Adoption Tax Identification Number

Todd Gaudin • March 14, 2019

If you are in the process of adopting a child and are able to claim the child as your dependent or are able to claim a child care credit, you may need an Adoption Tax Identification Number (“ATIN”) until a SSN is issued for your adoptive child. An ATIN is issued by the IRS as a temporary taxpayer identification number for the child in a domestic adoption when the adopting taxpayers do not have and/or are unable to obtain the child’s Social Security Number (SSN). 1

According to the IRS, recent tax law changes require that when you list a person’s name on your federal income tax return, you must provide a valid identifying number for that person. During the adoption process, you may not have been able to obtain an existing or a new Social Security Number (SSN) for the child who may already have been placed in your home. If you are eligible to claim the child as your dependent, and you don’t have the child’s SSN, then you will need to request an ATIN in order to claim the child as a dependent and ( if eligible) to claim the child care credit. 2

  • Use the IRS form W-7A to appy for a ATIN.
  • As soon as the adoption becomes final, the adopting parents should obtain an SSN for the child and notify the IRS of the new SSN. When the IRS is notified of a new SSN for the adopted child, it will deactivate the ATIN. If the adopting parents do not notify the IRS within two years, the ATIN will be automatically deactivated.
  • It will generally take 4 to 8 weeks to get an ATIN once the IRS receives a completed Form W-7A.

If you need help obtaining your Adoption Tax Identification Number, give us a call!

 

Understanding Adoption Trauma: The Primal Wound & A Path to Healing

By Legends Legal Marketing • December 17, 2024
At Gaudin Law Group, we deeply care about the well-being of everyone touched by adoption—birth parents, adoptive families, and especially adoptees. One topic often discussed is the concept of the "primal wound," a term coined by author Nancy Verrier. It refers to the emotional and psychological impact experienced by adoptees as a result of being [...] The post Understanding Adoption Trauma: The Primal Wound & A Path to Healing appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

How to Find a Good Attorney

By Legends Legal Marketing • November 14, 2024
Ask for References: The best way to find a good attorney is by asking for a reference from someone you know. Friends and family can provide referrals to attorneys with whom they’ve had positive experiences. Other attorneys, who may not practice in the specific area you need help with, are also great sources for recommendations. [...] The post How to Find a Good Attorney appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

Can Anything Positive Come From a Disrupted Adoptive Placement?

By Legends Legal Marketing • July 16, 2024
Occasionally (25-45% unscientifically), expectant mothers who first favored adoption decide to parent. Her legitimate choice can emotionally crush prospective adoptive parents (= PAP), more or less, depending on its timing. One of our PAP recently experienced this pain. After getting home from the hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl, a mother who [...] The post Can Anything Positive Come From a Disrupted Adoptive Placement? appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

Name Changes in Louisiana

By Admin Gaudin Law Group • June 6, 2024
 Who can request that the name of a person younger than eighteen (a minor child) be changed?Both parents of a minor child may agree and request to change their child’s name. Or, if a court has awarded one of the parents sole custody, that parent may ask for permission to change his child’s name. If [...] The post Name Changes in Louisiana appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

How Does a Non Parent Get Legal Custody?

By Legends Legal Marketing • May 21, 2024
Our state’s and country’s law stiffly protects the right of a parent (a biological or adoptive mother or father) to custody (the authority to make most decisions and accept responsibility, for a minor) of his or her child. It’s likely the most secure right you enjoy as a US citizen. But this right can be [...] The post How Does a Non Parent Get Legal Custody? appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

Adoption Law in Louisiana

By Todd Gaudin • July 12, 2023
Looking to adopt in Louisiana? Our interview with Todd Gaudin, an adoption attorney in Louisiana, will provide valuable insights into the state's adoption laws, from the legal requirements to the adoption process, what types of adoption are allowed in Louisiana, and how adoption can be handled differently under the law. We cover everything you need [...] The post Adoption Law in Louisiana appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

E. Clark Gaudin – A Principled Man

By Todd Gaudin • March 25, 2021
This eighty-eight-year-old, "Clark," "E. Clark," "Mr. G," "Dad," "Pops" departed this life on Thursday, March 19, 2020. He was an attorney for over sixty years, graduating from the LSU Law School in 1958. His jobs included father, attorney, and state representative from former District 69. He was born in New Roads, La. to Vida Swindler [...] The post E. Clark Gaudin – A Principled Man appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

The Adoption Process – What Can I Control?

By Todd Gaudin • March 18, 2021
Written by Laci Richter Adoptive Mom & Author of Refuel Your Wait When my husband and I started the process of adoption, I thought that we were finally in control of building our family.  After years of trying to conceive and unsuccessful medical treatments, we were now going to have control over the outcome. When [...] The post The Adoption Process – What Can I Control? appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

Conservatorship & Britney Spears

By Todd Gaudin • March 15, 2021
The #FreeBritney movement is producing one of the top trending hash tags based on Britney Spears' controversial Conservatorship case. In 2008, a California Court decided Britney was not right and suspended her ability to make her own decisions about her affairs. It gave authority to another adult, her dad, to control her affairs. Britney, an [...] The post Conservatorship & Britney Spears appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.

Ramblings of a Birth Mom: Adoption Advertising

By Todd Gaudin • March 3, 2021
As a birth mom, I hate adoption advertising. As an adoption professional , I hate adoption advertising. I hate the idea of “targeted marketing” and paid Google ads. The very thought of sitting down and trying to figure out the demographic group I should push a Facebook or Instagram Ad to irks me to my [...] The post Ramblings of a Birth Mom: Adoption Advertising appeared first on Gaudin Law Group.
More Posts