[JLW99]

Aclee, we're finalizing soon in MA (i hope), and our atty told us that most local SS offices require the birth certificate, although he's seen some go through with the finalization papers. For our son's adoption we needed the birth certificate for the SSN in 2005. Supposedly when you adopt in MA, the birth certificate comes from the Vital Stats Bureau in Boston, not the local town either, and they're backlogged 3-4 months right now. It's a long wait, but you can always file for an extension of your taxes if you think you won't make the April 15th deadline. We could end up doing that ourselves.... There is the ATIN that you can get prior to the SSN, to use on your taxes, but people who filed using the ATIN last year were not eligible for the stimulus check for their adopted child...only those who filed using a SSN got it.