Why does a foreign company need a US EIN?
Three reasons drive it: a US bank account, US payment platforms, and US clients. A foreign company needs a US EIN to open a business bank account, to clear Stripe, Amazon, and PayPal, and to file US tax forms.
A US EIN is the 9-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns on Form SS-4, and it costs $0 on every route. A non-US founder needs it before a US bank opens an account, before Stripe or Amazon activates payouts, and before the first US tax return. The number never renews, so it costs $0 in year 1 and $0 every year after. A US C corporation pays the 21% federal corporate rate on its US profit, while a disregarded LLC passes 100% of its income to the foreign owner.
See the full federal ID picture on the federal tax ID number page, and who is required to hold one on the who needs an EIN page.
Can a non-US person be the responsible party?
Yes. The responsible party on line 7a is a non-US person, and line 7b reads Foreign in place of an SSN or ITIN. No SSN and no ITIN is required to control a US entity.
The IRS defines the responsible party as the individual who controls the entity, and that person is a non-US citizen living abroad. Line 7a carries the name; line 7b, which asks for an SSN, ITIN, or EIN, takes the single word Foreign when the person holds none of the 3. This is the mechanic that lets a foreign owner skip the online tool and file the 1-page Form SS-4 by fax to 855-215-1627.
See the rules in full on the EIN responsible party page, and the SSN-less mechanics on the EIN without an SSN page.
How does a foreign-owned company get a US EIN?
Five steps by fax. Fill line 1 and line 7a, write Foreign on line 7b, mark line 9a and line 10, fax Form SS-4 to 855-215-1627, and receive the 9-digit EIN in about 4 business days.
Fill Form SS-4, line 1 and line 7a
Name the legal entity on line 1 and the non-US responsible party on line 7a, exactly as the formation document reads.
Write Foreign on line 7b
Where line 7b asks for an SSN or ITIN, enter the single word Foreign. No SSN and no ITIN is filed with the form.
State the entity type and reason
Mark the entity type on line 9a and the reason for applying on line 10. Neither line changes the $0 IRS fee.
Fax to 855-215-1627 with a return number
An international applicant faxes Form SS-4 to 855-215-1627, or calls 267-941-1099. Add a return fax number so the IRS can reply.
Receive the 9-digit EIN and CP-575
The IRS returns the 9-digit EIN in about 4 business days by fax, then mails the CP-575 letter within about 14 calendar days.
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions and international EIN guidance, verified July 2026.
See the full line-by-line walk on the how to apply for an EIN page, or fill Form SS-4 with the SS-4 form helper.
Which EIN route is open to a foreign company?
Two: fax and phone. The IRS online tool closes without an SSN, so a foreign company faxes Form SS-4 to 855-215-1627 or calls the international line at 267-941-1099.
The online EIN Assistant asks for an SSN, ITIN, or existing EIN, and a non-US founder with none of the 3 cannot pass that screen. That leaves the fax route, which returns the 9-digit EIN in about 4 business days to 855-215-1627, and the phone route at 267-941-1099, which issues the number on the same call for an international applicant. Mail is a third option at about 4 weeks, near 20 business days. All 3 cost $0, so fax at 4 business days is the fastest path for a foreign company.
An entity that has a US state address instead of a foreign one faxes 855-641-6935; a purely foreign company uses 855-215-1627. See the SSN-less mechanics in full on the EIN without an SSN page.
Does the IRS require a passport upload?
No. Form SS-4 carries no identity document, so no passport upload and no passport scan reaches the IRS. The form is 1 page.
The 1-page Form SS-4 runs 18 numbered lines and asks for the entity name on line 1, the entity type on line 9a, the reason on line 10, and the responsible party on line 7a, with the word Foreign on line 7b. No passport, no national ID, and no bank statement is attached. Any site demanding a passport upload before it issues an EIN is collecting more than the IRS asks for, because the IRS fee is $0 and the document set is 1 page.
See the field-by-field form on the Form SS-4 page, or prepare it with the SS-4 form helper.
What is the Form 5472 obligation for a foreign-owned LLC?
A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 every year. It reports transactions with the foreign owner and attaches to a pro forma Form 1120.
A single-member LLC owned by a non-US person is a disregarded entity under 26 CFR 301.7701-3, and since 2017 the IRS treats it as a reporting corporation for Form 5472. The LLC files Form 5472 attached to a pro forma Form 1120 once a year, listing 100% of the transactions between the LLC and its foreign owner. The penalty for a late or missing Form 5472 is $25,000 under IRC 6038A, plus $25,000 for each 30-day period after a 90-day IRS notice. The EIN, obtained on Form SS-4, is required before the first Form 5472 is filed. A multi-member LLC files Form 1065 instead, and an owner electing corporation treatment files Form 8832 first; each still needs the same 9-digit EIN.
The EIN comes first, at $0 by fax to 855-215-1627 in about 4 business days; a foreign owner also files Form 1040-NR, and a later address change goes on Form 8822-B rather than a new EIN. Form 5472 follows once the tax year closes.
What does a US EIN unlock for a foreign company?
Four things: a US bank account, Stripe, Amazon, and US tax filing. Each checks the 9-digit EIN and the CP-575 letter.
A US business bank account lists the EIN on the application, and the bank verifies it against the CP-575 confirmation letter, which the IRS mails within about 14 calendar days, or a 147C reprint. Stripe, Amazon, and PayPal each require the EIN to release US payouts to a foreign-owned entity. US clients request the EIN on a W-8BEN-E or a 1099 at year end. Every one of these starts with the number the IRS issues on Form SS-4 for $0 in 4 business days. A default 30% withholding under IRC 1442 applies to some US-source payments until a W-8BEN-E is on file.
See how the number attaches to banking on the EIN for business page and to a US LLC on the EIN for an LLC page, and confirm the letter on the CP-575 page.
What do paid EIN services charge a foreign company for?
For preparation, not the number. A paid filing enters Foreign on line 7b, checks the name, and faxes Form SS-4 to 855-215-1627. ein-number.com charges $69 or $99; the IRS fee stays $0.
| EIN filed by | Price | What the price buys |
|---|---|---|
| Yourself, IRS fax | $0 | The 9-digit number in 4 business days, if no line rejects |
| ein-number.com, Standard | $69 | Prepared, senior-reviewed, filed by fax in 8 business days |
| ein-number.com, Fast | $99 | Same, filed within 24 hours, 7 business days total |
| Northwest | $200 | Preparation, at the no-SSN rate |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. The IRS fee is $0 on every route, in all 50 states and abroad.
The honest line: a foreign founder with a clean entity name faxes Form SS-4 free to 855-215-1627 and waits about 4 business days. The paid route earns its $69 or $99 when line 7b, line 9a, or the name control would reject and reset the wait to 0. See the free path in full on the free EIN number page and the price breakdown on the EIN cost page.