ITIN document review

A video call is not the same as inspecting the documents.

For an ITIN application, a Certifying Acceptance Agent has a specific IRS role. The agent may interview by video, but the required original ID documents or certified copies still matter.

Direct rule

If a person says they are a CAA, ask how they will handle the original ID documents or certified copies required for the ITIN application.

The IRS says CAAs must have the original identification documents or certified copies from the issuing agency in their possession during the interview.

That means the document review is not just a normal notary video meeting, a scan upload, or a quick identity check.

What a CAA can do

Help an ITIN applicant with Form W-7.
Review supporting identity and foreign-status documents.
Use Form W-7 (COA) when acting as a Certifying Acceptance Agent.
Help some applicants avoid mailing originals directly to the IRS when the CAA process is done correctly.

What to watch

Someone claims to be a CAA but is not on an IRS source or cannot explain the process.
Someone says a scan or photo is enough for CAA document review.
Someone mixes notary, LLC, EIN, ITIN, mailbox, and bank account services as if one solves all of them.
Someone takes money first and explains the document requirement later.

CAA is not a notary shortcut

A notary may verify a signature for a notary act. A CAA has a different IRS role for ITIN applications. Do not treat a notary meeting, mailbox signup, LLC filing, or registered-agent service as a substitute for the ITIN document process.

If you are outside the United States, this is especially important. Shipping original identity documents can be risky. But paying someone who skips the IRS CAA document rules can also create a rejected application or worse problems.

Official IRS starting points

Use IRS sources before trusting a vendor summary.

IRS ITIN Acceptance Agent Program

IRS Publication 4520, ITIN Acceptance Agents' Guide

IRS Form W-7 (COA)