How to get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN

Why the online EIN application won't work without an SSN or ITIN

The IRS online EIN assistant is only available when “you have the responsible party's Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN).” If the responsible party — the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity — has neither, the online tool cannot validate the application and you cannot use it.

That is not a dead end. It simply means you use the paper form, Form SS-4, and submit it through a channel that does not depend on the online identity check.

Your three real options (and how long each takes)

For most foreign-owned LLCs and corporations the practical choice is fax: it is written (so you keep a paper trail), it does not require a U.S. phone presence, and it is roughly ten times faster than mail.

Step-by-step: get an EIN by faxing Form SS-4

1. 1
   Download the current Form SS-4

   Use the latest revision from irs.gov so line numbers and fax routing match these instructions.
2. 2
   Complete the entity information (lines 1–6)

   Legal name, mailing address, and the type of entity you're forming. Use the exact legal name from your formation documents.
3. 3
   Handle line 7b — the responsible party with no SSN/ITIN

   Enter the responsible party's name on line 7a, then write “Foreign” on line 7b instead of a taxpayer ID. This is the IRS's own instruction for a responsible party who is ineligible for an SSN or ITIN.
4. 4
   Fill in the reason, dates and activity (lines 8–18)

   Reason for applying, date business started, closing month of the accounting year, and principal activity. Answer only the lines that apply to your entity.
5. 5
   Sign and date the form

   The responsible party or an authorized person must sign. A scanned handwritten signature on the faxed copy is standard — fax filing accepts a copy of the signature.
6. 6
   Choose the correct IRS fax number

   Pick the number for your situation from the table below. Sending to the wrong line delays or bounces the application.
7. 7
   Add a return fax number so the IRS can reply

   The IRS faxes the EIN assignment back to the fax number on the application. “Be sure to provide your fax number so the IRS can fax the EIN back to you.” No fax machine? See the section below.
8. 8
   Fax it and keep the confirmation

   Send the signed SS-4 to the correct line and keep the transmission confirmation as proof of the filing date.

Which IRS fax number to use

The right SS-4 fax line depends on where the entity's principal business is — not on the founder's nationality:

How to receive the IRS reply if you don't own a fax machine

This is where most foreign founders get stuck: you can send a fax from a phone app, but the IRS replies by fax, and app-based fax numbers are usually send-only. If there is no working return line, the EIN assignment has nowhere to land.

You have two clean ways around it. You can list an authorized third-party designee on the SS-4 — the IRS releases the EIN to the designee by the same method the application used (fax), and the designee's authority ends the moment the EIN is assigned. Or you can use a service that receives the IRS's fax reply on a secure line and emails you the EIN as a PDF.

The phone option for international applicants

If your business is formed outside the United States, you can call the IRS international EIN line at 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. This line is for international applicants only and issues the EIN on the call — have a completed SS-4 in front of you so you can read the answers back.

The caller must be authorized to receive the EIN and answer the SS-4 questions. If you'd rather keep a written record and not sit on an international call, fax is the equivalent written channel.