EIN Number

What an EIN is, and what it is not

An EIN is a nine-digit federal tax identification number for your company. It is what a bank, Stripe, Amazon or the IRS uses to identify the business. It is free to obtain from the IRS, it never expires, and it is issued to the company — not to you.

An EIN is not a tax registration that creates a filing obligation on its own, it is not proof the company is in good standing with its state, and it is not a substitute for an ITIN when a personal number is required.

You do not need an SSN or an ITIN to get one

This is the single most common thing founders are told incorrectly. The IRS issues EINs to companies whose responsible party has no US taxpayer number. What it does not let you do is use the online application, which requires a US taxpayer number.

So international applicants use one of two routes:

• By phone. The IRS operates a line for applicants with no legal residence, principal place of business or principal office in the United States: 267-941-1099, Monday to Friday, 06:00 to 23:00 Eastern time. It is not toll-free. The number can be issued on the call if everything on Form SS-4 is correct and the caller is authorised.
• By fax. Form SS-4 to 304-707-9471 from outside the US.

On line 7b of Form SS-4, where a responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, the entry is “Foreign”. Getting this line wrong is the most common reason an application comes back.

What we do

• Prepare Form SS-4 with the responsible party, entity classification and reason-for-applying stated the way the IRS expects
• Apply on your behalf under a signed third-party designee authorisation
• Deal with the IRS directly — including the phone route, which runs on US Eastern business hours
• Deliver your CP 575 confirmation letter, the document your bank will ask for
• Obtain a 147C letter if your CP 575 is ever lost — the IRS issues the original only once

What we need from you

• Your filed formation documents and the state
• The responsible party‘s full legal name and passport details — this must be the person who actually controls the company, never an agent or a nominee
• Their foreign address and date of birth
• What the business actually does, in one plain sentence — this goes on the form
• A signed authorisation so we can speak to the IRS for you

Timing

The phone route can produce a number on the call. The fax route takes longer, and IRS processing times move with their workload, so we will give you a current estimate when you start rather than a fixed promise on a web page.

One thing worth knowing: a brand-new EIN takes roughly two weeks to appear in the IRS systems that other agencies query. If a bank application is rejected days after the EIN is issued, this is often why, and re-applying immediately makes it worse.

What it costs

The EIN is included in every US formation package, starting at $199 + state fees on the Starter plan, and expedited on Standard and Premium.

A note on value, since it matters more than the price: the IRS charges nothing for an EIN, and you can apply yourself using the numbers above. What you are paying for is the form being right the first time and someone else holding a US-hours phone line. If you have the time and the English confidence to do it yourself, do it yourself — we would rather say that than sell you something you do not need.

Who this is not for

• Anyone without a formed company yet. The EIN follows formation. We do both together in the formation packages.
• Anyone who already has an EIN for the same entity. One entity, one EIN. If you cannot find the letter you need a 147C, not a new application.
• Anyone who needs a personal tax number. That is an ITIN.

Questions

Can I get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?

Yes. You cannot use the IRS online application, but the phone and fax routes for international applicants exist precisely for this, and line 7b is completed as “Foreign”.

Is the EIN free?

The IRS charges nothing. Any fee is for preparation and handling, ours included.

How many EINs can one company have?

One. A second LLC needs its own.

I lost my EIN letter. What now?

The IRS issues the CP 575 once and will not reprint it. The replacement is a 147C letter, which banks accept in its place.

Does having an EIN mean I have to file US taxes?

The filing obligation comes from the entity, not the EIN — and for a foreign-owned LLC it exists whether or not you earned anything. See annual tax filing.

Do I need to be in the US, or have a US address?

No. The responsible party’s foreign address goes on the form. Your registered agent address covers the company’s US address requirement.