Straight answers on timing and process. The headline: a foreign-owned EIN by fax is not a few-days affair — expect the IRS to take about 4–6 weeks, with no status updates in between. Here's the detail.
For foreign-owned LLCs, the IRS typically takes about 4–6 weeks to process an SS-4 filed by fax. While it's in their queue they do not acknowledge receipt or provide status updates — the application isn't trackable until an examiner reviews it.
The 4-business-day Fax-TIN turnaround applies to applicants who have an SSN or ITIN and a U.S. principal place of business. Foreign owners without an SSN/ITIN (who enter "Foreign" on line 7b) are routed to the IRS International EIN unit, which is considerably slower — plan for weeks, not days.
No. The IRS will only speak with the person listed as the responsible party on the SS-4, and there's no way to track a filing while it's in the processing queue. If you want to inquire, the responsible party can call the IRS directly at 800-829-4933 (from inside the U.S.) or 267-941-1000 (from outside the U.S.).
Two ways. The IRS may fax your SS-4 back with the EIN filled in — that comes to our return line and posts to your einnow account automatically. They also mail the official EIN Confirmation Letter (CP 575) to the mailing address listed at the top of your SS-4. Keep that address current.
Put +1 606-222-1097 as the return fax number on your SS-4 so the IRS faxes the EIN back to us and we can post it to your account. If you don't include a return fax number, the IRS will mail your EIN instead, which adds roughly four more weeks.
Because we transmit from a U.S. number, we fax the domestic line for international applicants, 855-215-1627, first, and fall back to 304-707-9471 if needed. Both reach the IRS International EIN operation.
Make sure your SS-4 is fully completed and signed. The IRS may expect supporting formation documents for an LLC — for example your Articles of Organization. Including them with a complete, signed SS-4 helps avoid rejection or delay.
Yes. Foreign owners do not need an SSN or ITIN to obtain a company EIN. You file Form SS-4 by fax (or mail), entering "Foreign" on line 7b where the responsible party's SSN/ITIN/EIN would go.
einnow transmits your signed SS-4 to the IRS by fax, confirms delivery with the carrier, watches the return line, and posts the EIN to your account when it comes back. einnow is a transmission and tracking tool — not a law firm, accounting firm, or tax advisor — and gives no legal or tax advice. It is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS.
Filing and tracking are provided as offered. Downloading the IRS response is a paid feature at $29.99 per response (or less with a valid discount code). See the Refund Policy for details.