Catalogue — REF A-1…E-2
- A-1 — EIN basics for non-residents
- A-2 — EIN vs. ITIN vs. SSN — the three numbers
- B-1 — Responsible-party rules
- B-2 — Application routes, compared
- B-3 — Form SS-4, annotated line by line
- B-4 — Reference numbers 101 and 102
- B-5 — When the responsible party changes
- C-1 — Lost CP 575 & the Letter 147C replacement
- C-2 — Wrong name or address on the CP 575
- C-3 — Closing an EIN — the IRS never cancels one
- D-1 — Form 5472 + pro-forma Form 1120
- D-2 — State tax IDs are not EINs
- E-1 — TIN matching and name control
- E-2 — How a bank verifies an EIN
- The Catalogue
- Find Your Answer
- Reference Desk
- Checklist Review
- Errata & Changes
- Enquiries (FAQ)
- Imprint & Method
- Contact — Request Slip
Frequently asked questions
Q1Will you file my EIN for me?
No — never, and not at any price. EIN For Non-Residents is the reference and verification business. Filing an EIN for a foreign owner is a different business's lane. If a page on this site ever reads as though we file, it is a defect; tell us and we will fix the page. What we do is make sure you understand the filing — routes, responsible party, documents — before anyone files it.
Q2How much does an EIN cost?
At the IRS: nothing. The IRS charges no fee for an EIN. Anyone charging you is charging for their own service around the number — preparation, submission, guidance. This library's charge is for reference and review, and it is published on the Reference Desk page: $79 per year.
Q3Can a non-resident get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?
Yes, as the IRS's own materials describe. The responsible party is named truthfully on Form SS-4, the line 7b entry follows the current SS-4 instructions for a party with no U.S. number, and the application travels by fax, mail, or the international phone line rather than online. See REF B-1 and REF B-2.
Q4I lost my CP 575. Can you get me a new one?
No one can — the IRS issues the CP 575 once and never reissues it. The IRS's replacement document is the EIN verification letter, Letter 147C, which you request by phone from the Business & Specialty Tax Line (800-829-4933; from outside the U.S., 267-941-1099). The library's walkthrough is at REF C-1. Only an authorised person can make that request, which is why we publish the walkthrough instead of offering to “handle it.”
Q5Do you prepare Form 5472 or Form 1120?
No. We publish the deadline and orientation reference — who is in scope, what the filing consists of, the April 15 / October 15 dates, and the penalty as the IRS states it — and we help members keep the year's records in shape through checklist reviews. Preparation belongs to your own qualified tax professional.
Q6Why is the Reference Desk a “founding list” instead of a checkout?
Because its company does not exist yet. The Desk is operated by EIN For Non-Residents LLC, which is formed before the Desk opens. Until that company is formed, banked, and its payment account is live, taking money would mean taking it under the wrong name — so the subscribe path is built and deliberately switched off, and the founding list is offered instead: no charge, no pre-order, no promised date. Readers on the list are written to first when it opens.
Q7Is anything here tax advice?
No. Everything on this site is general information and orientation, drawn from the cited IRS sources. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice, and it does not create an adviser relationship. For your facts, use a qualified professional — several entries end by naming the exact question to take to one.
Q8How do I know an entry is current?
Every entry carries a Verified Stamp in its Margin naming the date, the primary source and its revision, and the next re-verification date. If an IRS page and this library disagree, the IRS page is right and the entry is wrong — report it and it will be corrected or retired, with the correction recorded in the Errata log. A stale library is worse than none; that sentence is policy here, not decoration.