With more than 2 million Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) set to expire at the end of 2018, the Internal Revenue Service today urged affected taxpayers to submit their renewal applications soon to beat the rush and avoid refund delays next year.

In the third year of the renewal program, the IRS has increased staffing to handle the anticipated influx of W-7 applications for renewal. This third wave of expiring ITINs is expected to affect as many as 2.7 million taxpayers. To help taxpayers, the renewal process for 2019 is beginning earlier than last year.

“Even though the April tax deadline has passed, the IRS encourages people affected by these ITIN changes to take steps as soon as possible to prepare for next year’s tax returns,” said Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter. “Acting now to renew ITIN numbers will help taxpayers avoid delays that could affect their tax filing and refunds in 2019. The IRS appreciates the help from partner groups across the nation sharing this information with those with expiring ITIN numbers.”

Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, ITINs that have not been used on a federal tax return at least once in the last three consecutive years will expire Dec. 31, 2018. In addition, ITINs with middle digits 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 81 or 82 will also expire at the end of the year. These affected taxpayers who expect to file a tax return in 2019 must submit a renewal application as soon as possible.

ITINs are used by people who have tax filing or payment obligations under U.S. law but who are not eligible for a Social Security number. ITIN holders who have questions should visit the ITIN information page on IRS.gov and take a few minutes to understand the guidelines.

Once again, the IRS is launching a nationwide education effort to share information with ITIN holders. To help taxpayers, the IRS offers a variety of informational materials, including flyers and fact sheets, available in several languages on IRS.gov.