A lot of founders assume they need a Social Security Number before they can get an EIN — and that assumption stops them before they even start. It’s not true. Every year, thousands of non-resident founders get a valid US EIN with no SSN and no ITIN at all. Here’s how it actually works.
What an EIN is (and why you need one)
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the tax ID the IRS assigns to your business — the company-level equivalent of a Social Security Number. You’ll need it to:
- File any federal tax return for your company, including Form 5472 and the pro-forma 1120.
- Open a US business bank account (Mercury, Wise, and most others require it).
- Get set up with payment processors like Stripe or PayPal.
- Sign contracts and vendor agreements as a US legal entity.
Without an EIN, your newly formed LLC or C-Corp can’t really do anything yet — it’s the key that unlocks the rest.
The form: SS-4
Every EIN application runs through Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number. The form asks for a “responsible party” — usually you, the founder — and one line asks for that person’s SSN or ITIN.
If you don’t have an SSN or ITIN, you simply write “Foreign” in that field. The IRS has a dedicated process for exactly this situation — it’s routine, not an exception.
Why the online application doesn’t work for you
The IRS’s instant online EIN tool is convenient, but it only works for applicants who already have an SSN or ITIN. As a non-resident founder without either, you’ll need to use one of the other IRS-approved channels instead:
- By fax — the IRS’s international unit processes faxed SS-4 applications and typically responds within about 4 business days.
- By mail — slower (often several weeks), but works if fax isn’t an option.
- By phone — the IRS runs a dedicated international line for exactly this. You can call it yourself, or authorize a third-party designee on the SS-4 to make the call on your behalf if you’d rather not navigate an international line — either way, the EIN may be issued during the call, though that depends on reaching the line and isn’t guaranteed. See our full EIN guide for a line-by-line walkthrough of the call.
What you’ll need to have ready
- Your approved Articles of Organization/Incorporation (proof your entity is formed with the state).
- The responsible party’s full legal name and country of citizenship.
- A business address — your registered agent’s address works fine for this.
- The reason for applying (almost always “started a new business” for a first-time EIN).
- A short description of what the business does.
How we handle it for you
This is one of the steps founders worry about most before working with us — and one of the simplest once it’s actually underway. Here’s what we do:
- We prepare your Form SS-4 with the correct entity details as soon as your state formation is approved.
- We act as your authorized third-party designee, so our team can follow up directly with the IRS instead of you needing to navigate an international call.
- We track the application and fax it directly to the IRS, following up if anything is missing.
- Once issued, we deliver your EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) digitally, so you have it on file for banking and payments right away.
In practice, once your state formation is approved, fax-based EIN issuance for our clients usually lands within 2–4 weeks; phone issuance can be faster if you reach the IRS line and qualify, but that timing isn’t guaranteed. Overall time to a fully operating company depends mainly on the EIN, so treat any total as an estimate rather than a fixed date.
A quick founder checklist
- Form your LLC or C-Corp with the state first — you need an approved entity before applying for an EIN.
- Decide who the “responsible party” will be (usually the majority owner or founder).
- Gather your formation documents and business address.
- Choose fax, mail, or phone (with a third-party designee) — skip the online tool, it won’t accept a foreign application.
- Keep your EIN confirmation letter somewhere safe — banks and payment processors will ask for it.
None of this requires an SSN, an ITIN, or a US visit. It’s a well-worn path, and it’s built into every one of our Company Formation plans — we request your EIN as a standard part of getting your company off the ground, not an extra step you have to chase down yourself.
