What an EIN Actually Is
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the IRS's tax ID for a business, not a person. It's what identifies your LLC or corporation on tax filings, bank applications, and marketplace registrations — separate entirely from any personal identification number you may or may not have.
EIN vs. SSN vs. ITIN
An SSN and an ITIN both identify an individual for tax purposes; an EIN identifies the business itself. A non-US founder without an SSN or ITIN can still get an EIN for their company — it's one of the few US tax identifiers foreign owners can obtain without first having a personal US tax number.
Key Insights
- 1Banks, Stripe, Amazon, and most US marketplaces require an EIN before they'll even begin verifying your business.
- 2Foreign-owned single-member LLCs need an EIN specifically to file IRS Form 5472 and Form 1120 each year.
