What an EIN is and who needs one
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the nine-digit federal tax number the IRS assigns to a business. Almost every US LLC owned by a non-resident needs one, even with no employees.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC needs an EIN to file Form 5472 (see our Form 5472 filing service). Stripe verifies the EIN of a US business under its US account requirements, and Mercury asks for EIN evidence (a CP 575, a Letter 147C or the SS-4 returned by the IRS) in its document checklist. Our payment account help covers those applications, with no promise of approval.
The LLC must exist first. The IRS says: "If you are creating a corporation or LLC, form your entity through the secretary of state before you apply for an EIN" (IRS: Get an employer identification number). If you have not formed it yet, start with our US LLC formation service.
Can a foreigner get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?
Yes. The SS-4 instructions say to "Enter 'foreign' or N/A on line 7b if the responsible party doesn't have and is ineligible to obtain an SSN or ITIN." You do not need an ITIN first, and you do not need to visit the US.
What you cannot do is use the online application. The IRS allows online applications only when the entity was formed in the US, its principal place of business is in the US, and the applicant has the responsible party's SSN or ITIN. Applicants whose principal place of business is outside the US must "apply by phone, fax or mail."
Using a registered agent address as the principal place of business, or someone else's SSN, to get through the online tool gives the IRS wrong information, so we never do it. If you are unsure whether you need an EIN, an ITIN or both, our guide to EIN vs ITIN explains the difference.
What is included
- Preparation of Form SS-4 from a short intake form, with the right entity classification on line 9a.
- A check of names, dates and responsible party details against your formation documents.
- Our filing team named as third-party designee, so the EIN can be received for you once you sign.
- Submission by the international fax line or by phone, with follow-up if the IRS is late.
- Your EIN and IRS confirmation delivered to your secure portal (see security).
What is not included
- Tax advice on how your business should be classified or taxed. Where a choice needs advice, we say so and suggest a licensed professional.
- An ITIN application. That is a separate ITIN service, and most LLC owners do not need one for an EIN.
- Bank or payment account approval. No one can promise that.
Government fees
| Item | IRS fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EIN by phone, fax or mail | $0 | IRS: "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN." |
| International EIN phone line | $0 to the IRS, but "not a toll-free number", so your phone carrier charges apply | IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4 |
Our fee pays for preparation, checking, submission and tracking. The current price is on the order card and on our pricing page.
Three ways non-residents apply: phone, fax and mail
All three routes use the same Form SS-4 information.
| Route | Contact | IRS published timing |
|---|---|---|
| Phone (international applicants only) | 267-941-1099, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday | The EIN is given by telephone; "Only international applicants can receive an EIN by telephone" |
| Fax (international) | 855-215-1627 from within the US, or 304-707-9471 from outside the US | Generally within 4 business days, if you give a return fax number |
| Mail (international) | Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999 | Apply 4 to 5 weeks before you need the number |
Sources: SS-4 instructions (Rev. December 2025) and IRS: employer ID numbers.
Form SS-4 line by line: the essentials for a foreign-owned LLC
These are the lines we check most closely:
- Line 1: the LLC's legal name exactly as on the formation document, including "LLC".
- Lines 4a and 4b: a mailing address where IRS letters are reliably received.
- Lines 7a and 7b: the responsible party's name and SSN or ITIN, or "foreign" if the person has neither and is not eligible for one.
- Lines 8a to 8c: yes, it is an LLC; the number of members; and whether it was organized in the United States.
- Line 9a: for a single-member LLC owned by a foreign person, check "Other" and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472", as the IRS instructs.
- Line 10: the reason for applying. For a newly formed LLC this is normally "Started new business".
- Line 11: the date the business started or was acquired.
- Line 12: the closing month of the accounting year. A foreign-owned disregarded entity uses its owner's US tax year or, if the owner has none, the calendar year, per the Form 5472 instructions, so this is usually December.
- Lines 13 to 18: expected employees (0 if none), principal business activity, and whether the entity has had an EIN before.
- Third-party designee and signature: the designee can receive the new EIN, and "The designee's authority terminates at the time the EIN is assigned and released to the designee." The form must be signed for the authorization to be valid.
Who is the responsible party?
The responsible party is "the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity or who exercises ultimate effective control over the entity." It must be an individual, not another company, so if a holding company owns your LLC, the responsible party is the person behind it. For a one-owner LLC it is almost always the owner. The IRS also says: "You can apply only for 1 EIN per day, whether online or by phone, mail or fax."
How it works
- Order and intake. Start your order and answer the SS-4 questions in plain language.
- Secure document upload. Upload your formation document and passport copy to your portal.
- Preparation and review. Our filing team prepares Form SS-4 and a second person checks it against your documents.
- Your signature. You sign the SS-4, which also authorizes our designee to receive the EIN.
- Submission. We fax the form to the IRS international line or apply by phone, depending on the case.
- Tracking and delivery. You see the status in your portal, and your EIN and IRS confirmation are uploaded as soon as they arrive.
More detail on each stage is on how it works.
What we need from you
- Your LLC's exact legal name, state and formation date, plus the stamped formation document.
- The responsible party's full name, home address and a passport copy.
- Your SSN or ITIN if you have one (most clients do not).
- The number of members and each member's ownership percentage.
- A mailing address for IRS letters.
- A one-line description of what the business does.
How long does it take to get an EIN?
By phone the EIN is issued during the call; by fax the IRS says generally within 4 business days; by mail allow 4 to 5 weeks. These are the IRS's published figures and we cannot make the IRS move faster. Our team starts once your intake and documents are complete.
The IRS says a new EIN can be used right away for most purposes, such as opening a bank account, but to "Wait up to 2 weeks" before TIN matching, e-filing returns or making electronic tax payments (IRS: employer ID numbers).
CP 575 vs Letter 147C: which EIN letter do you need?
Both confirm your EIN, and banks accept either. The CP 575 is the notice the IRS issues when it assigns a new EIN. Letter 147C, "EIN Previously Assigned", is the replacement the IRS sends when you ask for confirmation of an existing EIN.
- The original CP 575. The IRS says the original "CP575A-J series, Notice of New Employer Identification Number, cannot be duplicated or recreated" (IRS: Understanding your CP575 notice). Keep it with your permanent records.
- The digital CP 575. The IRS now offers a digital CP 575 through Business Tax Account, which it says has the same standing as Letter 147C. Business Tax Account needs an SSN or ITIN, and the IRS says it "isn't yet available for limited liability companies (LLCs) that file as sole proprietors" (IRS: Business Tax Account), so most non-resident owners cannot use it.
- Letter 147C. Call the IRS business line and ask for "Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned". This is the usual route for non-resident owners who need a confirmation letter for a bank.
Lost your EIN?
Check the notice issued when you applied, your business bank, any state licensing agency and earlier tax returns first. If that fails, call the IRS on 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time: "We'll verify your identity and provide the number over the phone if you're authorized to receive it." Ask for a Letter 147C on the same call. Do not apply for a second EIN for the same LLC.
Doing it yourself vs using us
You can do this yourself for free. The SS-4 is a short form and the international fax and phone lines are open to you. If you can receive a fax or make an international call during US hours, the DIY route is reasonable.
What our service adds: line 9a and the responsible party set correctly the first time, a second check against your formation document, no fax machine or US-hours call needed, follow-up if the IRS is late, your EIN letter stored in your portal, and reminders for what comes next, such as Form 5472 (see the compliance deadline calendar).
If you are forming an LLC at the same time, the EIN is also part of our non-resident US LLC starter bundle.
Sources
- IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
- IRS: Employer identification number (application methods, lost EIN, confirmation letters)
- IRS: Understanding your CP575 notice
- IRS: Business Tax Account
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472 (Rev. December 2024)
- Stripe: Requirements for having a US Stripe account
- Mercury: Gathering your documents
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.