EIN vs ITIN: what is the difference and what is Form SS-4?

- An EIN identifies your business. - An ITIN or SSN identifies you as an individual. ## Understand the difference An EIN (Employer Identification Number), SSN (Social Security Number), and ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) are all nine-digit U.S. tax identification numbers, but they identify different things. ### EIN An EIN identifies your company. The IRS issues it through Form SS-4. You typically use an EIN for things like: - federal tax reporting - opening a business bank account - filing business tax returns - hiring employees ### SSN An SSN identifies you personally. It is issued by the Social Security Administration to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-citizens authorized to work in the U.S. ### ITIN An ITIN also identifies you personally. It is issued by the IRS to people who have a U.S. tax filing requirement but are not eligible for an SSN. ## What this means in practice - Your EIN is for your business. - Your SSN or ITIN is for you as an individual. - You will only ever have one personal number: either an SSN or an ITIN, not both. ## Can you get an EIN without an SSN? Yes. As a non-U.S. founder, you can get an EIN for your LLC without having an SSN. ## What is Form SS-4? IRS Form SS-4 is the application used to obtain an EIN for your business. You can: - submit Form SS-4 yourself directly to the IRS, or - have doola handle the EIN application for you as part of company formation ## When might you need an ITIN? You may separately need an ITIN if you have a personal U.S. tax filing obligation and you are not eligible for an SSN.