Moving to US for work : SSN number with TN renewal?

[YooCanFly]

Hi,

I was working for a US company last year, and got my SSN (or ITIN).
Then, I moved back to Canada, and soon, I will start working for another company in the states.

I will be applying for a new TN with the new employer.

My question is, can I still use the old SSN ?
or should I go to the SS office and obtain a new one?






Thanks in advance,

[Steven]

You have to go to the SSA office and re-activate your old one, take your I-94 with you. You always use the same SSN, the only thing that changes is whether it is valid for employment or not, but you will always need it for example when you claim CPP when you retire, you need the SSN to sort out your totalization claim.

Most employers never bother to check whether the SSN is actually valid for employment or not, however the SSA (and consequently, the IRS) do. This may cause you a problem down the road because it might appear to the SSA you were working illegally. And in TN-1, ten years from now how do you prove you were in legal status? The I-94 will be long gone.

It also appeared to cause a problem with the tax refund cheques that were sent out last year, if your SSN was marked invalid, you didn't get one.

[underground canuck]

Will it be a problem to try to apply for an SSN 7 months into my current TN? Will the SSA question why I have 5 TNs over the last 4 years and I've never had and SSN?

I am just realizing that I've been doing my taxes all wrong for the last 3-4 years on a TN (i.e. only filing in Canada even though I am in the US most of the year). I should have gotten the SSN 3.5 years ago. Right now, I am a full time employee of a CDN corp paid a salary in Canada, but I want to switch to work directly for the US employer who will want the SSN.

I mistakenly believed for far too long that my residential ties mattered at all. I did not understand source income and eligible expenses. Now I think I have 3-4 years worth of taxes and penalties where there was zero withholding and probably a big tax lawyer bill coming my way. I would like to be able to get my SSN and continue working so I can pay for all this.

[Steven]

I can't see why they would care, but it's frankly an academic question because you obviously need to get one.