EIN Application from India: Complete Step-by-Step (Form SS-4)

Every Indian founder who forms a Delaware C-Corp or Wyoming LLC needs an EIN, but an international applicant without a US principal office cannot use the IRS online application. This guide explains the current Form SS-4, phone, fax and mail routes without requiring a US visit.

Answer Capsule: Indian founders can get a US Employer Identification Number (EIN) without an SSN. Under the current IRS Form SS-4 instructions, international applicants may apply by phone or submit Form SS-4 by fax or mail. Fax applications are generally processed within four business days; mail applications should be sent at least four to five weeks before the EIN is needed. The IRS application is free.

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What Is an EIN and Why Does Your US Entity Need One?

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a 9-digit tax identification number - formatted as XX-XXXXXXX - issued by the US Internal Revenue Service to identify a business entity for federal tax purposes. It is the US equivalent of India’s CIN or TAN, but broader in scope.

Your Delaware C-Corp or Wyoming LLC cannot function without one. You need an EIN to open a US business bank account (Mercury, Relay, Brex), process payments through Stripe or PayPal, file federal tax returns (Form 1120 for C-Corps, Form 1065 for multi-member LLCs), hire US employees, and apply for business credit. Formation agents like Stripe Atlas and Doola build EIN acquisition into their onboarding because they know it’s a blocker.

The real question is not whether you need an EIN - you do - but how to get one from India without the documents US residents use. The IRS online portal at irs.gov requires the responsible party to have an SSN or ITIN. Since most Indian founders have neither, the portal is simply not an option.

There is no workaround for the online portal. You must go the Form SS-4 route.

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Who This Guide Is For

This guide is written for Indian founders and SaaS builders who have already incorporated a US entity (or are planning to) and are based in India without a US Social Security Number. If you are a US citizen or green card holder, you can use the online EIN application and skip this entirely.

If you are an Indian resident who owns or directs a Delaware C-Corp, Wyoming LLC, or any other US legal entity, this is your playbook.

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What Is Form SS-4 and How Does It Work for Non-US Residents?

Form SS-4 is the IRS’s Application for Employer Identification Number. International applicants who cannot use the online portal may apply by telephone or submit Form SS-4 by fax or mail under the current IRS instructions.

The form requires basic information about your entity: legal name, entity type (LLC, corporation, partnership), the reason for applying, the date the business started, and the identity of the “responsible party.” That last item is where most Indian founders make their first mistake.

The IRS defines the responsible party as the individual who controls, manages, or directs the entity and the disposition of its funds - in practice, this means a real human being, not another company. If you are the sole founder, that is you. The responsible party section (Line 7a) asks for a name, and Line 7b asks for an SSN, ITIN, or EIN. If you have none of these, you write “Foreign” in that field. This is explicitly permitted under IRS instructions for foreign applicants.

Line 7b is a common source of confusion for foreign applicants. Follow the current IRS instruction for a responsible party who has no SSN or ITIN and is ineligible to obtain one; do not leave the field unexplained.

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How to Complete Form SS-4: Field-by-Field Walkthrough

Download the December 2025 revision of Form SS-4 from irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-4. Open it in Adobe Acrobat, not your browser, or the fields may not save correctly when you print to PDF.

Line 1 - Legal name of entity: The exact name as it appears in your Certificate of Incorporation or Articles of Organization. If your entity is “Zeno Technologies Inc.,” write that exactly.

Line 2 - Trade name: Leave blank unless you operate under a DBA (Doing Business As) name.

Line 3 - Executor/trustee: Leave blank for most corporations and LLCs.

Lines 4a and 4b - Mailing address: You can use your India address here. The IRS will mail your EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) to this address. If you want the letter going to a US address (your registered agent, for instance), use that instead. We recommend using your India address so the CP 575 arrives directly.

Line 7a - Name of responsible party: Your legal name as it appears on your passport.

Line 7b - SSN, ITIN, or EIN: Write “Foreign” if you have none. Do not leave blank.

Line 8a - Is this an LLC? Check “Yes” if you formed an LLC. Then complete 8b (number of members) and 8c (if it was organized in the US, check yes).

Line 9a - Type of entity: For a single-member LLC, select “Sole proprietor.” For a multi-member LLC, select “Partnership.” For a C-Corp, select “Corporation” and write “1120” on the adjacent line. This is counterintuitive for single-member LLCs - you are not actually a sole proprietor, but the IRS treats a disregarded entity this way for tax classification purposes.

Line 10 - Reason for applying: Select “Started a new business.”

Line 11 - Date business started: The date your entity was incorporated or formed, as shown on your state’s certificate.

Line 12 - Closing month of accounting year: December for most founders using a calendar fiscal year. Confirm with your accountant if you plan a different fiscal year end.

Lines 13-15 - Employee and payroll information: Enter “0” for employees expected in the next 12 months if you have no immediate US payroll plans. Leave the payroll date fields blank.

Line 16 - Principal activity: Select the category that accurately describes the business. SaaS is not automatically “Finance & insurance”; choose based on the actual product and activity and describe it consistently on Line 17.

Line 17 - Description of products/services: One sentence. “Software as a Service subscription platform” or “Digital marketing consulting services.”

Line 18 - Prior EIN applications: Check “No” unless you have previously applied.

Sign and date the form at the bottom. The responsible party (you) must sign it.

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How to Submit Form SS-4 from India: Fax vs. Mail

The IRS permits international applicants to apply by phone, fax or mail. Its current instructions list 267-941-1099 for international telephone applications, available Monday to Friday from 6am to 11pm Eastern time. Applicants outside the United States who submit by fax should use 304-707-9471. These numbers can change, so confirm them in the current IRS instructions before submitting.

By fax (recommended): Fax your completed Form SS-4 from outside the United States to 304-707-9471, the number currently listed by the IRS for international fax submissions. The IRS says fax applications are generally processed within four business days and asks applicants to provide a return fax number if they want the EIN sent back by fax.

You can use an online fax service from India. Attach the signed SS-4 PDF, use the fax number shown in the current IRS instructions, and include a return fax number if you want the EIN faxed back rather than mailed.

By mail: Mail your completed Form SS-4 to:

Internal Revenue Service Attn: EIN International Operation Cincinnati, OH 45999 USA

Mail processing takes 4 weeks from receipt. Given international postal delays from India, the actual wait from sending to receiving your CP 575 letter is often 6-10 weeks. Unless you have no urgency at all, fax is the correct choice.

Cost: The IRS charges nothing for an EIN. A fax provider or professional preparer may charge for transmission or preparation, but that is separate from the IRS fee.

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What Happens After You Submit: EIN Timeline and What to Expect

After faxing, the IRS generally processes the application within four business days. If you included a return fax number, the IRS can return the EIN by fax; otherwise, allow for postal delivery. A bank or payment provider may apply its own document checks, so confirm what proof it accepts.

If you want the IRS to return the EIN by fax, include a return fax number. Otherwise allow for mail delivery under the current IRS process.

The CP 575 letter is your official IRS EIN confirmation. Keep it permanently. Banks, future CPAs, and IRS correspondence all reference this letter. If you lose it, you can call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line to receive a 147-C letter (a replacement confirmation), but it requires another international call and wait time.

One specific scenario to prepare for: if the IRS cannot match your SS-4 information to existing IRS records - which happens when a foreign individual has never filed anything with the IRS before - they may issue a letter (CP 575 or 147-C) requesting clarification. Respond promptly. Delays at this stage can push EIN issuance to 6+ weeks.

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Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection or Delay

After structuring 300+ US entities for Indian founders, these are the errors I see repeatedly.

Leaving Line 7b blank instead of writing “Foreign.” This causes the IRS to reject the application as incomplete. “Foreign” is the explicit instruction in IRS Publication 1635 for applicants without a US taxpayer identification number.

Using the wrong entity type on Line 9a. A single-member LLC disregarded for tax purposes should be listed as “Sole proprietor” on Line 9a. Founders who list “Limited liability company” without filling in the LLC-specific boxes (8a, 8b, 8c) correctly create processing confusion.

Not signing the form. The IRS will not process an unsigned SS-4. The responsible party must sign at the bottom of page 2.

Using a formation agent’s address without clarifying the mailing address. If your registered agent’s address is on Line 4, your CP 575 letter goes there. Some registered agents discard mail that isn’t flagged in their instructions. Clarify with your agent that they will hold and forward IRS correspondence, or use your India address.

Applying for a new EIN when the entity already has one. If your formation agent (Stripe Atlas, Doola, Northwest) obtained an EIN as part of their service, you already have one. Check your formation documents before applying. The IRS does not revoke duplicate EINs, but it creates administrative confusion in your tax records.

India-side implication: The EIN is the identifier that connects your Indian ODI (Overseas Direct Investment) filing to your US entity. When you file the Annual Performance Report (APR) with the RBI by December 31 each year, you report your US entity’s financial details using the EIN as the entity identifier. If your EIN application is delayed, your APR filing is blocked. This is why we recommend obtaining your EIN within 30 days of formation - don’t wait until December.

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Does Your EIN Situation Trigger Any Indian Compliance?

Getting an EIN does not, by itself, trigger any Indian regulatory requirement. It is a US tax registration, not an investment event. But the act of forming the US entity that requires the EIN almost certainly does trigger Indian compliance under FEMA.

If you are an Indian resident who has invested in a US entity - by paying incorporation fees, contributing capital, or transferring IP - you are required to file an ODI (Overseas Direct Investment) application with your AD (Authorized Dealer) bank. The master direction for ODI is the RBI’s Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Directions, 2022 (RBI/2022-23/90). Non-compliance carries a penalty of INR 7,500 flat plus 0.025% of the investment amount per year of delay.

The EIN you obtain will appear in your APR filing. It signals to the RBI that your US entity is active and operating. Filing APR without proper ODI registration on record is a common trigger for RBI scrutiny.

Obtaining an EIN and opening a US bank account do not complete India-side overseas-investment reporting. Coordinate the applicable reporting with the designated AD bank before making the investment or remittance.

For a detailed breakdown of ODI filing requirements, see our guide on FEMA compliance for Indian founders with US entities.

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What ZenoLedger Handles for You

Getting an EIN is one step in a longer compliance chain. The practical sequence - formation, EIN, bank account, ODI filing, annual tax returns in both countries, APR - has enough interdependencies that doing any single step wrong creates problems downstream.

ZenoLedger manages the full cross-border compliance stack for Indian founders with US entities. We file Form SS-4 on your behalf, coordinate with your registered agent, track the EIN confirmation, and connect it directly to your ODI filing and ongoing RBI compliance.

If you want ZenoLedger to prepare and track your EIN application as part of a formation and compliance engagement, book a free consultation. IRS processing and any follow-up remain outside a filing service’s control.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get an EIN number in India? Complete IRS Form SS-4 with your entity details and your name as the responsible party. If the responsible party does not have and is ineligible for an SSN or ITIN, follow the current IRS instruction for Line 7b. International applicants can apply by phone or submit the form by fax or mail; the IRS says fax applications are generally processed within four business days. There is no IRS fee.

Can a non-US citizen get an EIN? Yes. Non-US citizens can obtain an EIN for a US business entity. The IRS online portal requires an SSN or ITIN, but non-residents can apply via Form SS-4 by fax or mail. The responsible party does not need to be a US citizen or resident.

What is Form SS-4? Form SS-4 is the IRS’s Application for Employer Identification Number. It is a two-page form that collects information about your entity - legal name, type, purpose, and the identity of the responsible party. For international applicants, it is the primary method to obtain an EIN. Download it at irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-4.

Do I need an SSN to get an EIN? No. Indian founders without an SSN or ITIN can apply via Form SS-4 by writing “Foreign” in Line 7b. The online portal at irs.gov does require an SSN, which is why international applicants must use the fax or mail method instead.

How long does the EIN application take from India? The IRS says fax applications are generally processed within four business days and advises mailing Form SS-4 at least four to five weeks before the EIN is needed. Postal transit and requests for clarification can extend that timing.

What happens if I apply for an EIN twice? The IRS will issue two separate EINs. This creates a problem because your formation documents, bank accounts, and tax filings will be associated with one EIN, while the other sits unused. If this happens, call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line and request that the duplicate EIN be closed. It does not get cancelled - it simply becomes inactive.

Does getting an EIN require me to visit the US? No. The entire SS-4 process can be completed from India via online fax services. You do not need to appear in person at any US government office. The IRS mails the CP 575 confirmation to whatever mailing address you provide on the form.

What is the difference between EIN, FEIN, and TIN? EIN and FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) are identical - the same 9-digit number issued by the IRS. “TIN” (Taxpayer Identification Number) is an umbrella term that includes EINs, SSNs, and ITINs. When a US bank or payment processor asks for your TIN, they mean your EIN.