# EIN and ITIN from abroad

> An EIN for the company, an ITIN for a person without an SSN, and how to get each from outside the US.

Source: https://lopifi.com/learn/us-company-for-foreign-founders/ein-and-itin
Part of: Lopifi — US GAAP books on autopilot, checked by a CPA (https://lopifi.com)

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**How does a foreign founder get an EIN or an ITIN?** An EIN for the company, an ITIN for a person without an SSN, and how to get each from outside the US.

The company needs an EIN; a person without a Social Security number who needs a US taxpayer number gets an [ITIN](https://lopifi.com/md/glossary/itin). They are different numbers for different taxpayers. A company whose principal place of business is outside the US can get its EIN by phone, or by faxing or mailing Form SS-4.

> “If your principal place of business is outside the U.S., you can apply for an EIN by phone at 267-941-1099”

— [IRS, Employer ID numbers](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employer-id-numbers), An EIN for a company run from outside the United States

> “An ITIN is a 9-digit number the IRS issues if you need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes, but you aren’t eligible for a Social Security number (SSN).”

— [IRS, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number), ITIN — the individual number for someone without an SSN

| Taxpayer | Number | How |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The US company | EIN | Form SS-4 — online, or by phone, fax or mail from abroad |
| A US citizen or resident founder | SSN | Social Security Administration |
| A founder who needs a US number but can't get an SSN | ITIN | Form W-7 |

Which number, for whom.

## Where this page's rules come from

- [IRS, Employer ID numbers](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employer-id-numbers) — An EIN for a company run from outside the United States (irs)
- [IRS, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number) — ITIN — the individual number for someone without an SSN (irs)
- [Form W-7 (Rev. December 2024)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf) (PDF) — Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (PDF) (form)
- [Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf) (PDF) — Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (form)

## Read further

- https://lopifi.com/md/tools/identifiers

- **Track:** [Entity types](https://lopifi.com/md/learn/entities)
- **Part of:** [US companies for founders abroad](https://lopifi.com/md/learn/us-company-for-foreign-founders) — 2 min
- **Terms taught:** [ITIN](https://lopifi.com/md/glossary/itin)
- **Previous:** [A foreign-owned LLC](https://lopifi.com/md/learn/us-company-for-foreign-founders/foreign-owned-llc)
- **Next:** [Parents, subsidiaries and groups, Entities · Lesson 8](https://lopifi.com/md/learn/parent-and-subsidiary-structures)
- **The course:** https://lopifi.com/md/learn