Is it Against the Law to Not Have a Social Security Number?
The Social Security Administration assigns a Social Security number (SSN) to applicants. The number is used for many purposes, particularly in connection with taxes.
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SSN
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No U.S. citizen is required by federal law to obtain an SSN. Noncitizens who work in the U.S. are required by the Internal Revenue Code to have a taxpayer identification number such as an SSN or an Employer Identification Number.
Uses
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It is not against the law to not have an SSN, but it is required for some government services such as Social Security benefits. It is often used as a means of identification for banks, businesses, licenses for driving, hunting, and fishing, insurance and other situations.
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Tax Code
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Although you are not required to have an SSN, many tax codes require you to have one if you carry out transactions that involve the Internal Revenue Service.
Identification
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There is no law that banks, credit card companies, utilities or other businesses must have your SSN. They may take other forms of identification. However, there are also no laws that they have to do business with you if you refuse to provide an SSN.
State Laws
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Herb Weisbaum, MSNBC.com columnist, says some states have laws requiring the use of an SSN, such as Washington, which requires an SSN to obtain a driver's license.
Employment
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Although you do not have to have an SSN to apply for employment, employers may terminate you if you do not provide one within three days of being hired.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Ludovic Bertron
