If you are a U.S. citizen and already have an SSN, you are not eligible to apply for a separate ITIN. When you register a new business for an EIN, the person completing the application is the responsible party for the LLC's EIN application. The responsible party can be either an individual or an existing business. As you've discovered, if you are personally applying for the EIN as the sole member of the LLC, you will have to provide your own SSN. Some new businesses opt to appoint an existing business as the responsible party. The existing business can complete the EIN application for the new LLC by providing its legal entity name and EIN. If you're concerned about the IRS having your SSN associated with the LLC, I would suggest this is a moot issue. The LLC's profits and losses are eventually going to be reported on your personal income tax return each year, so the IRS will know that you are the owner. Also, if you plan to open a bank account or apply for a credit card through the LLC, banks and credit card companies will generally always require an SSN from a responsible party. Banks are hesitant to open accounts and provide credit unless your personal information accompanies the application.