MD, the area number has been assigned based on the ZIP code of the mailing address provided on the application for the original Social Security card. The applicant’s mailing address may not be the same as the place of residence. The Social Security number (SSN) was created in 1936 for the sole purpose of tracking the earnings histories of U.S. workers, for use in determining Social Security benefit entitlement and computing benefit levels. Today the SSN may be the most commonly used numbering system in the United States.

Verifying SSNs

Over time, as the use of the SSN expanded for other purposes, SSA recognized that changes were necessary to protect the integrity of the card. SSA has taken measures to prevent counterfeiting of the card, and a counterfeit-resistant version is now used for both original and replacement cards. Even at the inception of the program, the Social Security Board understood that individuals would need to have a “token” that would provide a record of the number that had been assigned to them. This token would help employers accurately report an individual’s earnings under the program. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers alternatives to SSNs in some places where providing untrusted parties with identification numbers is essential. The Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is highly important for VAT taxpayers, as it simplifies the tax administration process by making tax identification straightforward.

Merchant Account Set Up

However, almost from the start, state unemployment compensation agencies began using SSNs to identify workers, and some employers tended to prefer hiring individuals who already possessed an SSN (Social Security Board 1938, 53). So, after a few months the Bureau began issuing SSNs to anyone who applied. Not all U.S. workers obtained SSNs during the initial registration period.

WAC 388-476-0005 Social Security number requirements.

Under EaE, a person aged 18 or older can apply for both an immigrant visa and an SSN at a DoS office in his or her home country. If the visa is granted, then DoS transmits the identifying data from the person’s visa/SSN application to DHS. If and when the person is physically admitted to the United States, DHS updates certain data, if necessary, and sends it to SSA for the SSN to be assigned and the card to be issued. All noncitizens enumerated through EaE receive an SSN in the special area number series 729 through 733. As of January 20, 2009, SSA had issued 429,959 original and 114,714 replacement SSNs through the EaE process. SSA is currently working with DoS and DHS on expanding the EaE process to additional noncitizens.

Evidentiary Requirements

2) Once the SSN card scan is added, please send an email to  to alert them that you have uploaded your card and your employee record will be updated. If you’ve previously had an SSN at any point in your life–even if it was decades ago–you cannot apply for a new number. If you no longer have your SSN card or number (or the type of SSN card you need has changed), you may need to apply for a replacement SSN card. J-1 Students (including J-1 non-degree students) are NOT automatically eligible to apply for an SSN. 1 In addition, effective January 1, 1937, workers attaining age 65 could apply for a lump-sum payment (equal to 3.5 percent of wages earned after December 31, 1936) in lieu of monthly benefit payments. Payment of monthly benefits was initially postponed until January 1942; the 1939 Amendments to the Social Security Act moved the date up to January 1940.

Social Security Administration office locations

In 1974, SSA began assigning SSNs for nonwork purposes when such use of an SSN was authorized by law. Initially, the nonwork cards looked the same as cards issued to citizens and aliens authorized to work. In May 1982, SSA began annotating cards issued for nonwork purposes with the legend “not valid for employment.”

1. The Board planned to use the year one attained age 65 as part of the SSN, thinking that once an individual attained age 65, the SSN would be reassigned to someone else.
2. If you lost your SSN card you will need to reapply for a new one, following the instructions from the Social Security Administration.
3. Instead, those two digits would be a “group number” that could be used to maximize the utility of mechanical equipment and to verify the accuracy of punch cards.
4. In early November 1935, the Social Security Board adopted an identifier composed of 3 alphabetic characters representing geographic areas and 5 numeric characters.
5. You can file your application for an SSN card in person at any SSA office.

Additionally, a TIN is necessary when businesses need to file VAT returns, claim tax refunds, or comply with tax regulations. If you did not request an SSN as part of your OPT application, complete the social security application online. Then, visit your local SSA office to show them your documents in person. A Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) is needed to facilitate payment for scholarships, fellowships, employment in the U.S., and to file a U.S. tax return. If you are not eligible to apply for a SSN, you may need to request an ITIN in order to receive tax treaty benefits and to file a U.S. tax return. Still, it is highly unlikely that use of the SSN as a unique identifier will cease entirely.

The post offices (and later the Bureau’s field offices) kept carbon copies of the OA-702 to use should an individual request a replacement card (Wyatt and Wandel 1937, 58). The Social Security Board also enlisted the Treasury Department to assure employer cooperation. However, delays in getting registration started made these deadlines moot. However, creating the SSN scheme and assigning SSNs to U.S. workers was no easy task. Passage of the Social Security Act in August 1935 set in motion a huge effort to build the infrastructure needed to support a program affecting tens of millions of individuals.

1. It also provides legal legitimacy and helps avoid potential penalties.
2. But at a meeting on January 23, 1936, the unemployment compensation delegates objected to the use of digits to signify age because they thought a number of workers would falsify their age.
3. It also aids in maintaining transparency in the business ecosystem and preventing tax evasion.
4. In March 1972, SSA began assigning SSNs and issuing cards exclusively from Baltimore via a computer-based system.8 It was also in 1972 that all applicants for federal benefits were required to have their own SSN.
5. 1 In addition, effective January 1, 1937, workers attaining age 65 could apply for a lump-sum payment (equal to 3.5 percent of wages earned after December 31, 1936) in lieu of monthly benefit payments.

The Social Security Administration mails individuals their Social Security cards as soon as it receives all of the necessary information and documentation. This can take as long as two to four weeks, especially when the administration is facing what is ssn number in india delays. Your SSN is one of the most important pieces of personal information—if not the most important—that you’ll ever have. Someone who has your SSN can use it to impersonate you, obtain credit and open bank accounts, apply for jobs, steal your tax refunds, get medical treatment, and steal your government benefits.

Before randomization, the first three digits, the area numbers, were assigned by geographical region. Before 1973, cards were issued in local Social Security offices around the country, and the area number represented the office that issued the card. This did not have to be in the area where the applicant lived, because one could apply for a card in any Social Security office.

In 2007, the President’s Identity Theft Task Force (2007, 3) included among its SSN recommendations that “federal agencies should reduce the unnecessary use of SSNs, the most valuable commodity for an identity thief.” Just as it was in 1936, today a person must complete an application to obtain an original or replacement SSN or to change the information in SSA’s Numident records. The registration process was largely directed by the local postmasters. The first task for the postmen was to make up lists of employers on their routes.

Some providers and organizations request your child’s SSN to confirm their identity. If you’ve provided this information previously, ask if you can get that information from them. You will likely have to provide proof of your identity as the child’s guardian to get the information.