When you form a US LLC through a formation service (Northwest, ZenBusiness, doola, Firstbase, LegalZoom, Incfile and the rest), you are offered an EIN as an add-on, typically for $50 to $150 or bundled into a higher tier. Many foreign owners tick the box, pay, and then discover that the EIN arrives weeks after the LLC itself. Here is why, and what you can do about it.
What the add-on actually is
For a US resident with an SSN, a formation service can apply online and have the number in minutes. For you, they cannot. The IRS online tool refuses applicants without an SSN or ITIN, so the service falls back to the same route available to everyone: fill in Form SS-4, put themselves down as third party designee, and fax or mail it to the IRS. From that moment they are in the same queue you would be in. Their own help pages say so in so many words: "4 to 8 weeks for non-US residents", "up to 30 business days", "EIN timing depends on the IRS".
Most also wait for the IRS to send the confirmation back to them by fax or mail, then forward you the number, sometimes only as a number in an email rather than the IRS letter. If you need the letter for a bank, you ask again and wait again.
What this costs you
- Four to eight weeks without a bank account. The LLC exists but cannot receive money. See why the EIN comes first for banking.
- No visibility. The status in your dashboard says "processing" for weeks. Support tickets get the answer "waiting for the IRS".
- No recourse for delay. The add-on fee is for filing, not for a delivery time.
- Sometimes a second wait for proof. A number alone does not open a bank account; you need the CP 575 or 147c letter. See what the 147c letter is.
Why SwiftEIN is faster
We do one thing, for one kind of customer. We prepare the SS-4 so it goes through the first time, file it through our established process and contacts, follow up directly rather than waiting for mail, and request the 147c verification letter by fax the moment the IRS assigns the number. The result is that 99% of our orders are done in 72 hours or less, measured from payment to the 147c letter in your inbox. There is no special IRS arrangement behind it, just a process that avoids the common delays and a team that does this every day.
| Formation service add-on | SwiftEIN | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to EIN (no SSN) | 4 to 8 weeks | 72 hours or less for 99% of orders |
| What you receive | Number by email, letter later or on request | IRS 147c letter as a scan of the IRS fax |
| If it takes longer | Wait | We reach out to you; usually a few more days, with a partial or full refund if it takes considerably longer |
| Status | "Processing" | Status page with order number, email at every step |
| Price | $50 to $150 or bundled | $149, refunded if the IRS issues no EIN |
If the formation service has already filed
You are not stuck waiting. The IRS issues only one EIN per entity, so a second application does not create a duplicate. Order from us and upload the SS-4 your formation service filed (ask them for a copy; they have to give it to you). We check where the application stands, retrieve the number if it has been assigned, and send you the 147c letter. If it has not been assigned, we get the application through.
When the add-on is fine
If the owner has an SSN or ITIN, the formation service can get the EIN online in minutes, and the add-on is reasonable. If you are not in a hurry for a bank account and want everything on one invoice, it is also fine. This guide is for the case most foreign owners are in: no SSN, and a business that needs to start taking payments now.