How to Get an EIN for an LLC

Step 1: Form Your LLC With the State First

Apply for an EIN only after your state approves your Articles of Organization. The EIN application asks for your LLC's exact legal name, the state it was formed in, and its formation date, and the IRS can reject an application if the name doesn't match your state filing. Have your approved formation document in hand before you start.

Step 2: Identify Your LLC's "Responsible Party"

Every EIN application names a responsible party, the individual who ultimately owns or controls the LLC and has access to its funds and assets. For a single-member LLC, this is usually the owner; for a multi-member LLC, it's typically a managing member. You'll need that person's name and either their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Step 3: Gather the Rest of What the Application Needs

Beyond the LLC's name, state, and formation date, the application asks for the LLC's mailing address, the reason you're applying (such as starting a new business or hiring employees), and the number of members. Decide your LLC's tax classification before you apply, since the application asks whether it's a single-member disregarded entity, a partnership, or whether you're electing corporate treatment.

Step 4: Apply Online if You Qualify

Most U.S.-based LLCs can apply through the IRS's free online EIN application, available to applicants with a Social Security number or ITIN and a principal place of business in the United States. The online system issues the EIN immediately once you complete the application, making it the fastest method by far.

Step 5: Apply by Phone, Fax, or Mail if You Don't Qualify for the Online Tool

If you don't have a U.S. principal place of business, or prefer not to use the online system, apply using Form SS-4 instead. International applicants can call 267-941-1099 (Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern), fax the form to 855-215-1627 domestically or 304-707-9471 from outside the U.S., or mail it to the IRS's EIN International Operation in Cincinnati, Ohio. These methods take longer than the instant online application, so apply with enough lead time if a deadline depends on having the EIN.

Step 6: Save Your Confirmation Notice

Once the IRS assigns your EIN, it issues a confirmation notice, whether immediately online or by mail for a phone, fax, or mail application. Keep this notice with your LLC's permanent records; banks, lenders, and anyone else who needs to verify your EIN will typically ask to see it.

Step 7: Use the EIN to Open a Bank Account and Register for Taxes

Once you have the EIN, you can open a business bank account in the LLC's name, which almost all banks require instead of a personal account tied to an individual's SSN. Use the same EIN on your federal tax filings, any state tax registrations that ask for a federal ID number, and payroll setup if you hire employees.

A Note on Applying for More Than One LLC

If you're forming multiple LLCs around the same time, remember the IRS allows only one EIN per responsible party per day, regardless of application method. If you need EINs for several LLCs quickly, spread the applications across more than one day rather than assuming you can get them all at once.

What the Application Does Not Require

You don't need an attorney, an accountant, or a paid service to apply; the application is designed for a business owner to complete directly. You also don't need your operating agreement, a business plan, or any financial projections, since the EIN application is strictly an identification request, not a review of the business itself.

Online Session Timing

The IRS's online EIN application session expires after a period of inactivity, so have all your information gathered and ready before you start rather than looking things up partway through. If the session times out, you'll need to restart the application from the beginning.

Double-Check the Name and Address Before Submitting

A mismatch between the LLC's name on the EIN application and its state-approved name is one of the most common reasons an application is rejected or delayed. Copy the name exactly as it appears on your Articles of Organization, including punctuation and the LLC designator.

If You Lose Your EIN Confirmation Notice

You don't need to reapply if you misplace the confirmation. You can find the EIN on a previously filed tax return, or call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line to have it verified over the phone once you confirm your identity as an authorized party for the LLC.

A Third Party Can Apply on Your Behalf

You can authorize someone else, such as an accountant or a formation service, to complete the EIN application for your LLC using a signed third-party designee authorization. This doesn't change the LLC's responsible party; it only authorizes someone else to handle the paperwork.

You Never Need to Pay a Separate Fee to the IRS for This

The EIN application itself is free directly from the IRS, regardless of which method you use. If a service charges you for help completing the application, that charge is for their assistance, not a government fee, since the IRS doesn't charge anything to issue the number itself.

Keep the Tax Classification Choice Consistent With Your Plans

The application asks you to indicate the LLC's tax classification, and changing that classification later, such as electing S corporation treatment after applying as a disregarded entity, requires a separate filing. Answer this question based on your actual plans rather than a default guess, so you don't have to correct it with an additional filing soon after.

Update the IRS if Your Responsible Party Changes Later

If the person who controls the LLC changes after you've gotten the EIN, such as a managing member change, the IRS requires reporting that update on Form 8822-B within 60 days. Keeping this current matters if the IRS or a bank ever needs to verify who controls the LLC.