Get a US EIN Without an SSN: Fax From Anywhere

Why the Online Tool Doesn't Work for You

The IRS EIN Assistant requires the entity's principal place of business to be in the US AND the responsible party to have an SSN or ITIN. Most non-US entrepreneurs are missing the SSN or ITIN, even when the entity itself (an LLC or corporation formed in a state) is US-based. Your options: call the IRS at (267) 941-1099 (limited hours, long holds, timezone challenges), fax Form SS-4 (24/7, and the IRS faxes the EIN straight back), or mail it (slower still). Fax is the sweet spot for international applicants: faster than mail, no phone availability needed.

How to Fax Your SS-4

Fill out Form SS-4 completely. In the SSN field (Line 7b), enter "foreign" or N/A if the responsible party doesn't have and is ineligible to obtain an SSN or ITIN, per the IRS instructions. Put your return fax number in the "Applicant's fax number" field in the signature block, and repeat it on a cover sheet, so the IRS can fax your EIN back.

Which number you fax to depends on where your BUSINESS is, not where you are. If you're forming a US LLC or corporation, the case for most Stripe Atlas, Amazon FBA, and Shopify founders, your entity's principal office or agency is in the US, so you fax the domestic line, (855) 641-6935, even though you personally are outside the US. The international lines, (304) 707-9471 from outside the US or (855) 215-1627 from inside it, are for entities with no US location at all: for example, applying as an individual with your own foreign legal residence and no US business.

Start from a clean, legible scan or photo: FaxTerra transmits at high resolution automatically.

If you send from a FaxTerra number, your inbox catches the reply and labels a fax from a known IRS line, and the composer can add a check-in: if nothing has arrived after three weeks, one email tells you it is time to call instead, with the script. That matters more from outside the US, where the phone follow-up is the hard part. We do not fill in your form, choose anything for you, or contact the IRS on your behalf. See faxing the IRS about an EIN.

What You'll Need

Completed Form SS-4 (download from IRS.gov). A fax number where the IRS can send your EIN back (FaxTerra provides a US fax number for $4.99/month). Supporting documents may help: copy of your passport, copy of Articles of Organization/Incorporation filed with the US state. A cover sheet stating your LLC name, formation state, formation date, and return fax number. See plans and pricing for what each plan and credit pack includes.

What Happens After You Fax

The IRS faxes back a cover sheet with your assigned EIN generally within 4 business days per the IRS, though international applications often take longer (about 2 weeks is typical in practice). This is NOT the CP 575: that formal notice arrives separately, by mail, to your registered agent address. If the CP 575 never arrives (common for international mail), call (267) 941-1099 and request a Letter 147C by fax instead.

Common Scenarios

Stripe Atlas founders: You need a US EIN before Stripe activates your account. Amazon FBA international sellers: Required for tax compliance on US marketplace sales. Shopify merchants: Needed for Shopify Payments. Digital nomads forming Wyoming/Delaware LLCs: Your registered agent handles the state filing, but EIN is on you. In all cases, the fax path gets you an EIN in days rather than weeks.