Stripe Atlas gives your LLC an EIN — the company tax ID. It does NOT give you a personal ITIN. As a foreign founder, you need both: EIN for your LLC, ITIN for you personally. Without your ITIN, Form 5472 goes unfiled and the IRS automatically fines you $25,000 per year. Here's what to do after Stripe Atlas.
Get Your ITIN — Only $99 →Stripe Atlas is excellent. It forms your Delaware LLC, gets your EIN, sets up your Stripe account, and introduces you to Mercury bank. Thousands of founders from Pakistan, Nigeria, India, the Philippines, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and around the world have used it to access the global economy.
But there is a critical gap that Stripe Atlas documentation often doesn't emphasize: Stripe Atlas provides the company's EIN — not the founder's personal ITIN. For foreign founders, these are two different tax IDs serving two different purposes. And the missing ITIN leads to a missing Form 5472 — which leads to a $25,000 IRS penalty.
| Year Formed | Years Missed | Total IRS Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formed 2024, never filed | 2 years (2024, 2025) | $50,000 |
| LLC formed 2023, never filed | 3 years (2023, 2024, 2025) | $75,000 |
| LLC formed 2022, never filed | 4 years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) | $100,000 |
| Task | Stripe Atlas Does This? | What You Need Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Form Delaware LLC | ✅ Yes | — |
| Get company EIN | ✅ Yes | — |
| Set up Stripe account | ✅ Yes | — |
| Introduce to Mercury bank | ✅ Yes | — |
| Get personal ITIN for founder | ❌ No | ITIN Plus — $99 |
| File Form 5472 annually | ❌ No | US CPA (annual, ~$200–400) |
| File Form 1120 (pro forma) | ❌ No | US CPA (included with 5472 filing) |
| Personal W-8BEN for royalties | ❌ No | Submit yourself with ITIN |
| Renew ITIN every 3 years | ❌ No | ITIN Plus — renewal service |
Stripe Atlas has already done this. Your LLC is formed, your EIN is assigned, and your Stripe account is active.
Apply at itinplus.com. IRS CAA certifies your passport via video call. ITIN arrives in 7–11 weeks. This closes the Stripe Atlas gap.
Hire a US CPA familiar with foreign-owned LLCs. File pro forma Form 1120 + Form 5472 for every tax year since you formed the LLC. Your ITIN goes on this form. Cost: typically $200–$400/year.
For Amazon, TikTok Shop, and other platforms where your LLC earns revenue: submit W-8BEN-E with your EIN. For personal royalties (KDP, YouTube, licensing in your own name): submit W-8BEN with your ITIN.
Annual deadline: April 15 (or October 15 with extension). Set a calendar reminder every January. Never miss it — the $25,000 penalty is permanent once assessed.
You have the EIN. Now get the ITIN. Complete your US compliance setup for $99.
Apply for ITIN — $99 →| Provider | Price | IRS CAA? | Passport Mailing? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITIN Plus | $99 — Lowest Price | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| ITINSERVICES.com | $160 (+61%) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| ein-itin.com | $245 (+148%) | ❌ Outsourced | ❌ No |
| TheITIN.com | $348 (+252%) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
No. Stripe Atlas provides your US LLC's EIN (Employer Identification Number). This is the company's tax ID, not your personal tax ID. As a foreign founder, you need a personal ITIN separately for Form 5472 annual IRS compliance and personal W-8BEN submissions. ITIN Plus provides the ITIN for $99.
Form 5472 is the annual IRS information return required for all foreign-owned US LLCs. Every Stripe Atlas LLC owned by a non-US person must file it annually — even with zero revenue. The penalty for non-filing is $25,000 per form per year, automatically assessed without prior warning. An ITIN is required to file correctly as the foreign owner.
EIN identifies your LLC (business entity). ITIN identifies you personally (the foreign owner). They serve different purposes. The EIN is used for Stripe, Mercury, Amazon, and business tax returns. The ITIN is used for Form 5472 (where you list yourself as the foreign owner), personal W-8BEN for royalty income in your own name, and Form 1040-NR if you have personal US income to report or recover.
No. Stripe Atlas's documentation explicitly states that founders are responsible for their own tax compliance. Form 5472 is not filed by Stripe Atlas or any LLC formation service. You need a US CPA to file it annually. And you need your personal ITIN to complete it correctly.
First, get your ITIN from ITIN Plus ($99). Then immediately contact a US CPA experienced with foreign-owned LLCs. They can file late Form 5472 returns and may be able to seek penalty abatement with a "reasonable cause" argument. Don't wait — every additional year adds another $25,000 penalty, and the continuing-failure penalty adds $25,000 more per 90 days after IRS notice.
7–11 weeks through ITIN Plus. No passport mailing required. Apply as soon as possible after forming your LLC — ideally in the same year, so your first Form 5472 filing is complete and on time.
EIN ✅ done. ITIN ⬜ needed. Close the gap and protect yourself from the $25,000 penalty.
Start Application — $99 →