Why getting an EIN feels harder than forming the LLC
You finished the Wyoming LLC paperwork in an afternoon. Now you need an Employer Identification Number to open a Mercury account, register on Amazon, accept Stripe payments, or file Form 5472 - and the IRS website kicks you out the moment it asks for an SSN or ITIN. You have neither. And every "EIN service" Google surfaces wants $99 to $300 for a form that costs nothing to file.
The IRS does have a free path for foreign founders without an SSN. It just refuses to put it online. The fax method works, the phone method works, and once you understand which line of Form SS-4 trips up most foreign applicants, you can do this yourself in 30 minutes plus four business days of waiting. This guide walks through the process, the traps, and the scams.
Who actually needs an EIN - and when
If you formed a US LLC or corporation as a non-resident, you need an EIN before you can do almost anything functional with the entity. Banks, payment processors, and marketplaces require it. You'll need yours before:
- Opening a US business bank account (Mercury, Wise Business, Relay, Brex, or any traditional bank)
- Registering as an Amazon FBA seller, Shopify Payments merchant, or Stripe account holder
- Filing Form 5472 - required for any year in which a foreign-owned single-member LLC has a reportable transaction with its owner or another related party, which can happen even with zero revenue (see the full Form 5472 guide)
- Filing Form 1120-F if your foreign corporation has US-source income
- Hiring a US contractor and issuing 1099-NEC, or running US payroll
You do not need an EIN to form your LLC. The state doesn't ask for one. Apply for the EIN after the state approves your formation - the IRS asks for the legal business name, and that name has to already exist on a state filing.
The four-step SS-4 process for foreign founders
The IRS online EIN Assistant blocks you at identity verification unless you have an SSN or ITIN. That leaves three valid methods: fax, phone, or mail. Fax is standard - documented, takes about four business days, no English-language phone call required.
Line-by-line: where foreign applicants trip up
Most of Form SS-4 is straightforward. The lines below are where foreign applicants make most of the mistakes that trigger rejection - including the dreaded "Reference 101" error.
- Line 1 - Legal name: Match the state filing exactly. Punctuation matters ("LLC" vs "L.L.C.").
- Lines 4a-4b - Mailing address: Your foreign home address is fine.
- Line 6 - County and state: The state where you formed the LLC. Wyoming Cheyenne is Laramie County.
- Line 7a - Responsible party: The individual who controls the entity - for a single-member foreign-owned LLC, that's you.
- Line 7b - SSN/ITIN/EIN: Enter "foreign" if you have none and cannot obtain one. The line that causes most rejections.
- Lines 8a-8c: Yes, 1, Yes (the LLC is US-organized even though you're foreign).
- Line 9a - Type of entity: Check "Other" and write "Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472." Don't check "Sole proprietor" - that's incorrect for a non-resident-owned single-member LLC.
- Line 11 - Date business started: The date your state approved the LLC.
- Line 16 - Principal activity: What you actually do. "Online retail (Amazon FBA)" or "Software development."
The Third Party Designee section at the bottom lets you authorize a tax preparer or registered agent to receive the EIN and answer IRS questions on your behalf. You must sign the form for the authorization to be valid. Authorization expires once the EIN is assigned.
The EIN scam ecosystem
Red flags: URLs containing "irs" but ending in .com (the real IRS uses .gov); promises of "same-day EIN guaranteed"; requests for a credit card before showing pricing; claims that you "must use a service" as a foreign founder.
Legitimate paid services do exist - agents who file your SS-4 for $40-$80 and handle the fax process. That can be reasonable if you don't have a fax setup or want someone else dealing with the IRS. Just understand what you're paying for: convenience, not access. The EIN itself is always free.
Worked example - Berik's Wyoming LLC EIN
Berik lives in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He formed Berik Trading LLC in Wyoming on April 8, 2026 to sell electronics on Amazon FBA from a Pennsylvania warehouse. He has no SSN, no ITIN, and no plans to visit the US. Here's how he gets his EIN:
- April 8: Wyoming approves the LLC.
- April 9: Berik downloads Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) and fills in: Line 1 "Berik Trading LLC", Line 4 his Almaty address, Line 6 "Laramie County, Wyoming", Line 7a his name, Line 7b "foreign", Lines 8a-8c "Yes / 1 / Yes", Line 9a "Other - Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472", Line 11 "04/08/2026", Line 16 "Online retail (Amazon FBA - electronics)".
- April 9: Signs, lists his return fax number, faxes both pages to 304-707-9471.
- April 15 (4 business days later): IRS faxes back a cover sheet with EIN 99-XXXXXXX assigned.
- April 16: Uses the EIN to apply for a Mercury account and register on Amazon Seller Central.
Total cost: about $5 for a virtual fax service. Total time: 30 minutes plus four business days. No SSN, no ITIN, no in-person visit, no service fee.
One nice thing: the EIN itself is permanent. It doesn't expire, doesn't need annual renewal, and stays with the entity for as long as the entity exists.
What to do after you get your EIN
The EIN unlocks everything else on your setup list. In order: open a US business bank account (your EIN, Articles of Organization, and passport are the core requirements), confirm your registered agent is active, and start bookkeeping from your very first transaction - including the capital contribution you make when you fund your new bank account, which is the first reportable item for Form 5472. The Form 5472 guide explains how that contribution is reported, and the guide on whether you have to file if your LLC made no money covers the annual filings that follow. If you'd rather have this handled, our Company Formation service covers exactly this.
If your application gets rejected
If the IRS faxes back something other than an EIN, you've probably hit one of these errors:
- Reference 101: Name conflict. The legal name on your SS-4 too closely resembles a name already in IRS records. Re-fax with the LLC name spelled exactly as the state approved it, or apply by phone so the agent can resolve the conflict in real time.
- Reference 102: SSN/ITIN mismatch on Line 7b. Common when applicants write a number instead of "foreign."
- Reference 109: Technical issue on the IRS side. Wait 24 hours and re-fax.
- Reference 110: Duplicate EIN attempt. The IRS limits one EIN per responsible party per day. Wait a day.
- Reference 113 / 114: Too many EINs already assigned to the responsible party. Apply by phone.
For any rejection that requires manual resolution, the international phone line at 267-941-1099 is faster than re-faxing. Have the rejection notice and your SS-4 in front of you when you call.
Common mistakes
- Applying for the EIN before the state approves the LLC. The IRS rejects applications for entities that don't exist yet. Wait for your formation certificate.
- Putting "0" or "000-00-0000" on Line 7b instead of "foreign". Automatic rejection. The word "foreign" is the explicit instruction.
- Checking "Sole proprietor" on Line 9a instead of "Other - Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472". Single-member LLCs are disregarded entities by default - sole proprietor is for individuals operating without an LLC.
- Paying $99-$300 to a third-party service that just files the same free form. Some services offer real convenience for $40-$80, but the EIN itself is always free.
- Not saving the CP 575 letter. Banks and Amazon Seller Central sometimes ask for it years later. Reissues are 147C letters, which take 4-6 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
No. The IRS online EIN Assistant requires an SSN or ITIN at the identity verification step and blocks all applicants without one. Foreign founders without an SSN or ITIN must use the fax, phone, or mail methods described above.
Approximately four business days under the IRS Fax-TIN program, assuming your form is complete and correct. The IRS faxes back a cover sheet with your EIN. The official CP 575 confirmation letter follows by mail in about 4-6 weeks.
No. The EIN identifies your business; the ITIN identifies you as an individual. They are separate processes. You apply for an EIN with "foreign" on Line 7b. You generally need an ITIN only if you personally have to file a US federal tax return or claim a tax treaty benefit - most foreign owners of single-member LLCs with non-US-source income do not.
Use a virtual fax service. Providers like mFax, eFax, and HelloFax cost $5-10 per month and let you send and receive faxes through email or a web interface. Alternatively, you can call the international EIN line at 267-941-1099 and obtain the EIN over the phone - no fax required.
Yes, through the Third Party Designee section at the bottom of Form SS-4. You authorize the designee (often your tax preparer or registered agent) to receive the EIN and answer IRS questions about the application. You must sign the form for the authorization to be valid. The authorization expires once the EIN is assigned.
Most states accept your federal EIN as the entity identifier for state tax registration, sales tax permits, and state employer accounts. A handful of states (such as New York and Massachusetts) assign their own state tax ID on top when you register for state withholding or sales tax, but the federal EIN remains your primary identifier. State choice - Wyoming, Delaware, New Mexico - doesn't change the federal EIN process at all (see the state comparison for foreign founders).
The IRS faxes back a reference number instead of an EIN. Most rejections are Reference 101 (LLC name too closely matches an existing one) or 102 (Line 7b had a number instead of "foreign"). For 101, re-fax with the LLC name spelled exactly as the state approved it, or call the international line at 267-941-1099 so an agent can resolve it on the call. See the article body for the full list of rejection codes.
This article provides general information about US tax topics and is not a substitute for personalized advice from a qualified tax professional. Tax law changes frequently - verify current rules with a tax professional before filing or making decisions based on this content.
