How to Get an EIN Free from the IRS

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's federal tax ID. a nine-digit number the IRS uses to identify your company, the way a Social Security Number identifies an individual. It's also called a Federal Tax Identification Number.

The most important thing to know up front: the IRS issues an EIN for free. There is no government fee. You can apply directly, and for a straightforward company it takes minutes. We say that plainly because some services charge for what the IRS gives away at no cost.

Do you actually need one?

You generally need an EIN if any of the following is true:

• Your business has employees.
• Your business is a corporation or partnership (including a multi-member LLC, which is taxed as a partnership by default).
• You need to open a business bank account (most banks require an EIN for anything other than a sole proprietorship).
• You file certain excise or employment tax returns.
• You want to keep your SSN off vendor and client paperwork.

A single-member LLC with no employees is not always required to have one for federal tax purposes, but most owners get one anyway, because it is needed for a business bank account and keeps your SSN private. When in doubt, the IRS publishes a "Do You Need an EIN?" checklist.

How to apply for it yourself, at no charge

The IRS offers a few ways to apply. Use the official site, irs.gov, and never pay a government fee, because there isn't one.

Option 1: online, and fastest

• Go to the IRS website and search for "Apply for an EIN online."
• The online application is available to businesses whose principal location is in the US or a US territory and whose responsible party has a valid taxpayer ID (SSN, ITIN, or EIN).
• You complete it in a single session (it times out after inactivity), and you receive your EIN immediately on completion.

Option 2: by fax

• Complete Form SS-4 and fax it to the number listed in the IRS instructions.
• Turnaround is typically about four business days if you provide a return fax number.

Option 3: by mail

• Mail a completed Form SS-4 to the address in the instructions.
• This is the slowest route, so allow several weeks.

If you don't have an SSN

Foreign owners without an SSN or ITIN generally cannot use the online application, but can still get an EIN by submitting Form SS-4 by fax or mail (and, for international applicants, by phone using the international number in the IRS instructions). The responsible-party rules and the correct route depend on your specifics, so read the current SS-4 instructions carefully.

What you'll need before you start

• Your legal business name exactly as registered, and any trade name.
• Your entity type and formation state.
• The responsible party's name and taxpayer ID.
• Your business address and the reason you're applying.

After you get it

• Save the confirmation (the online CP 575 notice). Banks and agencies ask for it, and it's inconvenient to retrieve later.
• Use it to open your business bank account, file taxes, and hire.
• You usually keep the same EIN for the life of the business. A few events, such as certain changes in entity structure, require a new one; the IRS lists them.

Should you ever pay someone to do this?

For a standard US-based company, filing the SS-4 yourself is simple and free, and we'll tell you so. Paid EIN help is only worth considering in genuinely awkward cases, a foreign responsible party navigating the fax or mail route for instance, where the value is in getting the form right, not in the number itself. Filing Agency does not charge you a government fee that doesn't exist.

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This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. IRS procedures and forms change; confirm the current application steps and requirements at irs.gov before you apply, and consult a tax professional about your situation.