Quick answer
To get an EIN, apply on the IRS website, where the application is free and the number is issued immediately if the application is approved. The online tool is for a business formed in the United States or its territories and needs the responsible party’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN); anyone who cannot use it can fax or mail Form SS-4 instead. Rules vary by state and city, and this page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and it is not part of the IRS process described here. See where Nation fits.
How to get an EIN: online, by fax, by mail or by phone
To get an EIN, apply directly with the IRS. The IRS recommends that you apply for your EIN electronically, if possible: the online application is free, and the IRS issues the number immediately if the application is approved. An EIN, or employer identification number, is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities, written as a 9-digit number (for example, 12-3456789).
The IRS no longer issues EINs by telephone for domestic taxpayers, so a US business that cannot use the online tool sends Form SS-4 by fax or mail. The table shows who can use each method and how the EIN reaches you.
Do you need an EIN?
The IRS says you need an EIN if any of these apply to your business:
- You have employees.
- You will need to pay employment, excise or alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes.
- You withhold taxes on income, other than wages, paid to a non-resident alien.
- You operate a partnership, limited liability company (LLC), corporation, tax-exempt organization, estate or trust.
A shop you run on your own, without registering it as anything else, is a sole proprietorship: the SBA says you are automatically considered to be a sole proprietorship if you do business activities but don’t register as any other kind of business. A sole proprietor with no employees who does not owe those taxes is not on that IRS list, but you can still request one for banking or state tax purposes. The IRS application page gives a broader list and says that, generally, you need an EIN to pay sales and excise taxes, so check what your state asks for when you register to collect sales tax.
For a single-member LLC, the answer depends on the tax. The IRS lists the LLC among entities that need an EIN. For income tax, though, a single-member LLC is by default disregarded as an entity separate from its owner, while for employment tax and certain excise taxes it is still considered a separate entity and is required to use its name and EIN for reporting and payment of employment taxes. The IRS page on new EINs gives the working rule: a single-member LLC gets its own EIN if you have to file excise or employment taxes, and you need no new EIN if you use your sole proprietor EIN for your single-member LLC and don’t choose to be taxed as a corporation or an S corporation and don’t have employees or owe excise tax.
An LLC with more than one member is, by default, classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, so it falls under the partnership rule. The SBA describes the EIN as the number you need to pay federal taxes, hire employees, open a bank account, and apply for business licenses and permits.
How to apply for an EIN online, step by step
The online application is free, and you must complete it in one session, with no option to save it for later. Because it expires after 15 minutes of inactivity, gather everything below before you start.
Form your LLC or corporation with the state first
If you are creating an LLC or a corporation, form your entity through the secretary of state before you apply for an EIN. If you skip this, your EIN application may be delayed. The SBA says to apply right after you register your business.
Confirm you can use the online tool
The business must be formed in the United States or its territories and have its principal place of business in the United States or its territories. The person applying must be the responsible party in control of the entity or its authorized representative. The responsible party is the person in charge of the entity and its assets, and that person must be an individual (that is, a natural person), not an entity.
Gather what the IRS asks for
The IRS lists what you need: your business entity type and the Social Security number or taxpayer ID number of the responsible party. Pick the entity type that matches your state filing. On Form SS-4, an LLC must enter the number of LLC members on line 8b, so have the member count ready if you formed an LLC.
Write the name and address the way the IRS accepts them
Enter the business name as it appears on your registration or formation documents. IRS systems accept only letters (A-Z), numbers (0-9), hyphens (-), and ampersands (&) in business names. For the symbols +, @ and ., spell them out or replace them with a space (Jones.Com becomes Jones Dot Com or Jones Com). For slashes, use a hyphen instead, and for apostrophes, remove them without adding a space. Street addresses are limited to 35 characters, so enter key details (like apartment or suite numbers) and use USPS standard abbreviations.
Open the application during its hours
The IRS online tool is open Monday to Friday 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next day, Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. (Eastern Time).
Submit and save the confirmation
If the application is approved, the IRS issues the EIN immediately. Online applicants can view, print and save the EIN assignment notice at the end of the session. Keep a copy with your formation papers.
Apply once per business
EIN issuances are limited to one per responsible party, per day, and the IRS asks you to use only one method for each entity, so you do not end up with more than one EIN for the same business.
How to get an EIN by fax, mail or phone
If you cannot use the online tool, fill in Form SS-4. The copy downloaded from the IRS site is a fillable form, suitable for faxing or mailing to the IRS. The table above lists the fax number, mailing address and phone line.
The IRS fax line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Put your own fax number on the form so the IRS can fax the EIN back to you. For a mailed form, the IRS says to complete it at least 4 to 5 weeks before you will need an EIN.
A business based abroad can apply by phone, fax the form to 855-215-1627 from inside the United States or 304-707-9471 from outside it, or mail it to Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999.
Someone you authorize can apply for you as a third-party designee, but needs signed authorization to apply. The designee's authority terminates at the time the EIN is assigned and released to the designee. The IRS also says nominees are not authorized to apply for an EIN.
What to do after you get your EIN
You can use the EIN immediately for most business needs. The IRS gives examples: open a bank account, apply for business licenses and file a tax return by mail. You may need to wait up to 2 weeks before you can e-file a tax return or pass the IRS TIN matching program with the new number.
- Open a business bank account, if you want to keep shop money separate from personal money.
- Check whether you need a state tax ID. The SBA says to visit your state’s Department of Revenue website to identify whether you need to get a state tax ID, and that the process is similar to getting a federal tax ID number, but it will vary by state.
- Check whether your state or city needs a seller's permit or a business license for your shop. The SBA notes that local governments determine registration, licensing, and permitting requirements.
- Keep the EIN for business use. It is for use in connection with your business activities only, and a business entity should have only one EIN.
- Keep your details current. Report a new responsible party, address or location on Form 8822-B; a change of responsible party must be reported within 60 days.
If a tax return is due before the EIN arrives, write “Applied For” and the date you applied in the space shown for the number. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice, and state tax IDs, permits and licenses vary by state and city.
When you need a new EIN, and how to find a lost one
You need a new EIN, in general, when you change your entity’s ownership or structure. You do not need one to change your business name, address or responsible party.
A sole proprietor needs only one EIN, regardless of the number of businesses operated as a sole proprietorship, so a second shop under the same owner uses the same number. A sole proprietor gets a new EIN after they incorporate, form a partnership or declare bankruptcy. The single-member LLC rules are in the section on who needs an EIN above.
If you lose the number, look on the notice the IRS issued when you applied, or ask the bank that has your business account. You can also check with agencies where you’ve applied for state or local licenses, or look on past business tax returns. If you still cannot find it, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The IRS will verify your identity and give you the number over the phone if you are authorized to receive it. To confirm the number in writing, ask the same line for Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned.
If you no longer need the EIN, the IRS can’t cancel an EIN but can deactivate it.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. This guide covers an IRS process that works the same whichever store builder you use.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. The steps come from IRS and SBA pages, and no product is ranked or compared here.
Describe what you makeQuestions about getting an EIN
How long does it take to get an EIN?
An online EIN application is completed in one session, with no option to save it for later, and the IRS issues the number immediately if it is approved. By fax, the EIN comes back in about 4 business days. By mail, it arrives in approximately 4 weeks. Even with the number in hand, you may wait up to 2 weeks before you can e-file a return with it.
How much does it cost to get an EIN?
Getting an EIN from the IRS costs nothing. The online application is free, and the SBA notes that the EIN application is free of cost. The IRS warns about websites that charge for an EIN and says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. To avoid paying, apply on the IRS site or send Form SS-4 to the IRS yourself.
Do I need an EIN for a single-member LLC?
A single-member LLC needs its own EIN if you have to file excise or employment taxes. You need no new EIN if you use your sole proprietor EIN for your single-member LLC and don’t choose to be taxed as a corporation or an S corporation and don’t have employees or owe excise tax. Without a federal need, you can still request one for banking or state tax purposes.
Can I get an EIN without a Social Security number?
You can get an EIN without a Social Security number if the responsible party has an ITIN, because the online tool accepts the responsible party’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN). If the responsible party has neither and cannot get one, you enter “foreign” or N/A on line 7b of Form SS-4 and apply by fax or mail, or by phone for a business based abroad.
How do I find my EIN if I lost it?
To find a lost EIN, look on the notice the IRS issued when you applied, or ask the bank that has your business account. You can also check with agencies where you’ve applied for state or local licenses, or look on past business tax returns. If you still cannot find it, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933.
Do sole proprietors need an EIN?
A sole proprietor needs an EIN if they have employees, will pay employment, excise or alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes, or withhold taxes on income, other than wages, paid to a non-resident alien. If none of these applies, the IRS says you can still request one for banking or state tax purposes. A sole proprietor needs only one EIN, regardless of the number of businesses operated as a sole proprietorship.