How to Get an EIN Number Free From the IRS

What an EIN Is and Who Needs One

An EIN (also called a federal tax identification number, federal employer identification number, or business tax ID) is the business equivalent of a Social Security number. The IRS uses it to track tax filings, payroll deposits, and information returns for any business that operates as something other than a sole proprietor using their own SSN. You need an EIN if you have employees, operate as a corporation or partnership, file employment, excise, or alcohol-tobacco-firearms returns, withhold tax on income paid to non-resident aliens, or have a Keogh plan. Most banks also require an EIN to open a business checking account, even for a single-member LLC that does not technically need one for IRS purposes.

The Online Application: Seven Steps to a Same-Day EIN

The fastest way to get an EIN number is the IRS EIN Assistant at irs.gov/ein. The portal is available Monday through Friday from 7am to 10pm Eastern time, and the application takes most users 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. Skip third-party services that charge $50 to $300 to file the same form on your behalf.

Confirm your business is eligible. You must have a US-based business entity (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, corporation, trust, or estate), a US principal address, and a valid taxpayer ID for the responsible party.
Designate a responsible party. The responsible party must be an individual (not another entity) with control over the business: the owner, general partner, principal officer, trustor, or grantor.
Go to irs.gov/ein. Open the IRS EIN Assistant at irs.gov/ein during the operating window (Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm Eastern). Avoid third-party EIN filing services that charge fees.
Select your entity type. Choose the entity type that matches your state filing: Sole Proprietor, Limited Liability Company, Corporation, Partnership, Trust, Estate, or Non-Profit Organization.
Enter the responsible party information. Provide the responsible party's legal name, SSN or ITIN, and contact information. The IRS verifies the SSN against Social Security Administration records.
Provide business details. Enter the legal business name, trade name (DBA), formation date, primary activity, and number of expected employees in the next 12 months.
Submit and download Form CP 575. The portal issues your EIN immediately at the end of the application. Download the confirmation letter (Form CP 575) and save the PDF; this is the only document banks accept as proof of EIN.

The Responsible-Party Rule

Since 2018, the IRS has required every EIN application to identify a single responsible party: the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the entity. This is the principal officer of a corporation, the general partner of a partnership, the grantor of a trust, or the managing member of an LLC. The responsible party must have a valid SSN or ITIN unless the entity is owned entirely by foreign persons.

The IRS limits a single responsible party to one EIN per day through the online portal, which means a serial entrepreneur forming multiple LLCs in one sitting must either space the applications across business days or fax separate Form SS-4 applications for the additional entities.

How to Get an EIN Without an SSN

Foreign individuals and foreign-owned entities can obtain an EIN, but the IRS online portal requires a US taxpayer ID for the responsible party, so non-US applicants must apply by fax or phone using Form SS-4:

Fax: Send a completed Form SS-4 to (855) 641-6935 (domestic applicants) or (304) 707-9471 (international applicants). Processing takes approximately four business days.
Phone: Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at (267) 941-1099 (international, not toll-free) Monday through Friday, 6am to 11pm Eastern. The agent issues an EIN during the call.
Mail: Slowest option. Mail Form SS-4 to the address listed in the instructions. Processing can take four to five weeks.

What to Do With Your Form CP 575

The IRS issues your EIN at the end of the application along with a confirmation letter, Form CP 575. Download the PDF immediately: this is the only document most banks accept as proof of EIN, and the IRS will not reissue Form CP 575 once the original is generated. If you lose it, the IRS sends a replacement called Letter 147C, which takes one to two weeks by mail or fax. Keep Form CP 575 with your corporate records alongside your articles of organization and operating agreement.

When You Need a New EIN

A change of business structure typically requires a new EIN. The IRS treats the new entity as a separate taxpayer, so a sole proprietorship that incorporates, an LLC that elects S-corp status, a partnership that ends and reforms, or a single-member LLC that adds a second member all need a fresh EIN. Pure name changes, address changes, and adding employees do not require a new EIN. When in doubt, follow the IRS rule: a new legal entity gets a new EIN.

Setting the LLC up the right way the first time

Filing for an EIN takes ten minutes; getting the operating agreement, banking resolutions, and state foreign-qualification right is what determines whether the LLC actually limits liability when something goes wrong. The Legal Tank attorney-drafted LLC operating agreement service packages all of it together.

See the attorney-drafted service

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to get an EIN?

Getting an EIN is completely free directly from the IRS. The IRS does not charge any application fee, processing fee, or annual fee for an Employer Identification Number, and the official application page (irs.gov/ein) issues the number instantly when you apply online. Third-party services often charge $50 to $300 to file the EIN application on your behalf, but they are simply submitting the same Form SS-4 you can submit yourself in 10 minutes. The only legitimate fee scenario is if you hire a tax professional or attorney to handle a complex application, such as for a foreign-owned LLC or a trust, where Form SS-4 must be faxed or mailed and the responsible-party rules require careful documentation.

What are the requirements to get an EIN number?

You need a valid taxpayer ID for the responsible party (Social Security number, ITIN, or another EIN), a business entity type recognized by the IRS (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, corporation, trust, estate, non-profit, or government entity), a US-based principal business address, and a legitimate reason for needing the EIN. The principal officer, general partner, grantor, owner, or trustor identified as the responsible party must be a natural person, not another company, and must have substantial control over the entity. International applicants without an SSN or ITIN can still obtain an EIN, but they must apply by phone or fax (not online) using Form SS-4. Applicants must also be eligible: a single responsible party can only obtain one EIN per day through the online portal.

Does an irrevocable grantor trust need an EIN?

It depends on the trust's structure during the grantor's lifetime. While the grantor is alive and treated as the owner of the trust assets for income tax purposes (a grantor trust under Sections 671 to 679 of the Internal Revenue Code), the trust generally uses the grantor's SSN and does not need a separate EIN. Once the grantor dies, the trust becomes irrevocable and must obtain its own EIN to file Form 1041 (US Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts) on income earned by trust assets. Some attorneys recommend obtaining an EIN even for a revocable trust if it owns real estate, employs household workers, or holds assets that generate 1099 reporting, simply to keep the grantor's SSN off public records.

Should I get an EIN or LLC first?

Form the LLC first, then get the EIN. The IRS will issue an EIN to a sole proprietor or to a planned entity, but if you obtain an EIN before the state issues your articles of organization, the IRS may classify the EIN under the wrong entity type. The cleanest sequence is: file articles of organization with your secretary of state, wait for the certificate of formation to issue (most states process online filings the same day), then apply for the EIN through irs.gov/ein and select Limited Liability Company as the entity type. The EIN application will ask for the LLC formation date, which should match your state-issued certificate.

Can I get an EIN without an SSN?

Yes, foreign individuals and entities can obtain an EIN without a Social Security number or ITIN. The catch is that the IRS online portal at irs.gov/ein requires a US taxpayer ID for the responsible party, so applicants without an SSN or ITIN cannot use the online application. Instead, you must complete Form SS-4 and either fax it to (855) 215-1627 (US applicants) or (304) 707-9471 (international applicants), or call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at (267) 941-1099 (this number is for international applicants only and is not toll-free). Faxed applications are typically processed in four business days, while phone applications issue the EIN immediately.

How long does it take to get an EIN?

If you apply online at irs.gov/ein during the IRS portal hours (Monday through Friday, 7am to 10pm Eastern), you receive the EIN immediately at the end of the application and can download the confirmation letter (Form CP 575) as a PDF. If you apply by phone, the EIN issues immediately during the call. If you fax Form SS-4, the IRS processes the application in approximately four business days and faxes back the confirmation. If you mail Form SS-4, expect four to five weeks. Most filers should use the online application for instant turnaround.

Do I need a new EIN if I change my business structure?

It depends on the type of change. You need a new EIN when a sole proprietorship incorporates, when an LLC elects to be taxed as a corporation, when a partnership ends and a new partnership forms, when a corporation receives a new charter from the secretary of state, when a trust converts to an estate, or when a single-member LLC adds a second member and becomes a partnership for tax purposes. You do not need a new EIN for a name change, a change of address, a new business location, or hiring employees for the first time. The IRS publishes a complete list at irs.gov under "Do You Need a New EIN?", when in doubt, the IRS rule is that a new entity needs a new EIN.

Forming a new business?

Read our guide to forming an LLC before you apply for the EIN, and use our LLC operating agreement generator to lock in member rights before opening a business bank account. Operating under a trade name? Read our DBA guide.