What an EIN is
An Employer Identification Number is a nine-digit federal tax number the IRS gives to businesses. Despite the name, you do not need employees to get one. A US bank, Stripe, PayPal, Amazon and most US marketplaces ask for it, and you need it to file Form 5472.
Getting an EIN is free from the IRS. What you pay a service for is preparing the application, sending it and following up.
Why you cannot apply online
The IRS online EIN application asks for the Social Security number or ITIN of the responsible party, the person who controls the company. An owner with neither cannot finish it. Do not apply for an ITIN just to get an EIN: an ITIN is only issued for specific tax filing reasons, and the SS-4 route works without one.
The two routes that work
Both routes use Form SS-4. A foreign owner without an SSN or ITIN leaves out the number and marks that line the way the current SS-4 instructions describe for foreign responsible parties.
| Route | How it works | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Fax | Send the signed SS-4 to the IRS international fax line. The IRS faxes back the EIN letter if you include a fax number. | Often 2 to 6 weeks, sometimes faster |
| Phone | An international applicant can call the IRS international line and get the EIN during the call. The line is busy and not toll-free. | Same day if you get through |
Mail is also possible but slow. A third party, such as a formation service, can apply for you when the owner signs the third-party designee section of the SS-4.
Filling in Form SS-4
- Legal name exactly as on the approved Articles, including "LLC".
- Mailing address. A foreign address is accepted. The EIN letter goes there if not faxed.
- Type of entity. For a single-member LLC owned by a foreign person, the SS-4 instructions say to check "Other" and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity", because it needs the EIN to file Form 5472.
- Reason for applying: started a new business.
- Responsible party: the owner, by name. Foreign owners do not enter an SSN.
- Date the business started, and the closing month of the accounting year, usually December.
Small errors, such as a name that does not match the Articles, are the most common reason for rejection. We check the SS-4 against your approved filing before sending.
After you get it
The IRS confirms the number in a letter called CP 575. Keep a copy: banks and payment providers often ask for it. If you lose it, the IRS can send a replacement confirmation letter (147C), usually by fax or mail after a phone request.
The EIN does not expire. With it in hand you can open a bank account and set up Stripe or PayPal.
Why EINs get delayed
- The IRS fax queue is long at certain times of year, especially January to April.
- The SS-4 shows a name that does not match the state filing.
- The responsible party already has many EINs issued recently. The IRS limits how many a person can get per day.
- The application was sent before the state approved the LLC.
Track it in your dashboard. If the usual window passes, we follow up with the IRS by phone.
Letting someone apply for you
The SS-4 has a third-party designee section. When the owner signs it, the named designee, such as a formation service, can receive the EIN and answer the IRS's questions about that application. The authority ends once the EIN is issued. It does not give the designee any other access to your tax affairs.
The responsible party on the form is always a real person who controls the company, normally the owner. A formation service is never the responsible party for your LLC.
If there is more than one owner
A multi-member LLC is classed as a partnership by default, so the SS-4 shows it as a partnership with the number of members. One owner is named as responsible party. The same fax and phone routes apply.
LLCBolt is a filing service, not a law firm or tax adviser. This guide is general information and may not fit your situation. Rules and fees change; check the date above.