FAQs
Signing up as a sole proprietor without employer ID number : Stripe: Help & Support. If you are a sole proprietor and do not have a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), or if you would rather use your social security number instead, you can skip the EIN field in the account onboarding form altogether.
Can I use Stripe without an EIN? ›
If you do not have an EIN and are an individual (not an LLC, Sole Proprietor, etc.) you can generally use your SSN in place of the EIN.
Can I have a Stripe account without a business? ›
Can I use Stripe as an Individual (not a company)? Yes, Stripe is built for all kinds of businesses, which includes individuals who may not have a company in their name. When you activate your account, you should select that you are a Individual/Sole proprietor.
What is required to successfully activate a US-based Stripe account? ›
To have a US Stripe account, you must be incorporated in the US and have a valid physical US address. Stripe will verify your legal entity name, entity type, EIN, and business address on your articles of incorporation or other documents. P.O. Box addresses are not accepted.
Can you use Stripe without ID? ›
Stripe may require additional documentation for verification if it cannot be done automatically. Acceptable documents vary by country and must include… Stripe may require users to upload a photo of a government-issued photo ID and a selfie for identity verification to the Dashboard.
How do I avoid taxes on Stripe? ›
If you don't want to collect tax on a given product, you can assign the product tax code Nontaxable ( txcd_00000000 ) to it, to make sure Stripe Tax treats it as a nontaxable product. Otherwise, Stripe Tax automatically determines when a product is exempt or zero rated.
What if you never use your EIN? ›
Regardless of whether the EIN is ever used to file Federal tax returns, the EIN is never reused or reassigned to another business entity. The EIN will still belong to the business entity and can be used at a later date, should the need arise.
Can anyone have a Stripe account? ›
You can sign up for a standard Stripe account if you are 13 years old or older. If you are under the age of 18, Stripe requires that a legal guardian add themselves as the account owner of your Stripe account before your account can accept charges and before we are able to transfer funds to your bank account.
What do you need for Stripe US verification? ›
Individuals that Stripe can't verify must provide proof of liveness, which entails taking a selfie and uploading an ID document using Stripe Identity. Your platform needs to integrate with Connect Onboarding to allow such individuals to complete this requirement.
What documents do you need to open a Stripe account? ›
A physical location in that country at which you are able to receive mail (Cannot be a P.O. box) A phone number in that country. A government-issued ID, such as a passport or driver's license, from any country.
Proof of Identity document requirements:
Both front and back of a driver's license or identity card. The entire personal information page of a passport.
Why won't Stripe verify my ID? ›
ID cannot be expired. ID must not be redacted, altered, or damaged. All edges of ID must be visible. Check that your ID type is supported.
How to use Stripe without tax ID? ›
If you are a sole proprietor and do not have a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), or if you would rather use your social security number instead, you can skip the EIN field in the account onboarding form altogether.
Can I use Stripe without a business license? ›
You can use Stripe to sell a product if you have not established a separate business entity to do so. Stripe supports the following alternative business types that you can choose from when signing up: Sole proprietorship: If you do not have a separate entity and operate by yourself.
Do you need a business ID for Stripe? ›
To transact on Stripe, Stripe must verify: Business identification (address and website ownership) and bank account information.
Can I do business without an EIN number? ›
The IRS requires most businesses to have a federal tax ID number. All business entities that have employees must have one. Businesses that file taxes as a corporation or partnership also need to get an EIN, even if they don't have any employees.
Does Stripe report to IRS? ›
Stripe sends 1099-K forms when your activities on the platform exceed certain IRS thresholds. For tax year 2023 and those before, you'd get a 1099-K if you earned more than $20,000 and completed at least 200 transactions on a payment platform. However, those thresholds are now changing.
Does Stripe verify ID? ›
With Stripe Identity, we were able to build a progressive verification experience. We start with an ID number check, and if that fails we automatically ask for an ID document. This lets us keep our community safe without adding unnecessary friction.
Does Stripe require a merchant ID? ›
Since Stripe is a full-service payment-processing solution that offers the functionality of a merchant account, our users don't need to open a merchant account on their own and therefore are not given a merchant ID number.