Guide for owners outside the United States
Getting an EIN without an SSN or ITIN
Your Florida company needs a federal tax number before a bank will open its account. If you have no US tax number of your own, the IRS still issues one. It just takes a different route.
Updated 8 October 2026
The short version
- An EIN is the company's federal tax identification number. The IRS issues it at no charge.
- The IRS online application requires the Social Security number or ITIN of the person who controls the company. Without one, the online application is closed to you.
- The other route is Form SS-4, sent to the IRS by fax or mail, with the word "Foreign" entered where the tax number would go.
- You do not need an ITIN, a US address of your own or a visa. An EIN is a tax number. It gives no immigration status and no permission to work.
- We prepare the form and deal with the IRS as your third party designee for a flat $349.
What an EIN is, and who asks for it
The Employer Identification Number is a nine digit number the IRS assigns to a business. Despite the name, a company needs one whether or not it has employees. Banks ask for it to open an account, payment processors ask for it, and it goes on every federal tax form the company files.
The company has to exist first. Florida issues a document number when the articles are filed, and the EIN application comes after that.
Why the online application does not work
The IRS issues most EINs online, in minutes. That application asks for the "responsible party", meaning the individual who controls the company, and it requires that person's Social Security number or ITIN. It is also limited to businesses whose principal place of business is in the United States.
An owner in Santiago, Estelí or Madrid with no US tax number does not pass that screen. That is not a rejection. It only means the application is made on paper.
How the paper route works
- We prepare Form SS-4 with the company's legal name, its Florida details and the responsible party's name.
- On line 7b, where the responsible party's tax number would go, the IRS instructions call for the entry "Foreign" when that person has no SSN or ITIN and cannot get one.
- You sign the form. A signed copy returned to us by email is enough.
- The form names us as third party designee, which lets the IRS answer our questions about the application and release the number to us. That authority ends the moment the EIN is assigned.
- We file it with the IRS, follow up, and send you the number and the IRS confirmation as soon as they arrive.
How long it takes
The IRS says it generally answers a faxed application within four business days and a mailed one in about four weeks. Actual times vary. Plan on several weeks, and do not schedule a bank appointment around the fastest case.
What we need from you
- The company's exact legal name and Florida document number. If we formed the company, we already have them.
- The full legal name and country of the responsible party. This must be a person, not another company.
- A mailing address where the IRS can send its confirmation letter.
- A one line description of what the company does and the date it started or will start.
- Your signature on the completed form.
What it costs
| Service | HNM Agents fee | Florida state fee |
|---|---|---|
| EIN, owner has no SSN or ITINForm SS-4 prepared, filed with the IRS and followed to the end | $349 | none |
| EIN, owner has an SSN or ITINFiled online with the IRS and issued the same day | $149 | none |
The IRS itself charges nothing for an EIN. Our fee is for preparing the application and seeing it through.
Once you have the number
Keep the IRS confirmation letter. Banks usually ask to see it, and a replacement takes time.
An EIN comes with tax filing duties, and they can apply even in a year with no income. A Florida LLC owned by one foreign person, for example, generally has an annual information return to file with the IRS, and the penalty for missing it is large. We are not tax advisers. Speak with a US accountant in the company's first year, before the first deadline.
Sources
Internal Revenue Service, Instructions for Form SS-4 and the IRS page on getting an employer identification number, as published in October 2026. IRS procedures and processing times change. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.