Every US company needs an Employer Identification Number, the federal tax number banks, payment platforms and the IRS ask for. For a founder with a Social Security number it takes minutes online. For a founder abroad without one, the online route is closed and the paper route has a few traps. This guide walks through it from the IRS’s own pages, checked in October 2026.
Why the online application isn’t for you
The IRS online EIN application is open only if “your principal place of business is in the U.S. or U.S. territories” and you have “the responsible party’s Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN).” A founder abroad usually has neither, so it is phone, fax or mail.
You don’t need an ITIN just to get your company’s EIN. An ITIN is for individuals who have a US tax purpose but can’t get an SSN; the EIN form has its own instruction for responsible parties without either (below).
Sources: IRS: get an EIN · IRS: ITIN
Three ways to apply
| How | How long | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday. Only international applicants can still get an EIN by phone. The caller must be authorised to receive it | The EIN is given during the call |
| Fax | Form SS-4 to 304-707-9471 from outside the US, with your fax number so the IRS can fax the EIN back | Generally within 4 business days |
| Form SS-4 to Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999 | 4 to 5 weeks |
The online system allows only one EIN per responsible party per day; plan ahead if you are forming several companies.
Sources: IRS: Form SS-4 instructions · IRS: employer identification number
The lines that trip people up
- Line 7a and 7b: the responsible party. This must be an individual, not a company. If they don’t have and aren’t eligible for an SSN or ITIN, enter “foreign” or N/A on line 7b.
- Line 9a: type of entity, for a single-member LLC owned by a non-US person. Check “Other” and write “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472”.
- Line 10: reason for applying. For the same LLC, enter “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity filing Form 5472”. The wording differs slightly from line 9a; use each as written.
- Third-party designee. If someone else, such as your formation agent, applies for you, complete this section and sign the form. The designee can answer the IRS’s questions and receive the EIN; their authority ends once the EIN is assigned, and the EIN notice is still mailed to you. If the designee shares your address or phone number, the form must be faxed or mailed.
Those two LLC entries matter because a foreign-owned single-member LLC must file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year; see US LLC for non-residents.
Sources: IRS: Form SS-4 instructions · IRS: Form 5472 instructions
Once you have it
- Keep the IRS notice. The EIN confirmation letter is what banks ask for. Account holders who qualify can also download a digital CP575 notice from their IRS Business Tax Account.
- If you lose the number, look on the IRS notice, ask your bank, or check past tax returns before anything else. The IRS can issue Letter 147C confirming an EIN already assigned; its phone line for that is a US number, so an agent in the US may be the practical route.
- It is permanent. The IRS says once an EIN is assigned it “becomes that entity’s permanent federal taxpayer ID number”; it can’t be cancelled, only deactivated, after all returns are filed and taxes paid.
Sources: IRS: employer identification number · IRS: if you no longer need your EIN
An example
Invented for illustration. Ravi lives in Bangalore and has just formed a Wyoming LLC. He has no SSN or ITIN. He fills in Form SS-4 with himself as responsible party, “foreign” on line 7b, the two foreign-owned LLC entries on lines 9a and 10, and his fax number. He faxes it to 304-707-9471 on a Monday and has his EIN by the end of the week. The next day he applies for the company’s bank account, and puts the 15 April Form 5472 deadline in his diary.
Let us get the EIN for you
We form your Delaware or Wyoming company, apply for the EIN for you, and keep the Form 5472 date in front of you.
US company formationFrequently asked questions
Can a non-US resident get an EIN?
Yes. The online application needs an SSN or ITIN, but non-US applicants can apply by phone (267-941-1099), by fax (304-707-9471 from outside the US) or by mail with Form SS-4.
Do I need an ITIN to get an EIN for my LLC?
No. If the responsible party doesn’t have and isn’t eligible for an SSN or ITIN, the Form SS-4 instructions say to enter “foreign” or N/A on line 7b.
How long does it take to get an EIN from abroad?
By phone, the EIN is given during the call. By fax, generally within four business days. By mail, four to five weeks.
What do I write on Form SS-4 for a foreign-owned single-member LLC?
On line 9a check Other and write “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472”; on line 10 enter “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity filing Form 5472”.
Can I cancel an EIN?
No. Once assigned, an EIN is the entity’s permanent federal taxpayer ID. The IRS can deactivate it once all returns have been filed and taxes paid.
General information for internationally mobile founders, not tax, legal or immigration advice for your situation. Rules and fees change; confirm your position with a qualified adviser in each country involved before acting.