Tax and compliance
Getting an EIN without an SSN or ITIN
The online form will not take you. The IRS will. Here is the route, and why it takes weeks rather than minutes.
4 min read · Ultraner Titan team
What an EIN is for
The Employer Identification Number is your company's federal tax ID. Despite the name you need one with or without employees: banks ask for it to open an account, payment providers ask for it before they pay you, and the company uses it on every tax return.
Why founders abroad wait longer
The IRS online application only works if the "responsible party", usually a founder, has an SSN or ITIN. Without one, the application is made on Form SS-4 by fax or post, and an IRS employee processes it by hand. A clean application usually comes back in one to four weeks.
You do not need an ITIN first
A common piece of bad advice is to get an ITIN before applying for the EIN. You do not need one for the company to get its EIN, and an ITIN application takes months and involves certified copies of your passport. Titan never asks for either.
What to do while you wait
- Sign and store your formation documents somewhere safe.
- Choose the US bank you will apply to and gather what it asks for.
- Set up your Ultraner account so payments can start as soon as banking is in place.
- Note the first compliance dates: they run from formation, not from the EIN.
Sources
General information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change; check the source or ask a professional before you act.