How to Get an EIN for Your Business: Free from the IRS in Minutes (2026 Guide)

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is your business’s nine-digit federal tax ID, formatted like 12-3456789. Think of it as a Social Security number for your company: the IRS uses it to identify your business on tax returns, banks ask for it to open accounts, and clients use it on the tax forms they file for payments to you.

Getting one is free, and if you apply online, you get it immediately. This guide covers who needs an EIN, exactly how to apply, special situations, when you need a new one and what to do if you lose it.

Who needs an EIN

The IRS requires an EIN if your business:

• Has employees (even one).
• Operates as a corporation or partnership, including an LLC with more than one member.
• Files employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco and firearms tax returns.
• Withholds taxes on income, other than wages, paid to a nonresident alien.
• Has a Keogh or solo 401(k) retirement plan.
• Is involved with certain trusts, estates, nonprofits, farmers’ cooperatives or real estate mortgage investment conduits.

Who doesn’t need one, but should probably get one anyway

A sole proprietor or single-member LLC with no employees can usually use the owner’s Social Security number for federal tax purposes. Even so, an EIN is worth getting:

• Banks usually ask for one to open a business account.
• You protect your Social Security number. Clients who send you a Form 1099 need a taxpayer ID; giving them an EIN keeps your SSN private and reduces identity theft risk.
• You’ll need one anyway if you hire someone or add a partner later.
• It looks more established to clients and suppliers.

What you’ll need before you apply

• Your legal business name exactly as registered with your state (for an LLC or corporation), and any trade name.
• Your business structure (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, partnership).
• The responsible party: the person who ultimately owns or controls the business. They must have a Social Security number or ITIN.
• Business address and mailing address.
• The reason you’re applying (for example, starting a new business or hiring employees).
• Your start date, principal activity, and expected number of employees.

Form your LLC or corporation with the state first. If you apply for an EIN before your entity exists, the name and structure won’t match your formation documents, which causes problems with banks and the IRS.

How to apply online, step by step

1. Go to IRS.gov and find “Apply for an EIN online”. The service is available Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time.
2. Choose your entity type and answer the questions about your business. You must finish in one session; it times out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
3. Review your answers carefully, especially the legal name and responsible party.
4. Get your EIN immediately at the end of the session, and download or print the confirmation letter (CP 575). Save it with your business records; banks often ask for it.

The IRS limits online applications to one EIN per responsible party per day.

What the online application asks, screen by screen

1. Legal structure: sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, LLC, estate, trust or another type. For an LLC, you’ll be asked how many members it has and the state where it was formed.
2. Why you’re applying: most new businesses choose “started a new business”; other options include hiring employees, banking purposes or changing the type of organization.
3. Responsible party: the name and SSN or ITIN of the person who owns or controls the business, and their role (for example, owner or member).
4. Business details: legal name, trade name if any, physical and mailing addresses, county and state, and the date the business started.
5. Activity and employees: your main business activity (such as construction, retail or food service), the products or services you offer, whether you expect to have employees in the next 12 months and, if so, how many and when you’ll first pay wages.
6. Tax filing preference: small employers may be asked whether they want to file payroll taxes annually (Form 944) instead of quarterly, if they expect a small payroll tax liability.
7. Review and submit: check every answer, especially names and numbers, then submit to receive your EIN.

Have the answers ready before you start, because the session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Other ways to apply

International applicants call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free).

The most common EIN application mistakes

1. Applying before your LLC or corporation exists, so the name or entity type doesn’t match your state filing.
2. Choosing the wrong entity type. A single-member LLC is listed as an LLC with one member, not as a sole proprietorship, even though it’s taxed like one by default.
3. Typing the legal name differently from your formation documents, such as leaving out “LLC” or a comma.
4. Using someone else as the responsible party. It must be the person who actually owns or controls the business, not an assistant, accountant or nominee.
5. Applying more than once because the first session timed out. Check your records and email before starting again; duplicate EINs cause confusion.

Keeping your EIN details up to date

• Changed your business address or responsible party? File Form 8822-B with the IRS. If the responsible party changes, you must file it within 60 days.
• Changed your business name? How you notify the IRS depends on your structure: often by marking the box on your next tax return, or by writing to the IRS.
• Need proof of your EIN and can’t find your confirmation letter? Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and ask for a 147C verification letter, which banks and agencies accept.

EIN vs other tax ID numbers

Don’t pay for an EIN

Many websites that look official charge a fee to “file” for an EIN. They simply submit the same free IRS application on your behalf, sometimes slowly, and they collect your personal information along the way. Apply directly at IRS.gov, and check that the address ends in .gov.

When you need a new EIN

Generally you need a new EIN when your business’s ownership or structure changes, for example when:

• A sole proprietor incorporates or forms a partnership.
• A partnership incorporates or is taken over by one owner who runs it as a sole proprietorship.
• You buy or inherit an existing business that you’ll run as a sole proprietor.
• A corporation receives a new charter from the state, or becomes a subsidiary of another corporation using its own EIN.

You generally don’t need a new EIN when you change your business name or address (you notify the IRS instead) or when an LLC or corporation elects S corporation tax status. The IRS’s “Do you need a new EIN?” page lists every case.

If you lose your EIN

• Find your CP 575 confirmation letter, if you saved it.
• Check old tax returns, bank documents or business licenses, which often show it.
• Ask your bank or any agency where you used 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. An authorized person (such as an owner or officer) can get the number after verifying their identity.

What to do after you get your EIN

1. Open a business bank account. See how to open a business bank account.
2. Register with your state for sales tax or payroll accounts, if needed.
3. Give your EIN to clients who need a Form W-9 from you.
4. Set up payroll before paying employees. See best payroll software.
5. Keep the CP 575 letter with your formation documents.

Where you’ll use your EIN

• Opening a business bank account and applying for credit cards or loans.
• Form W-9, which clients ask for before paying you, so they can report payments to the IRS.
• Payroll, including employee W-2s and payroll tax filings.
• Your business tax return (Form 1065, 1120 or 1120-S), or on Schedule C if you choose.
• State registrations for sales tax, withholding and unemployment insurance.
• Licenses, permits and supplier accounts, many of which ask for a federal tax ID.

Protect your EIN from identity theft

Criminals sometimes use stolen business information to file fake tax returns or open credit in a company’s name. Warning signs include IRS letters about returns you didn’t file, notices about employees you don’t have, or credit applications you didn’t make. To protect your business:

• Share your EIN only when needed, and send W-9s securely.
• Shred old documents that show your EIN.
• Watch your business credit reports and bank accounts.
• If you suspect fraud, respond to any IRS letter promptly and file Form 14039-B, Business Identity Theft Affidavit, with the IRS.

EINs in special situations

• Household employers: if you pay a nanny, caregiver or housekeeper enough to owe employment taxes, you need an EIN to report them, even though you don’t have a business.
• Nonprofits: get an EIN after forming your nonprofit corporation and before applying for tax-exempt status.
• Trusts and estates: many trusts, and estates that must file income tax returns, need their own EIN.
• Buying a business: you usually need your own new EIN; you don’t take over the seller’s.

Closing an EIN

An EIN is never reused or reassigned. If you close your business, file your final returns, then write to the IRS with your business’s legal name, EIN, address and the reason for closing, and the IRS will close your account.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an EIN?
Online, you get it immediately. By fax, typically within about four business days; by mail, about four weeks.

Does an EIN cost anything?
No. The IRS never charges for an EIN.

Can I apply for an EIN on the weekend?
Not online; the system runs Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. You can fax or mail Form SS-4 at any time.

Is an EIN the same as a state tax ID?
No. An EIN is federal. Many states issue separate numbers for sales tax, payroll withholding and unemployment insurance.

Keep learning

• LLC vs sole proprietorship vs corporation
• How to register a DBA
• How to start a business: the A to Z guide

Sources

1. IRS, Get an employer identification number
2. IRS, Do you need a new EIN?
3. IRS, Lost or misplaced your EIN?
4. IRS, About Form SS-4

Last reviewed October 26, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.