Ask the Taxman- How do you apply for an EIN if you are from Mexico?
Source: Quora
Answer:
Non-U.S. citizens can also get an EIN. However, the process for foreign business entities to apply for and receive a business EIN is a bit different than the process for U.S. citizens.
Applying for an Individual Taxpayer ID Number (ITIN) Many people think that you must have a Social Security number (SSN) to get a business EIN, but this is a misconception. Non-U.S. citizens who own businesses can still get a business EIN even if they do not have an SSN. Social Security numbers are for individual persons, whereas business EINs are for business entities; these two types of tax IDs are handled differently by the IRS. While you don’t need to have an SSN to register a foreign EIN, it does make the process simpler. This is because getting an EIN online
requires users to have a valid Taxpayer ID Number. Non-U.S. citizens or “foreign persons” typically cannot get a U.S. SSN, but there is another option of taxpayer identification called the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN. If you are not eligible to get an SSN, you can apply for an ITIN using IRS Form W-7. Getting an ITIN can be helpful in the overall process of obtaining a business EIN since it will allow you to use the online IRS form
to fill out the application for your business EIN. However, the ITIN only allows you to apply for your EIN online if your business is going to be incorporated in the U.S. According to the IRS, “If you were incorporated outside of the United States or the U.S. territories, you cannot apply for an EIN online.” So, if your business is already incorporated outside of the U.S., you likely do not need to bother with getting an ITIN. Instead, you will need to use a different process for applying for a business EIN, which is outlined below.