EIN
EIN vs SSN vs ITIN: Which Identifier Does What
EIN, SSN, and ITIN are three different US tax identifiers. Mixing them up delays bank applications, W-9 forms, and IRS filings. The short version: an SSN is a personal number for people eligible for Social Security; an ITIN is a personal number for tax filing when an SSN is not available; an EIN is a federal identifier for a business (and some other applicants). You cannot use one in every box that asks for another.
Scriplit is not a law firm or a CPA firm. This comparison is general information, not tax or immigration advice. Confirm current IRS definitions and application rules. Holding any of these numbers does not guarantee banking, Stripe, visas, or tax outcomes.
Side-by-side
| EIN | SSN | ITIN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued by | IRS | Social Security Administration | IRS |
| What it identifies | A business entity (or a sole proprietor / other SS-4 applicant) | A person eligible for an SSN | A person who needs a US tax ID but is not eligible for an SSN |
| Typical format | XX-XXXXXXX | XXX-XX-XXXX | 9XX-XX-XXXX (ITIN range) |
| How you usually apply | EIN assistant (if eligible) or Form SS-4 | SSA process (in person / enumerated rules); not a company formation form | Form W-7 with a tax return or as the W-7 instructions currently allow |
| Work authorization | None | SSN is tied to SSA records; an SSN by itself is not a visa | None. An ITIN is not work permission |
| Goes on a company W-9 | Usually the company’s EIN | Only if you are a US person sole proprietor using SSN as instructed | Not a company EIN; personal, if a form asks for the individual’s ITIN |
| Goes on Form SS-4 responsible party | The EIN is the result, not the input | If the responsible party has one | If the responsible party has one and the form asks |
| Useful for US LLC banking | Usually required for the entity | Sometimes requested for a US person owner’s KYC | Sometimes relevant for a person; not a substitute for the LLC’s EIN |
EIN: the company’s federal ID
When a bank or Stripe asks for the LLC’s tax ID, they mean the EIN. Put that number on the company’s W-9 if you are a US person required to complete W-9 for the entity. Foreign persons often use Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN for individuals) instead of W-9; those forms have their own ID fields. Guessing is how backup withholding conversations start.
Background: what is an EIN. Foreign-owned application path: how to get an EIN for a foreign-owned LLC.
SSN: personal, and not a formation prize
A Social Security Number is issued under SSA rules, typically to US citizens, permanent residents, and certain visa holders who are authorized to work. Forming a Wyoming LLC does not create an SSN. You should not need an SSN merely to own an LLC. You might need one later if you become a US employee or otherwise become eligible and required to have one.
Never share an SSN in a chat with a “registered agent” who emailed you from a free webmail address. Banks will ask for it from US persons as KYC. That is different from typing it into a random formation upsell page.
The EIN online assistant’s demand for an SSN/ITIN is about the responsible party’s identity in that tool, not a citizenship test for LLC ownership.
ITIN: personal tax filing, not a mini-EIN
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number lets certain non-residents (and others without SSNs) file US tax returns or be listed on returns. It is applied for with Form W-7 under current IRS attachment rules — often with a tax return. It is not a shopping pass, not a work permit, and not the LLC’s identifier.
You might need an ITIN if you must file a US personal return, claim a treaty benefit that requires a number, or be listed as a responsible party in a process that demands a US tax ID for a person. You do not automatically need an ITIN to own an LLC or to apply for an EIN by SS-4. Some people get an ITIN years after the LLC exists, when a filing first requires it. Some never do. That is a CPA conversation based on your income sources.
Do not buy “ITIN packages” that promise the number without a real filing purpose. The IRS has tightened W-7. Expired ITINs also exist; they need renewal under IRS rules if you still must use them.
Common mix-ups
- Putting an SSN in the EIN box on a processor form for the LLC. The processor then thinks the merchant is a person, or the numbers fail checksum-style reviews.
- Putting the EIN on a personal visa form as if it were an SSN.
- Assuming an ITIN lets you use the EIN assistant — it might, if you are the responsible party and the assistant accepts ITIN, but getting an ITIN only for that click is usually the long way around SS-4.
- Using a home-country national ID in a US nine-digit field. It will not parse as an EIN.
What to put where, in practice
- LLC bank and Stripe business profile: company EIN once you have it.
- Owner KYC: passport; SSN or ITIN only if that person has one and the bank asks.
- US payers requesting a W-9 for the company: EIN (if you are required to give a W-9).
- Personal US tax return: SSN or ITIN, never the company’s EIN as your personal ID.
Once the EIN letter exists, store it and use the digits consistently — next steps are in after you receive your EIN. If you need the number as part of formation, use US LLC formation or contact Scriplit. Bring questions about which box to tick, not a request to invent an SSN.