With Support from LADWP, CSUN VITA Clinic Helps People Get ITINs, Opening Door to Tax Filing

For noncitizens without a Social Security Number, complying with US Tax laws is difficult. Thankfully, the CSUN VITA Clinic can help people file for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the IRS, enabling them to file their taxes and earn tax credits.

Sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), CSUN VITA Clinic’s ITIN application program helps people without U.S. citizenship obtain the nine-digit processing number they need to file their taxes.

Joseph M. Ramallo, LADWP’s Senior Assistant General manager of Communications, Customer Service and Corporate Strategy, said that supporting the CSUN VITA Clinic ITIN program offers the LADWP the chance to reach low-income utility customers who are eligible for rate discounts and other assistance programs.

“By serving residents of the City of L.A. who are our customers, the CSUN VITA Clinic helps us expand our outreach to eligible enrollees in our EZ-SAVE program or our Cool LA program,” Ramallo said. EZ-SAVE helps income-qualified customers save on their DWP bills, and COOL LA helps qualified customers manage hot weather, including rebates on portable air conditioners.

“CSUN’s VITA Clinic is really a beneficial program that meets a need, especially for low-income taxpayers who may not think that they need to file taxes or that they make enough money to file taxes, but actually can benefit from tax refunds and other resources available to them to help them better meet their own needs and the needs of their families,” Ramallo added.

ITINs do not authorize work in the US or provide eligibility for Social Security or other benefits, but CSUN VITA Clinic representatives say there are good reasons to get an ITIN. By working and paying state taxes with an ITIN, filers can qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) or other tax credits. The amount of the credits depends on income and family size. ITINs can also be used to open bank accounts.

Speaking through Nataly Ascensio, a VITA Clinic interpreter and Spanish graduate student, client Marco (who requested to be identified by his first name) said he learned he could get his ITIN at CSUN from his coworkers at a local restaurant. He said it was important to him to get the identification number so he could file his taxes properly.

Marco told Ascencio the VITA Clinic staff “was very attentive” in helping him obtain an ITIN. “He said it was a great service and he is really happy that he was able to do it,” Ascencio said.

Another client, Leydi Flores, told Ascensio that her neighbor recommended the CSUN VITA Clinic, and she was able to get her ITIN as well as free tax preparation. “She’s very happy and very grateful that she was able to receive these services,” Ascensio said.

In 2019 according to the IRS more than 2.5 million tax returns were filed using ITINs, accounting for nearly $6 billion in taxes.