Can i open a savings account in the US with an atm debit card without a social security number?

Question

Can i open a savings account in the US with an atm debit card without a social security number?

Answer 1

You can request a taxpayer identification number from the IRS to use as an alternate.  Most often, this is used for business accounts, or for people not born in the US but legally living here.

Sometimes you can open a savings account w/o a ss# if you agree to let the bank withhold a certain amount of the interest (it might be as high as 20% of the interest), which it then sends to the IRS.

Another option is to buy a prepaid Visa card and use checks to reload that from time to time.  Walmart sells them.

Answer 2

No, you cannot.  They need the SSN for interest reporting (IRS form 1099).

Answer 3

The Patriot Act changed a few things. You have to show legal presence in the US to the bank. Part of that is that you have to have a social security #.  There is the taxpayer # but you still have to be legal to get that.

Without all of that no bank will open an account for you. Even if you were a straight up American born citizen. They have to report your info to the IRS.

As another said there are there are the prepaid cards you can get at a grocery store.