EIN guide
How to get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN
Checked 3 October 2026
You don't need an SSN or ITIN. From outside the US, you apply by phone, fax or mail with Form SS-4, writing "foreign" for the owner's tax number. By phone you get the number on the call; by fax, usually within 4 business days.
No company yet? Our Complete package forms it and gets the EIN.
Before you apply
Form the company first: the IRS asks LLCs and corporations to be formed with the state before they apply. Then have these ready:
- The company's exact legal name, and a mailing address for IRS letters. It can be outside the US: write out the country's name in full.
- The responsible party: the person who ultimately owns or controls the company. It must be an individual, not another company.
- How the company will be taxed, which decides what you tick on line 9a (below).
- A short description of what the business does.
If you're forming with us, we do this step for you once the state approves the company. How our EIN service works
Phone, fax or mail
The online application is only for companies run from the US by someone with an SSN or ITIN. From abroad, there are three routes:
- Phone: the number on the call. The IRS international line keeps US Eastern hours, so from abroad it's often a late-night call.
- Fax: usually within 4 business days. The IRS faxes the EIN back, so you need a fax number to receive it.
- Mail: about 4 weeks.
The IRS lists its phone number, fax numbers and mailing address in the Form SS-4 instructions. When we apply for you, we pick the route and handle it.
The Form SS-4 lines that matter
Most of the form is the company's name and address. If we apply for you, we fill it in from your order. Applying yourself? These are the lines founders abroad get stuck on:
| Line | What to enter |
|---|---|
| 7a | The responsible party's name: an individual who ultimately owns or controls the company. |
| 7b | Their SSN or ITIN, or "foreign" if they don't have one and can't get one. |
| 9a, one owner outside the US | Tick "Other" and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472". |
| 9a, two or more owners | Tick "Partnership" (the default for an LLC with two or more members). |
| 9a, a corporation | Tick "Corporation" and enter the tax form it will file (1120 for a C corporation). |
| 10 | Tick "Started new business" and say what kind of business it is. |
| Signature | For an LLC, a member or officer who knows its affairs; for a corporation, the president, vice president or another principal officer. |
If someone applies for you (that's how we do it), name them in the third-party designee section. They can answer the IRS's questions about the form and receive the number, and their authority ends once the EIN is assigned. You still sign the form. If the designee's address or phone number matches the company's, the form has to go by fax or mail.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying for the number. The IRS never charges for an EIN. Be wary of sites that present a fee as the IRS's.
- Applying before the company exists. Form the LLC or corporation with the state first.
- Using the online form from abroad. It's only for US-based applicants with an SSN or ITIN.
- Applying twice. File one Form SS-4. The IRS issues only one EIN per responsible party per day.
- Faxing without your fax number on the form, so the IRS has nowhere to send the EIN back.
How we get your EIN for you
Most delays come from the details above: a missing fax number, the wrong box on line 9a, an application sent twice. When we apply, we take care of them.
- You answer a few questions when you order. We fill in Form SS-4, and you just sign it.
- We apply as your third-party designee, so there's no late-night call or fax machine on your side.
- We answer the IRS's questions about the form and follow up until the number arrives.
- You get your EIN and the IRS confirmation notice, ready for your bank.
- With one owner abroad, we remind you about Form 5472 every year.
Forming a new company? The EIN comes with our Complete package.
After the number arrives
- Keep the IRS notice that confirms it (the CP 575). Banks and payment platforms ask for the number, and this notice is where you'll find it later.
- Lost it? Check that notice or ask your bank. The IRS can also send Letter 147C, "EIN Previously Assigned", through its business and specialty tax line (800-829-4933).
- An EIN is for good. The IRS can't cancel one, only deactivate it, so don't apply again for the same company.
- One owner outside the US? The LLC now files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, even with no income. Missing it can cost $25,000. What else changes when you live abroad
Questions people ask about EINs
Do I need an ITIN to get an EIN?
No. Where Form SS-4 asks for the responsible party's SSN or ITIN, you write "foreign" if you don't have one and can't get one.
Is getting an EIN free?
Yes. The IRS says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. A service like ours charges for preparing, filing and tracking the application, not for the number itself.
Can I apply online with a friend's US address?
No. The online application is only for companies whose principal place of business is in the US, applied for with the responsible party's own SSN or ITIN. From abroad, use phone, fax or mail.
Which route is fastest from abroad?
Phone: the IRS assigns the number during the call. Fax usually takes 4 business days or less, and mail about 4 weeks.
Can someone apply for me?
Yes. You can name a third-party designee on Form SS-4 to answer the IRS's questions and receive the number; that's how we apply for you. You still sign the form, and their authority ends once the EIN is assigned.