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ITIN guide

ITIN vs EIN: identify who needs the number

Your business and you can have different U.S. tax numbers for different filing purposes.

From US$199 · one-time fee in U.S. dollars

Business partners reviewing personal and company records
Interview by video callwith a Certifying Acceptance Agent
Checked against IRS.gov, October 3, 20266 min read
Quick answer

An ITIN identifies an eligible individual for federal tax processing. An EIN identifies a business entity and also serves certain estates and trusts.IRS Owning a company does not automatically require a personal ITIN, and the company EIN does not replace your personal tax identifier.

Nolly.com is based in Toronto and works with people worldwide, including people living in the U.S. without an SSN.

Before you apply

Help with your ITIN application

Standard ITIN applications are US$199 and exclude the U.S. tax return. Priority is US$265, with a dedicated specialist, priority document review and priority replies.

Your interview is a live video call. No mailing your original passport to the IRS.

Standard

For a first-time ITIN application.

US$199one-time fee
Choose Standard
Does not include preparing a U.S. tax return.

Includes:

  • Form W-7 prepared for you
  • Document review before it goes to the IRS
  • Video interview with a Certifying Acceptance Agent
  • Submission to the IRS
  • Status updates until your ITIN letter arrives
  • Help by email and phone

Priority

Most popular

Standard, plus a dedicated specialist, for US$66 more.

US$265one-time fee
Choose Priority
Does not include preparing a U.S. tax return.

Everything in Standard, plus:

  • A dedicated specialist from start to finish
  • Priority document review
  • Priority replies to your questions

IRS processing time is the same for both.

On this page0% read
  1. Help with your ITIN application
  2. Read the form before ordering a tax number
  3. The applications ask different questions
  4. Foreign ownership does not settle the online EIN route
  5. An LLC’s tax treatment still needs review
  6. Your next steps
  7. Questions
  8. Sources
$199 USDStandard, one time. Excludes the tax return.See ITIN pricing
Before you apply

Read the form before ordering a tax number

When a bank, customer or preparer asks for a tax ID, ask which holder and which field they mean. A business account application may name the company but also request personal details about its owner. Those requests should not be combined into one number.

Write the legal name beside each existing notice: you personally, the company, or an estate or trust. The IRS distinguishes the identifiers by their purpose.IRS A company name on an invoice does not tell you which form a customer is asking you to sign.

Bring the request to the preparer with the ownership record. If there is no U.S. company, say that clearly rather than assuming you must form one to answer a tax-ID question. If you already have an entity, check whether it was assigned an EIN before applying again.

Do not substitute your local tax number in a field specifically asking for an SSN, ITIN or EIN. A foreign identifier may have a separate place on a form, but that does not make it one of the U.S. numbers.

Before you apply

The applications ask different questions

Form W-7 is an individual's ITIN application. It addresses the federal tax purpose, foreign status and identity. The normal filing route includes a return unless a documented exception applies.IRS Prepare the supporting purpose before selecting a reason box.

Form SS-4 is the EIN application.IRS It asks about the applicant entity, business activity and responsible party. Company formation records and ownership information are therefore useful starting points; your passport alone does not describe the business.

The responsible party is not simply whoever types the application. Explain who actually owns or controls the applicant under the SS-4 instructions. If an adviser handles submission, keep that authority separate from the responsible-party answer.

A foreign responsible party who has no SSN or ITIN and is ineligible for one can use the specified SS-4 entry for that situation.IRS That is why a personal ITIN is not automatically a prerequisite to an EIN. Do not order an ITIN solely to fill a field without checking those instructions.

Before you apply

Foreign ownership does not settle the online EIN route

The IRS online EIN service has principal-location and responsible-party tax-number conditions.IRS A U.S. mailing address or registered-agent address should not be used to hide where the business actually operates.

Give the preparer the legal entity, the real business location and any earlier assignment record. Discuss the applicable international application method if the online requirements are not met. Do not create fictitious personal details to make a screen accept the request.

The business may need an EIN while its owner has no personal U.S. return requirement. Conversely, the owner might need an ITIN for a personal return even though the entity already has an EIN. Assess the two tax purposes separately.

An assignment notice confirms the number. It does not complete all company reporting, create a bank account or approve a treaty benefit. Keep the next filing and account requirements in a separate list.

Before you apply

An LLC’s tax treatment still needs review

Do not infer all of a company's filing obligations from the letters LLC. Ownership and federal classification matter. The SS-4 instructions explain separate EIN uses for disregarded entities, including employment, excise and certain foreign-owner reporting.IRS

A foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity can need its own EIN for Form 5472 reporting.IRS That does not turn the business number into the individual owner's ITIN or establish that every receipt belongs on the same return.

Keep owner funding, withdrawals and customer receipts distinguishable. Ask the return preparer which filings apply to the entity and which apply to the owner. A ledger showing only a year-end balance conceals the transactions needed for that review.

Use the EIN service for a business-number request and the ITIN service for an eligible personal application. An EIN is US$75; company plus EIN is US$125. Confirm the service scope against the actual request before choosing either.

Before you apply

Your next steps

  1. 1

    Name the holder

    Identify whether the request concerns you, an entity or both.

    Identity
  2. 2

    Collect existing notices

    Find any assigned EIN, ITIN or SSN before requesting another.

    Records
  3. 3

    Review the relevant form

    Use W-7 for an eligible individual and SS-4 for the entity.

    Application
  4. 4

    Assign the later filings

    Keep company and personal reporting responsibilities separate.

    Follow-up
Questions

Your questions answered

No. An ITIN identifies an eligible individual; an EIN identifies the business or other entity for its applicable tax purposes.IRS

Not automatically. SS-4 has instructions for a foreign responsible party who has no SSN or ITIN and is ineligible for one.IRS

The numbers serve different holders and purposes. Have the personal return identifier reviewed rather than substituting the company number.IRS

No. The identifier and the required returns are separate matters.IRS

More questions? See the full Nolly.com FAQ.

Sources

How we checked this

Every IRS fact on this page comes from IRS.gov or the other official pages listed below and was checked on October 3, 2026. Nolly.com's own prices are the only exception. Nolly.com is a private company and is not part of the IRS.

Proof Nolly.com is on the IRS list
Excerpt of the IRS page Acceptance agents - Canada showing Nolly Services Inc d/b/a Nolly.com, 265 Rimrock Road, Suite 201, Toronto

Nolly Services Inc, d/b/a Nolly.com, appears on the IRS page Acceptance agents – Canada. Nolly.com is a private company and isn't part of the IRS.

Pages used
  1. Instructions for Form W-7 (Rev. 12-2024)https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw7
  2. Taxpayer identification numbershttps://www.irs.gov/tin/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin
  3. Individual taxpayer identification numberhttps://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin
  4. When and how to renew an ITINhttps://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/how-to-renew-an-itin
  5. Employer identification numberhttps://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-number
  6. Form SS-4 instructions, December 2025https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iss4

Checked against IRS.gov on October 3, 2026. General information, not tax advice.

Your ITIN documents, reviewed before submission

Start with your federal tax purpose and the number already in your records.