Form SS-4

Form SS-4 (Application for Employer Identification Number) is the IRS form used to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) — the nine-digit tax identification number required for virtually all U.S. business operations including opening bank accounts, filing tax returns, hiring employees, and establishing payment processor accounts with Stripe, PayPal, and other platforms. U.S.-based applicants with a Social Security Number (SSN) or existing Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can apply online through the IRS website and receive an EIN within 15 minutes. However, the form takes on critical importance for non-U.S. applicants who lack an SSN or ITIN — they must submit Form SS-4 by fax (to 855-641-6935) or mail (to the IRS Cincinnati office), which typically takes 4–8 weeks for processing, though backlogs frequently extend timelines to 10–14 weeks. The form requires the applicant to specify the entity type (LLC, corporation, partnership, trust, estate), the reason for applying (starting a new business, hiring employees, banking purposes), the expected number of employees, the first date wages were or will be paid, the principal business activity, and a responsible party with a valid U.S. or foreign taxpayer identification number. Common errors that cause IRS rejections include: incorrect entity type selection, mismatched responsible party information, applying for a duplicate EIN for an entity that already has one, and leaving the third-party designee section incomplete when using an agent. For foreign founders, the delay between Form SS-4 submission and EIN receipt represents a direct revenue bottleneck — no EIN means no bank account, no payment processing, and no vendor agreements. doola expedites Form SS-4 processing for international clients by leveraging established IRS channels and ensuring error-free submissions.