If you are asking, what do I need to get an EIN number, start with your business's legal details, responsible-party information, entity classification, and expected employment activity. Preparing these items before applying can help you complete the IRS application accurately and avoid preventable delays.
Key Takeaways
- EIN means Employer Identification Number, not Employee Identification Number.
- Gather your legal name, trade name, addresses, entity type, formation details, responsible-party information, and employment estimates before applying.
- The IRS issues EINs for free. Paid filing services are optional third parties.
- Corporations, partnerships, employers, and businesses with certain federal tax obligations generally need an EIN.
- Many eligible applicants can apply online and receive an EIN after successfully completing the application.
- A change in ownership or legal structure may require a new EIN, while a name or address update generally does not.
What Do I Need to Get an EIN Number?
You do not usually need to upload formation documents when completing an EIN application, but the information you provide should match those documents. Have the following details ready before you begin:
- Legal business name: Use the name shown on your formation filing or other controlling legal record.
- Trade name: Provide any different name under which the business operates.
- Mailing and physical addresses: Identify where the business receives mail and where it is physically located.
- Entity type: Know whether the applicant is a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, LLC, estate, trust, nonprofit, or another organization.
- Responsible party: Provide the name and requested taxpayer identification information for the individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity.
- Formation information: An LLC should know its number of members and organizing jurisdiction. A corporation should know where it was incorporated.
- Start or acquisition date: Identify when the business began or when you acquired it.
- Reason for applying: Common reasons include starting a business, hiring employees, changing the organization's type, or purchasing an active business.
- Employment estimates: Be ready to state the maximum number of employees expected during the next 12 months and the first date wages were or will be paid.
- Business activity: Describe the principal products sold, services performed, or other primary activity.
Check spelling, dates, and addresses against your formation and ownership records. Inconsistent information can affect tax records, payroll registration, and a bank's review of your business documents.
Who Must Apply for an EIN Number?
A business generally needs an EIN if it has employees or operates as a corporation or partnership. An EIN may also be required when an organization files employment or excise tax returns, withholds tax on certain income paid to a nonresident alien, or administers a Keogh plan.
Trusts, estates, tax-exempt organizations, farmers' cooperatives, real estate mortgage investment conduits, and certain plan administrators may also need EINs. Having no employees does not settle the question. Your entity classification and federal filing obligations matter independently of your employee count.
A single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes may sometimes use its owner's taxpayer identification number for federal income tax reporting. It may still need its own EIN for employees, certain excise taxes, or other operational requirements. Multi-member LLCs generally need EINs because they are ordinarily treated as partnerships unless they elect another eligible classification. For more detail, review the rules for an LLC EIN number.
A sole proprietor without employees or applicable federal tax obligations may use an SSN instead. However, banks, licensing agencies, payment providers, or other organizations may request an EIN as part of their own procedures. An EIN identifies a business for federal tax administration, but it does not create an LLC, grant a license, or replace any required state tax account.
How to Get an EIN Number Through the IRS
The IRS provides online, fax, and mail application methods. International applicants may also qualify to apply by telephone. Use the official IRS EIN resource for current access instructions, mailing addresses, fax numbers, and international procedures. The IRS does not charge an EIN application fee.
| Method | Who May Use It | What You Submit | Expected Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Eligible applicants whose principal business, office, agency, or legal residence is in the United States or a U.S. territory | The electronic interview and requested responsible-party information | The EIN is generally issued after successful completion |
| Fax | Domestic and eligible international applicants | A completed Form SS-4 with a return fax number | Generally about four business days when the form is complete |
| Domestic and international applicants | A completed Form SS-4 sent to the applicable IRS address | Approximately four weeks | |
| Telephone | International applicants without a legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in the United States or its territories | Form SS-4 information provided to an authorized IRS representative | The number may be assigned during the call if the application is complete and authorized |
If you apply for an EIN number online, prepare first because the application must be completed in one session. Review every answer before submitting it. The IRS limits online issuance to one EIN per responsible party per day. Avoid commercial pages that resemble government portals unless you intentionally want a paid third party to assist you.
What to Expect After Your EIN Application
Save or print the EIN confirmation as soon as you receive it. Keep the record with your formation documents, tax files, and ownership records. You may need it when opening a business bank account, registering payroll, applying for licenses, completing vendor forms, or filing federal tax returns.
Although an online applicant may receive the number immediately, IRS records can take time to update for electronic returns, electronic tax deposits, or taxpayer identification number matching. Plan ahead if you need the EIN for an imminent tax or payroll obligation.
If you cannot find an existing business EIN, do not submit a second application solely to replace the missing number. Check prior federal tax returns, payroll records, bank documents, business license applications, and the original IRS confirmation. The IRS can also help an authorized person verify the number after confirming that person's identity and authority.
An EIN is federal. Your state may separately require a tax registration number, employer account, sales tax permit, or other registration. Obtaining an EIN does not automatically complete those state requirements. It also does not establish that your LLC or corporation remains in good standing. Keep the legal entity's filings, tax accounts, and licenses current under the rules that apply where you operate.
Should You Form an LLC Before Getting an EIN?
You should generally form the LLC before requesting an EIN for that LLC. Formation establishes the entity's approved legal name, jurisdiction, and ownership structure, all of which affect the EIN application. Applying too early can produce records that do not match the final formation documents.
If you are still operating as a sole proprietor, you may request an EIN for that sole proprietorship. That number does not necessarily become the EIN of an LLC you form later. The IRS may require a new EIN depending on the resulting ownership and federal tax classification. Review the rules for getting an EIN before incorporating before applying under an entity that does not yet exist.
Form the entity first when you want the EIN to identify a new LLC or corporation. You can review the required LLC application steps before filing. Partnerships should also confirm who the partners are and when the partnership begins. A separate overview of partnership EIN requirements explains how the number relates to partnership tax filings.
Do not select an entity type merely because it sounds closest to your business name. The EIN application should reflect the entity's legal form and federal tax treatment, which are not always the same.
Responsible-Party and International Applicant Requirements
The responsible party is generally the individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity or exercises ultimate effective control over it. For a small business, that person is often the owner, general partner, grantor, or principal officer. A nominee who has only limited authority to act for the entity should not be listed as the responsible party.
The IRS application requests the responsible party's taxpayer identification information. Eligible domestic applicants using the online system need the identification accepted by that system. Applicants outside the United States, or individuals who do not have an SSN or ITIN, should review the current Form SS-4 instructions rather than assuming they must obtain a particular identifier first. Those instructions explain how an international applicant should complete the responsible-party field and which non-online methods are available.
A third-party designee, such as an attorney or accountant, may assist when properly authorized, but that does not change who the true responsible party is. Keep authorization records with the application. If the responsible party later changes, update the IRS using its current change-of-address or responsible-party procedure.
If you are unsure how the entity should be classified, who qualifies as its responsible party, or whether an ownership change requires another EIN, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. An attorney can review formation and ownership documents, resolve classification questions, and check the application information for consistency before submission. Responses typically arrive within a day.
When a Business Change Requires a New EIN
A new EIN is commonly required when a business undergoes a fundamental ownership or legal-structure change. Routine administrative updates generally do not require a replacement number. Because the result depends on the entity involved, compare the change against the IRS rules for that entity.
| Business Change | Likely EIN Treatment |
|---|---|
| A sole proprietor incorporates or takes in partners | A new EIN is generally required for the new corporation or partnership. |
| A sole proprietor purchases or inherits an existing business | A new EIN is generally required when the acquired business will operate as a sole proprietorship. |
| A partnership incorporates or one partner takes over and operates as a sole proprietor | A new EIN is generally required. |
| A corporation receives a new charter or changes into a partnership or sole proprietorship | A new EIN is generally required. |
| An LLC changes its number of members or federal tax classification | The answer depends on the resulting entity and tax treatment. Check the LLC-specific IRS rules. |
| The same entity changes its name, address, or business location | The existing EIN generally remains, but the business must report the update through the applicable IRS procedure. |
Do not apply repeatedly because an application appears delayed. Duplicate applications can create inconsistent federal tax records. If the online system displays Error 109, review the possible causes and next steps in this guide to EIN online application errors. Also compare the application with your formation record for name differences, an incorrect entity type, an incomplete responsible-party entry, or an inaccurate start date before trying another method.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do I Need to Get an EIN Number Online?
You need the entity's legal and trade names, addresses, legal structure, reason for applying, formation details, business activity, and employment estimates. You must also identify the responsible party and provide the taxpayer identification information accepted by the IRS online system. Confirm current online eligibility before starting because not every domestic or international applicant can use the electronic application.
How Do I Apply for an EIN Number?
You apply directly through the IRS by using its online EIN application or submitting Form SS-4 through an authorized alternative method. Choose the method based on where the principal business is located and whether you satisfy the online identification requirements. Applying directly to the IRS is free, while a private filing company may charge for optional assistance.
How Do I Create an EIN Number for a New Business?
You do not create the number yourself, the IRS assigns it after accepting an EIN application. Establish the intended legal entity, confirm its ownership and tax classification, and then submit information that matches its formation records. Treat any number generated outside an accepted IRS process as unverified until the IRS confirms the assignment.
Can I Use My SSN Instead of an EIN?
You may use your SSN for certain sole-proprietor or disregarded single-member LLC federal income tax filings if no separate EIN requirement applies. You cannot substitute an SSN when the business needs an EIN because it has employees, operates under a classification requiring one, or has another covered federal tax obligation. Other institutions may also request an EIN under their own policies.
How Long Does It Take for an EIN to Be Approved?
Approval may be immediate for a successfully completed online application, while paper-based methods take longer. Processing can also be delayed by incomplete entries, conflicting entity information, or an applicant's need to provide additional authorization. Apply before you need to begin payroll, satisfy a filing obligation, or complete a transaction that depends on verified IRS records.
How Much Does It Cost to Set Up an EIN?
An EIN costs nothing when you apply directly through the IRS. A business may choose to pay an attorney, accountant, formation company, or filing service for advice or preparation, but that charge is not an IRS issuance fee. Confirm that any paid service clearly identifies itself as a private provider before sharing business or taxpayer information.
