Read time: 5 minutes

At United Ways of California, we believe that every Californian—regardless of race, ethnicity, or immigration status—should have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

While this community member has not been named to protect her privacy, the story and words are those of a real community member and are shared with her permission.

Please note that Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) are a way for people who aren’t eligible for a Social Security Number to file tax returns. ITINs are not an indication of documentation status*.

I’m a real estate agent, bookkeeper, and business owner. For a long time, I didn’t know any of that could be possible for me.

I came to the U.S. when I was nine years old.

As an undocumented immigrant, my status has shaped my life in so many ways. I have an ITIN, but I didn’t always know what I could or couldn’t do with that because I didn’t hear stories of others with ITINs doing things I wanted to do. When it came time to go to college, my status affected where I went to school and what I studied. I wanted to go far away to college but didn’t know how much financial aid I could get or whether I could get loans, so I stayed near home. I wanted to be a nurse, but I didn’t know if I could do that with an ITIN. Now I know that I could have, and I now know a lot of people in the healthcare field who have ITINs. But I didn’t know that at the time, so I chose to study business with a concentration in accounting because I knew I could do that with an ITIN.

After graduating from college, I worked as a receptionist at a real estate office for a few years. I learned a lot about real estate from that job and got my certificate to be a transaction coordinator, doing paperwork for real estate transactions. Eventually, after a lot of research about California law and what is possible with ITINs, I decided to try to get my real estate license, and I succeeded. I hadn’t known anyone else at the time who was a real estate agent and had an ITIN. It was empowering, and I was excited to show others in my community how much is possible.

During and after college, I had also been doing some bookkeeping for businesses as contract work on the side. It started with doing bookkeeping for a classmate who had a local Thai restaurant and continued from there.

Eventually, I met another Latina realtor who was doing taxes for businesses, and her clients always asked for bookkeeping too. So, I partnered with her as a contract worker at first, and then in 2023, we decided to merge as business partners. We opened an office where I do bookkeeping and help with business licenses and my business partner does taxes. We work mostly with up-and-coming Latino-owned businesses. We are also both active real estate agents. Most of my real estate clients have been Latino, and many have been ITIN holders. My business partner also supports United Way of the Wine Country by helping community members file W-7 applications for ITIN numbers, a service many United Ways across the state provide for free.

ITINs open doors.

ITINs are a way to file tax returns, but they are also so much more than that.

Holding an ITIN allowed me to go to college. All of my tuition funding came from the California Dream Act, and the application requires you to have an ITIN.

I applied for my first car using my ITIN, and I was able to get my first credit card with an ITIN.

I got my real estate license with an ITIN. Part of the license process is getting fingerprinted, and I was so scared. I did it anyway, because all of my internet searches said California law allowed ITIN holders to get real estate licenses, but I was still nervous, especially because I didn’t know anyone with an ITIN who had done this. It takes people to come forward and to just be open and to encourage everyone else.

I try to help others who are undocumented understand their rights and options, including some of the benefits of filing taxes. For example, many people I talk to would get some money back on their tax returns. With an ITIN, you can buy a house or apply for loans—like mortgage, car, or business loans—but you’ll also likely be required to show tax records. There are a lot of financial benefits to having an ITIN and filing your taxes.

Even though my business provides tax preparation, I still encourage people in the community who need it to access free tax prep services like what United Way provides. To a family of five who are already working and barely getting by, $200 saved on tax prep can mean being able to pay for meals, groceries, or gas.

I love my job. I love helping my community. I love having breakthrough moments where someone didn’t know they could do something, like own a home, and we actually make it happen. I’m glad I ended up in this profession. But even the decision to go into the field I’m in was based on my documentation status.

I share my story more openly now than I used to, partly because I was always looking for that one person who was also an ITIN holder, who could show me what was possible with an ITIN. I’m hoping I can be that person for someone else.

Today, I’m excited to grow my business, making sure that growth rate means I’m not giving from an empty cup. I want to travel more, and I’m working on visiting all 50 states. I’m excited to take care of myself and my business, spending lots of time with my 10-year-old Australian Shepherd who comes to the office with me. I’m excited to eventually buy my own house here, too. I’m excited for the future.

United Ways of California tax partners across the state can help Californians who aren’t eligible for Social Security Numbers apply for an ITIN and file tax returns for free.