What Is Form SS-4?

Form SS-4 is the IRS application used to request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for a business. Foreign founders without an SSN file it by fax or phone, and an EIN is required before any US bank account can be opened.

How Form SS-4 works

Form SS-4 collects the basics the IRS needs to issue an EIN: legal name, entity type, responsible party, and reason for applying.

US applicants with an SSN or ITIN can usually file online and get an EIN instantly. Foreign founders without an SSN cannot use the online tool, so they submit the form by fax or phone instead. The IRS international EIN line is 267-941-1099, and the fax line is 855-215-1627 (US) or 304-707-9471 (outside the US), with a typical turnaround of about four business days.

Line 7b is where most non-US founders get stuck.

The IRS instruction is to enter "Foreign" (or "N/A") in the SSN/ITIN field on line 7b when you do not have one. In practice, some filers leave it blank and the EIN still issues, but following the official wording avoids questions. The full walkthrough lives in our guide on getting an EIN without an SSN.

Why it matters for a global or India-based founder

Without an EIN, you cannot open a US business bank account at all.

Applications without an EIN are simply rejected, which means the SS-4 is the gate to everything downstream: a US bank account, USD and USDC payments, and clean tax filings. For foreign-owned single-member LLCs, that same EIN is also what you use to file Form 5472 each year. For Indian founders, getting paid in stablecoins on a compliant USDC rail starts with a properly formed US entity and its EIN.

Where StableCorp fits

StableCorp files your SS-4 as part of formation, so the EIN, the US bank account, and USD plus USDC/USDT payments are set up in one flow rather than chased separately.

That keeps you on compliant rails from day one, with the EIN and paper trail your bank and the IRS expect. See pricing for what formation and the EIN filing cost.

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