EIN for Foreign-Owned LLC

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a unique 9-digit number issued by the IRS under Internal Revenue Code Section 6109 to identify your LLC for federal tax purposes. It is also called a Federal Tax Identification Number, Federal EIN, or Federal Tax ID Number. Format is XX-XXXXXXX.

• Required by Mercury, Relay, Wise Business, Brex at bank application. CP575 letter is the standard proof.
• Required by Stripe US at payment processing onboarding.
• Required by Amazon Seller Central as the tax ID for the seller of record.
• Required by the IRS for Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 annual filing (Internal Revenue Code Section 6038A).
• Required by US clients for 1099-NEC tax form reporting (if invoicing US businesses).
• Required by Form W-8BEN-E to claim US tax treaty benefits (Stripe, Amazon, Upwork, Patreon all accept W-8BEN-E with EIN).
• Persists permanently across registered agent changes, address changes, operating agreement amendments, and ownership transfers (with Form 8822-B update).

1. Wyoming LLC formation must come first. The IRS needs your LLC's exact legal name from the Articles of Organization. WyomingLLC files your LLC in 24 hours.
2. We complete Form SS-4 with the LLC name, Wyoming registered agent address, responsible party (you), and the correct entity type checkbox.
3. We sign Form SS-4 on your behalf via power of attorney granted in the intake form.
4. We fax to the IRS international EIN unit. The current fax number is tracked by us and updated when the IRS changes it.
5. The IRS faxes back your CP575 EIN letter in 8 to 10 business days.
6. We forward the CP575 to you as PDF, with a quick-reference guide to what each field means.

Online IRS EIN application: requires SSN or ITIN. Non-residents without either cannot use the online portal. The application errors out with a generic "System Error" message. There is no online workaround for foreign-owned single-member LLCs.

Phone (267-941-1099): the IRS international EIN unit accepts calls from foreign responsible parties, but the line is difficult to reach, calls can take 30 to 90 minutes, and the operator may not be trained on foreign entity rules. There is no paper trail until the CP575 arrives by mail (which can take 4 to 6 weeks if assigned by phone).

Fax: officially supported under IRS Publication 1635 for foreign-owned entities, 8 to 10 business day turnaround, produces a confirmable paper trail. Standard for every WyomingLLC customer.

• SSN field errors: writing "0", "0000-00-0000", or "N/A" auto-rejects. The correct entry is blank with country code, or "FOREIGN".
• Name mismatches: LLC name on SS-4 must match the Articles of Organization exactly, including "LLC" vs "L.L.C." and any punctuation.
• Wrong fax number: the IRS changes the international fax number occasionally. We track the current one.
• Missing responsible party signature: SS-4 must be signed by the responsible party (you). We sign on your behalf via power of attorney.
• Wrong entity type: pick LLC, not Corporation or Partnership. Single-member LLCs are disregarded entities by default.
• Filing before LLC exists: SS-4 cannot be filed before the Wyoming SoS confirms LLC formation. We sequence the steps correctly.
• Wrong reason for applying: pick "Started a new business", not "Banking purposes". The latter triggers additional review.
• Wrong fiscal year: default is December (calendar year). Picking an off-calendar year requires justification and triggers review.

1. Open the business bank account. Mercury, Relay, or Wise Business. The CP575 is required at application along with passport and Articles of Organization.
2. Apply for Stripe US with the EIN. Approval is usually instant for clean profiles. Stripe verifies the EIN against the IRS database.
3. Set up Amazon Seller Central as a US LLC with your EIN as the tax ID. Complete the Amazon tax interview using the EIN.
4. File Form W-8BEN-E with US payers to claim treaty benefits. The EIN goes on Line 8 of the form.
5. Provide EIN to US clients who need it for 1099-NEC forms (if you invoice US businesses).
6. File IRS Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 annually. Mandatory for foreign-owned single-member LLCs. Due April 15. $25,000 penalty for non-filing.
7. Calendar EIN backups. Keep the CP575 PDF in cloud storage and a local backup. The IRS does not reissue.

If ownership of your LLC changes (you sell, transfer, or add a member), you must update the IRS responsible party using Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party for Business).

• Form 8822-B is filed by mail to the IRS
• No fee
• Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks
• The EIN itself does not change; only the responsible party on file
• If you change the address but keep the same responsible party, Form 8822-B is still the correct form
• If you change the LLC's legal name (Wyoming SoS amendment), file Form 8822-B with the IRS to update the EIN record

Can I get an EIN before forming the LLC? No. The IRS requires the LLC's exact legal name from the Articles of Organization. LLC must be formed first.

Does the EIN expire? No. EINs are permanent under Treas. Reg. 301.6109-1. They do not expire and are tied to the LLC for its lifetime.

Can the same person get EINs for multiple LLCs? Yes. Each LLC needs its own EIN. The same responsible party can be on multiple EINs.

What if my LLC was formed years ago but never got an EIN? File Form SS-4 anytime. The IRS issues the EIN with the formation date you provide. If you missed annual Form 5472 filings for prior years, consult a US CPA about voluntary disclosure procedures.

Do I need to inform Wyoming SoS of the EIN? No. The EIN is federal (IRS) only. Wyoming SoS does not need or track it.