This is a follow-up post to “How to Incorporate in the U.S. from Pakistan.”
Employer Identification Number or EIN is required to open a U.S. bank account and file tax returns. Now that you have incorporated your tech startup in the U.S., it’s time to apply for EIN.
My Assumptions about your situation:
- You have incorporated in Delaware (or some other state) and received articles of incorporation.
- You have access to fax machine (or fax to email service)
- You have a reliable mailing address; home or business.
- You are not physically in the U.S.
- You don’t have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Step 1: Fill out the Form SS-4
Fill out Application for Employer Identification Number Form SS-4. Download my example form and replace pre-filled information with your details.
Step 2: Call IRS
Unfortunately, for foreign residents, the fastest way to get the EIN is to call IRS at 267–941–1099 between 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.
The person calling must be the officer of the corporation i.e. your name should be on the articles of incorporation. You will tell the agent that you want to apply for the EIN, you don’t have SSN or ITIN and your company is incorporated in Delaware. He will ask you to fax the application or in some cases, will ask for information you have already filled out in Step 1.
Step 3: Fax Form SS-4
Once you fax Form SS-4, the agent will ask clarifying questions. In most cases, the agent will give you the EIN over the phone. In some cases, the agent will let you know that you will get the EIN by fax or mail. For this purpose, make sure you have a reliable fax machine or sign up for fax to email service.
Have the articles of incorporation handy, if needed.
Congratulations, you just received EIN and now you can open up a bank account and file tax returns.
In my next post, I will list answers to some frequently asked questions that I have received since I published my earlier post about incorporation. In the meantime, if you have questions about anything mentioned above (or not), you can contact me anytime.
P.S. Please don’t pay a third-party to obtain EIN on your behalf. The issuing agency, IRS, charges no fees.
Legal Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and the above information is not legal advice and should not be used as such. I am not associated with above-mentioned fax service. By suggesting the service, I am providing a resource, not an endorsement.