Do I need an SSN to get an EIN?

Q: Do I need an SSN to get an EIN?

Foreign owners and the IRS Form SS-4 process.

You do not need a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) to get an EIN for your OtoCo LLC. Most OtoCo customers are non-U.S. founders, and the EIN process is designed for foreign-owned entities.

How it works

Order the Tax ID (EIN) add-on ($189 once)
Complete the Next steps form in the Tax ID plugin
For the responsible party, enter your foreign tax ID or passport details where the form asks — leave the SSN field blank or select the foreign-applicant option
OtoCo files IRS Form SS-4 on your behalf

Timeline without SSN

Expect several weeks for IRS manual processing. This is normal — the IRS reviews foreign-applicant EIN requests by hand. OtoCo cannot speed up IRS internal queues.

What you need on file

U.S. business address — your registered agent address works for the filing; for banking, add a Virtual Mailing Address ($249/yr)
Entity legal name — as shown on your Certificate of Formation
Responsible party details — name, foreign address, and foreign tax ID or passport number

BYOE includes EIN

If you bring your existing LLC via BYOE ($149), the EIN is included. If you already have an EIN, provide it at setup — OtoCo will use it on file.

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