If you are a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a Social Security number for your child. But depending on the timing, you may not get a number for your child by April 15. That’s because Social Security verifies a birth record for all U.S.-born applicants who apply for an original Social Security number card before Social Security can assign a number.  For more information about applying for a number, see Documents You Need for a Social Security Card.

If you are worried about getting the number before the April 15 tax filing deadline, you have two options:

1. You can file your income tax return without claiming the child and then file an amended income tax return when the child has a Social Security number; or
2. You can file to extend the deadline for filing the tax return.

For more information and forms, please see the Internal Revenue Service site.