Guide
EIN vs ITIN vs SSN: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Quick answer
Three different numbers for three different purposes. An EIN identifies your company. An ITIN identifies a person who must file a US tax return but cannot get an SSN. An SSN identifies someone authorized to work in the US. As a non-resident owner you need the first and probably neither of the others.
The three, side by side
| EIN | ITIN | SSN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A business entity | An individual | An individual |
| Who issues it | IRS | IRS | Social Security Administration |
| Who needs it | Your LLC | A person with a US filing obligation who cannot get an SSN | A person authorized to work in the US |
| Available to a non-resident owner | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| Needed to open a US business bank account | Yes | No | No |
| Needed to get the other | |||
| Typical wait | Weeks by fax | Months | Not applicable |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
You do not need an ITIN to get an EIN
This is the claim that costs people the most time, and the IRS settles it directly:
"Enter 'foreign' or N/A on line 7b if the responsible party doesn't have and is ineligible to obtain an SSN or ITIN."
Line 7b is where the responsible party's taxpayer identification number would go. The instruction tells you what to write when there isn't one. That is the whole provision, and it exists precisely for people in your position.
Note the condition: the responsible party must not have and be ineligible to obtain an SSN or ITIN. Both halves. A non-resident owner with no US filing obligation of their own is generally ineligible, which is why the route works.
When an ITIN actually becomes necessary
Not for the EIN. Not for the bank account. It becomes relevant when you personally have a US filing obligation, which is a question about your own tax position rather than your company's existence.
That is a real question with a real answer, and it depends on facts this page cannot see. If someone tells you that owning a US LLC automatically creates a personal US filing obligation, or automatically does not, treat both as unreliable.
Which one you actually need, and what to do next
For most non-resident founders the answer is: the EIN, and nothing else.
The EIN is the company's number and you can get it with no SSN and no ITIN. The route, the fax numbers and what line 7b must say are on how to get an EIN with no SSN. If it goes quiet, that is normal for several weeks and the diagnosis is on EIN application went nowhere.
The ITIN is a personal number and most owners of a disregarded LLC never need one. You need it when you personally have a US filing obligation, which is a different question from whether your company does. Whether you have one is decided by effectively connected income and worked through on are you taxed in the US.
The SSN is not available to you and nothing substitutes for it in the places that genuinely require it, which are fewer than people assume. The providers that do not require one, quoting their own words, are indexed on the four gates.
Sources
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Line 7b wording and its condition | IRS, Instructions for Form SS-4 |
Related
- The U.S. LLC for Non-U.S. FoundersStart here — the complete overview
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Last updated: September 1, 2026.
Next step
Get the company formed, and the calendar that keeps it alive.
Prolify handles the formation, the EIN, the registered agent and the annual filings on one schedule, so the deadlines on this page stop being yours to track.