Can you get an EIN without an SSN?
Yes. The IRS assigns an EIN without an SSN through Form SS-4, because line 7b accepts the entry Foreign. The application moves from the online tool to fax, and the IRS fee stays $0.
An EIN identifies an entity. An SSN identifies a person. The IRS never treats one as a prerequisite for the other, which is why a foreign-owned company, a foreign trust, and a foreign estate all receive EINs under the same 9-digit format as a domestic business.
The confusion comes from the tool, not the law. The online EIN Assistant runs an automated identity check that needs an SSN, an ITIN, or an existing EIN to complete. That check exists inside the software. Form SS-4 itself carries no such requirement, and 3 of the 4 IRS routes accept the form without one.
Read the full method comparison on the how to apply for an ein page, and the distinction between the two identity numbers on the ein vs itin page.
What do you write on Form SS-4 line 7b without an SSN?
Write the word Foreign. Line 7b asks for the responsible party’s SSN, ITIN, or EIN. A responsible party who holds none of the three enters Foreign, and the IRS accepts the form as filed.
One word on one line separates a processed application from a returned one. The instructions to Form SS-4 state the entry directly, so it needs no attached explanation, no cover letter, and no waiver.
| SS-4 line | What it asks | Entry without an SSN |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | Legal name of the entity | The name exactly as the state recorded it |
| Line 4a and 4b | Mailing address | A foreign address is accepted in full |
| Line 5a and 5b | Street address of the business | The registered or operating address |
| Line 7a | Responsible party name | One natural person, no company, no nominee |
| Line 7b | SSN, ITIN, or EIN | Foreign |
| Line 8a | Is this an LLC | Yes, with the member count on line 8b |
| Line 9a | Type of entity | The federal classification, not the state label |
| Line 10 | Reason for applying | Started new business, or banking purpose |
| Line 18 | Prior EIN for this entity | No, for a first application |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
Line 7a deserves the same care as 7b. The IRS defines the responsible party as the natural person who controls or directs the entity and its funds. A holding company on that line ends the application. Form 8822-B records every later change to the person named there.
How do you apply for an EIN without an SSN, step by step?
Six steps. Copy the legal name, name the responsible party, write Foreign on line 7b, enter the address, sign the form with a return fax number, and fax it to the IRS. The reply arrives in 4 business days.
Step 1: Fix the legal name exactly as the state recorded it
Line 1 of Form SS-4 carries the legal name from the formation document, character for character, including LLC, Inc, or Corp.
The IRS builds a name control from the first 4 characters of that name. A name typed as L.L.C. on Form SS-4 and LLC on the articles produces a mismatch the IRS resolves by hand. Copy the name from the stamped state document rather than from memory.
Step 2: Name the responsible party on line 7a
Line 7a takes one natural person who controls the entity. The IRS accepts no company on that line, and it accepts no nominee.
A single-member LLC names its member. A multi-member LLC names one managing member. A corporation names a principal officer. One person occupies line 7a at a time, and Form 8822-B records every later change to it.
Step 3: Write Foreign on line 7b
Line 7b asks for an SSN, an ITIN, or an EIN. A responsible party who holds none of the three writes the word Foreign in that field.
This single entry is what makes an application without an SSN valid. The instructions to Form SS-4 name that entry directly. It requires no attachment, no explanation letter, and no waiver request.
Step 4: Enter a mailing address the IRS can reach on lines 4 and 5
Line 4 accepts a foreign mailing address in full, including the country. No US address is required to receive an EIN.
The address decides which fax line applies. A principal business address inside a US state routes to 855-641-6935. An address outside the United States routes to 855-215-1627. Citizenship changes neither line.
Step 5: Sign the form and add a return fax number
The responsible party or an authorized person signs the block at the foot of the form, under the Third Party Designee box. A return fax number triggers a fax reply.
Form SS-4 without a return fax number receives a mailed reply instead, which turns 4 business days into 4 weeks. The return fax number sits in the box beside the applicant telephone number, and it is the most skipped field on the page.
Step 6: Fax the completed Form SS-4 to the IRS
Send the signed form to 855-641-6935 or 855-215-1627. The IRS assigns the EIN and faxes it back within 4 business days.
Business days run Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays, so a Thursday fax lands the following Wednesday. The IRS charges $0 for the assignment and $0 for the CP-575 letter that follows it.
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
Which IRS fax number do you use without an SSN?
Use 855-641-6935 when the principal business address sits inside a US state. Use 855-215-1627 when the address sits outside the United States. The address decides the line, not your citizenship.
A founder in Lisbon who registered a Wyoming LLC with a Wyoming registered-agent address faxes 855-641-6935. A founder who lists a Lisbon address on lines 4 and 5 faxes 855-215-1627. The two lines reach different IRS processing groups, and a form sent to the wrong one adds a transfer.
| IRS channel | Number | Who uses it | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fax, US state address | 855-641-6935 | Entities with a principal address in a US state | 4 business days |
| Fax, international | 855-215-1627 | Entities with an address outside the United States | 4 business days |
| International phone | 267-941-1099 | International applicants, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday | Assigned during the call |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
The phone line assigns the number fastest and suits the fewest people. It runs in English, it requires the completed Form SS-4 in front of you, and the caller answers identity and entity questions live. Fax needs no call, no schedule, and no hold time.
How long does an EIN without an SSN take?
Four business days by fax when Form SS-4 carries a return fax number. Four weeks by mail without one. The international phone line assigns the number during the call.
| Route | Needs an SSN or ITIN | Time | Written deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| irs.gov online tool | Yes | 15 minutes | None |
| Fax Form SS-4 | No | 4 business days | None |
| Phone, 267-941-1099 | No | During the call | None |
| Mail Form SS-4 | No | 4 weeks | None |
| ein-number.com | No | 7 business days | Yes, or 100% automatic refund |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
Four business days spans 6 calendar days when the fax crosses a weekend. The Office of Personnel Management lists 11 federal holidays a year, and each one inside the window adds 1 day. A fax sent on a Thursday before a Monday holiday returns the following Thursday.
Assignment and usability differ. The IRS states that a new EIN takes up to 2 weeks to enter its permanent records. A bank account and a paper return accept the number immediately, while electronic filing, electronic payment, and TIN matching wait for those 2 weeks. Read the full method timeline on the how long does it take to get an ein page.
Why does the IRS online EIN tool refuse an application without an SSN?
The online EIN Assistant validates the responsible party against an SSN, an ITIN, or an existing EIN before it assigns a number. No match ends the session with reference number 102.
The tool automates a check a human reviewer performs on paper. Automation needs a database match, and no database holds a person who has never been issued a US identity number. The session ends, and the entity remains eligible for the EIN.
Three limits sit inside that tool and inside no other route. It runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. It issues 1 EIN per responsible party per day. It ends a session that pauses for too long, and the form starts again from the first field.
Repeat attempts make it worse. The same identity check runs on every session, so a second attempt returns the same code, and repeated attempts add reference number 105, which blocks the tool for the day. The fax route reaches a reviewer instead. Read the full code list on the ein reference number 101 page.
What documents does an EIN application without an SSN require?
One signed Form SS-4, and nothing else. The IRS requires no passport, no identity document, no notarization, and no in-person visit on any of the 4 routes. The form runs 1 page.
Form SS-4 asks for a legal name, a mailing address, a business address, a responsible party, an entity type, a reason for applying, and a signature. The IRS verifies the entity against the reason stated on line 10 and against its own name records. It verifies no photo ID.
No passport copy. Form SS-4 has no field for a passport number and no attachment for a scan. Any request for a passport upload sits outside the IRS process.
No notarization or apostille. The signature block at the foot of Form SS-4 takes a plain signature, a printed name, a title, and a date. The IRS requires no seal on any of them.
No US visit and no US bank account first. The EIN comes before the bank account, because banks ask for the CP-575 to open one. No IRS route for an EIN includes travel.
No ITIN and no prior tax filing. Line 7b accepts Foreign in place of both numbers, and a first-year entity with no filing history applies on the same form.
The formation document stays in your file. The IRS asks for no articles of organization with Form SS-4. It matters because line 1 must copy that document character for character.
Why do EIN applications without an SSN get rejected?
Five causes account for most of them: a blank line 7b, a legal name that differs from the state record, a company named on line 7a, a missing return fax number, and a form sent to the wrong fax line.
Line 7b left blank. A blank field reads as an incomplete form, and the IRS returns it. The word Foreign turns the same page into a processable application.
The legal name differs from the formation document. The IRS builds a name control from the first 4 characters of the legal name. A comma, a period, or an abbreviation changes that control and triggers reference number 101.
A company sits on line 7a. The responsible party is a natural person who controls the entity. A parent company or a nominee on that line ends the application.
No return fax number on the form. The IRS replies by mail when no return fax number appears, which turns 4 business days into 4 weeks with no notice that anything changed.
The form went to the wrong fax line. 855-641-6935 handles US state addresses and 855-215-1627 handles foreign addresses. A misrouted form waits for an internal transfer before processing starts.
None of the 5 causes concerns eligibility. Each one is a field on a 1-page form, which is why a checked form and an unchecked form separate a 4-business-day result from a 4-week one.
Do you need an ITIN before you can get an EIN?
No. An ITIN identifies a person and an EIN identifies an entity, so neither number depends on the other. Form SS-4 line 7b accepts the entry Foreign in place of both.
The order matters in one direction only. An EIN application accepts a responsible party with no ITIN. An ITIN application carries its own separate queue, its own form, and its own documentation standard. A founder who waits for an ITIN adds that entire wait to a 4-business-day fax.
| Number | Identifies | Format | Needed for an EIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIN | A business entity | 9 digits, 2 then 7 | It is the number you are applying for |
| SSN | A US citizen or authorized worker | 9 digits, 3-2-4 | No |
| ITIN | A person with a US filing obligation and no SSN | 9 digits, begins with 9 | No |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
Compare the two identity numbers in full on the ein vs itin page, and read which number a sole proprietor reports under on the ein vs ssn page.
What does an EIN without an SSN cost?
The IRS charges $0, with an SSN or without one. Year 2 costs $0 as well, because an EIN never renews. Filing services charge for preparation and filing, not for the number.
| Filed by | Price | Written deadline | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, faxing Form SS-4 to the IRS | $0 | None | $0 |
| ein-number.com | $99 | 7 business days or 100% automatic refund | $0 |
| Northwest | $200 | None | $0 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | None | $0 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $59.99 | None | $0 |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. The Northwest figure reflects its no-SSN rate. The IRS charges $0 on every route.
The $99 covers preparation of Form SS-4 against your formation document, filing within 1 business day of your completed details, 4 tracked stages, IRS monitoring, and a delivery date in writing. The EIN itself remains free from the IRS, and that stays true whichever route you choose.
See the full cost breakdown on the how much does an ein cost page. Ready to file now? get started.
What works once the EIN arrives without an SSN?
The 9-digit EIN and the CP-575 letter open a US business bank account, complete a Form W-9, register a payment processor, hire employees, and file the entity’s federal returns.
The EIN carries the same authority regardless of the route that produced it. A number assigned by fax to a responsible party who wrote Foreign on line 7b is identical in format, in function, and in IRS records to one assigned online in 15 minutes.
| What you do next | What it needs | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| Open a US business bank account | EIN plus the CP-575 and the formation document | Immediately |
| Give a client a completed Form W-9 | EIN in Part I, legal name on line 1 | Immediately |
| Register with a payment processor | EIN matched to the exact legal name | Immediately |
| File a paper federal return | EIN and the legal name on page 1 | Immediately |
| File an electronic return or payment | EIN inside IRS permanent records | Up to 2 weeks |
| Run payroll and issue a W-2 | EIN in box b of every W-2 | Up to 2 weeks |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
Protect the CP-575. The IRS issues 1 per EIN and never reprints it, so the 147C letter becomes the proof document after the original goes missing. Read what the letter contains on the ein confirmation letter page.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC carries reporting duties the EIN unlocks, including Form 5472 filed with a pro forma Form 1120. Read the entity chapter on the ein for llc page.