An online form for those in need of an ITIN number. The form processes passports to verify their legitimacy, collects tax forms, and sends your application to a certified CAA agent who approves and mails it out that same business day. The idea stemmed from my tenure at the family tax office. I was able to scale other revenue sources using the internet, and with the increasing amounts of immigration, I saw the influx in demand firsthand. The application was built 100% by myself, including the branding, website, and everything you see below.
In order for an alien resident to file their taxes they need an ITIN. Their option to obtain it are rather complex, or expensive due to the lack of resources in the space. Typically someone will either have to simultaneously mail in their tax form, passport, and w7 or go to a local tax agent and get charged 300-400 for the entire package.
My initial knowledge of business came from my time at my family office "JBK Tax". After returning from Experia View, I wanted to create something that solved a need to a frequent problem, while also increasing the value of the family business by adding a technology product to any future acquisition. We undercut the competition with a form that takes half the time to complete, with zero need for back and forth communication, making it a seem less one time interaction.
ITIN must be certified by a CAA agent in order to be approved by the IRS. If CAA agents misuse this responsibility by blindly approving applications, it could cause them legal harm or potential suspension of their license. That's why I partnered with Regula Forensic to integrate their software and verify every applicant is who they say they are without interrupting their form process. We have CAA agents take care of the customers for $70 per submission. Currently we charge $189 per submission and are identifying out CPA.
Customer discovery was key to reducing the time needed for users to complete the form. The creation of the form was created in 3 weeks following the interviews and tweaked accordingly.
Partnership with Regula was vital to eliminating predatory submissions. CAA agents needed assurance that they would be approving verified submissions that would not come back to hurt them in the future. This partnership allowed us to do so.
Email marketing is the main source of conversion in this project so my main responsibilities are around updating the CRM, emailing recent submissions that dropped prior to completion, and instilling confidence to those skeptical of the platform.
The tools needed to start, manage, and scale this project include the following: Webflow: Building the website (establishing SEO) | Stripe: Processing payments worldwide | React.js: Frontend Code (https://newitin-85fa5.web.app/) | Firebase: Backend Code | Brevo: Email marketing to follow up on those who started the application
