Answer
Start with line 7b eligibility and the IRS residence or principal-place test, then enter the fields needed for a useful worksheet.
IRS Form SS-4 · EIN for international applicants
Prepare the right SS-4
Prepare the right SS-4
route before you file.
Answer the questions the official form actually asks. We check whether “Foreign” or “N/A” is permitted on line 7b, map the critical fields and determine the correct IRS phone, fax or mail route from your facts. Your worksheet is free.
- No SSN or ITIN number collected
- Full critical-field mapping
- Route chosen from IRS criteria
7b“Foreign” only when the IRS eligibility condition applies
Foreign-organized onlyIRS phone line 267-941-1099 — not for a U.S.-organized LLC
+1-304-707-9471IRS fax line for applicants outside the U.S.
How it works
From locked out to EIN in three steps.
Eligibility and routing are separate tests. The worksheet keeps them separate and shows what still needs review.
Build
We map your answers to lines 1–18, flag conflicts and never ask you to type an SSN or ITIN into this website.
Call or fax
Transfer the reviewed answers to the current official Form SS-4, sign it, then use the phone, fax or mail route shown for your facts.
SS-4 builder
Answer a few questions.
Answer a few questions.
We map them to the SS-4.
Start with the two decisions that cause most rejected or misrouted applications. Then map the remaining critical fields into a preparation worksheet for the official IRS form.
EINForeigner
SS4-000000
Pending
Form SS-4 worksheet
No entity yet
- Form
- IRS SS-4
- State
- --
- Status
- Not built
Folio pending
No entity name
Line 7b not set
Informational SS-4 worksheet. This is not the official EIN confirmation (CP 575) and is not issued by the IRS.
Who this is for
Built for non-U.S. founders who got stuck at the SSN field.
You have the LLC but cannot complete the IRS online flow without the required taxpayer ID. We map the phone, fax or mail route that follows from your facts.
Get the EIN that unlocks your U.S. payment processor and business bank account.
If the responsible party does not have and is ineligible for an SSN or ITIN, IRS instructions permit “foreign” or N/A on line 7b.
The three things foreign applicants get wrong
The fields that trip up non-U.S. owners on Form SS-4.
When the responsible party has no SSN/ITIN and is ineligible to obtain one, the IRS says to enter “Foreign” or “N/A”; the field cannot be blank. The online tool is not available to this international case.
Our dated open audit found 9 contradictions and 10 incomplete or ambiguous routes. The IRS uses 855-641-6935 domestically, 304-707-9471 for an international case sent from abroad, and 855-215-1627 when that fax is sent from inside the U.S.
A foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity requesting an EIN for Form 5472 uses line 9a “Other” with the IRS wording “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472.” Different facts require a different entry.
Official IRS sources
Every rule on this page comes from the IRS itself.
Don't take our word for it. Line 7b, the fax number and the international route are all in the official IRS documents below — check them yourself.
IRS.gov · Form
About Form SS-4 ↗
The official IRS page for Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number.
IRS.gov · Instructions Instructions for Form SS-4 ↗The line-by-line IRS instructions, including line 7b for responsible parties without an SSN/ITIN.
IRS.gov · Guidance Employer identification number ↗The IRS EIN guidance covering international applicants and the fax and mail routes.
IRS.gov · PDF Form SS-4 (PDF) ↗The current fillable Form SS-4 you will fax to the IRS, straight from IRS.gov.
IRS.gov · March 2026 update International phone processing ↗The IRS operational update that excludes U.S.-organized corporations and LLCs from the international phone route.
Build my SS-4 with these rules — free
EINForeigner is an independent informational tool. Not affiliated with the IRS. The EIN is issued only by the IRS after you submit Form SS-4.
International EIN guides
Go deeper before you send Form SS-4.
Original guides built from the current IRS instructions—not recycled fax numbers from third-party blogs.
Does a foreign-owned LLC need an EIN?
Separate federal filing requirements from banking, payroll and state uses before choosing an application route.
Run the need test →How to get an EIN without a U.S. taxpayer ID
Understand line 7b, why the online tool may be unavailable, which fax or mail route fits and when phone does not.
Read the guide →Form SS-4 for a foreign-owned U.S. LLC
Map the legal name, addresses, responsible party, LLC details, classification and signature without confusing owner status with entity status.
Read the guide →The IRS international EIN fax number
See when to use 304-707-9471 or 855-215-1627—and why 855-641-6935 is the domestic line.
Read the guide →When to write “Foreign” or “N/A”
The IRS condition has two parts: the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and is ineligible to obtain one.
Check line 7b →An annotated Form SS-4 example
Walk through a hypothetical foreign-owned single-member U.S. LLC without mistaking example facts for universal answers.
See every line →Who can get an EIN by phone
See why a U.S.-organized LLC cannot use the international line and what an eligible foreign-organized caller needs.
Check phone eligibility →Phone vs. fax vs. mail for an international EIN
Compare eligibility, published timing, proof and follow-up before choosing one method for the entity.
Compare the routes →International EIN fax routing audit
See which published guides match the current IRS routes, with a dated methodology and downloadable JSON and CSV.
Explore the audit →
Private delivery
Email the completed worksheet to yourself.
Finish the builder first. We generate the PDF on the server and send it from hello@einforeigner.com. No card, paid plan or sensitive taxpayer-ID field.
What arrives
Your answers, route and review flags in one PDF.
The email contains a dated preparation worksheet plus the exact IRS route calculated from your answers. It is not an official form or EIN notice.
- Critical Form SS-4 fields mapped line by line
- Line 7b result with the eligibility condition shown
- Correct fax and mail route, plus a phone-eligibility safeguard
- Review flags before you sign the official form
FAQ
Common questions about getting an EIN without an SSN.
Can I get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?
Yes. If the responsible party has no SSN/ITIN and is ineligible to obtain one, the IRS says to enter “Foreign” or “N/A” on line 7b — an entry is required there. That does not choose the submission method: fax and mail use a separate location test, while phone also depends on where the entity was created or organized.
How do I send the SS-4 to the IRS?
If the applicant has no legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in any U.S. state or D.C., use +1-304-707-9471 from outside the U.S. or +1-855-215-1627 from inside it. If the applicant does have one of those U.S. connections, the domestic fax is 855-641-6935. When a return fax number is provided, the IRS says an EIN response is generally faxed in about four business days; without one, the confirmation is mailed.
Can I get an EIN by phone?
Not for a foreign-owned LLC organized in a U.S. state. The IRS March 2026 processing update treats a corporation or LLC organized in the United States or a U.S. territory as domestic and directs it to another application method. The non-toll-free line at +1-267-941-1099 is for eligible principal businesses created or organized outside the United States and U.S. territories that also meet the current location conditions.
Does EINForeigner file my EIN for me?
No. We prepare an informational worksheet and route recommendation. EINForeigner is not affiliated with the IRS, does not issue EINs and does not submit the official form.
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