EIN Without an SSN: How to Get Your IRS Tax ID in 7 Days
The EIN is the number that unlocks everything else: banking, Stripe, PayPal, Amazon. But there is a trap that costs thousands of non-residents weeks every year.
What exactly is the EIN?
The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the tax ID the IRS assigns to every US company. It is the business equivalent of a person's SSN. Without an EIN your LLC exists legally but is paralyzed: no bank accounts, no payment processors, no tax filings.
The IRS online portal trap
The IRS lets you apply for an EIN online in minutes… but only if you have an SSN or ITIN. The online form requires a «Responsible Party» with a Social Security Number, and without one the system rejects you at the final step. Many people lose weeks going around this dead end.
The correct route for non-residents is Form SS-4 filed by fax to the IRS (855-641-6935 for LLCs with a foreign address). The key is filling it in correctly: the responsible party box must state «Foreign» instead of an SSN.
What you need to apply
- Your LLC already formed (exact legal name and state file number).
- Form SS-4 completed, with the formation date and main activity (NAICS).
- A valid mailing address (it can be outside the US).
Real timelines
Once the fax is correctly sent, the IRS typically responds within 4 to 7 business days, returning the CP-575, the official document certifying your EIN. Without an experienced filer, the most common mistakes (a name slightly different from the registration, a wrongly checked box) make the IRS reply asking for corrections and stretch the process to weeks.
Conclusion
The EIN is not a complicated procedure, but it is delicate: a single wrong box can delay it by a month. In our €600/year plan we file it by fax and you have it within 7 days, included in the price.
Need your LLC's EIN?
We file it by fax and you have it within 7 days, included in the €600/year plan.
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