How to get an EIN for your LLC

An EIN (also called a Federal Tax ID or FEIN) is a 9-digit number the IRS assigns to your business. You need one to open a business bank account, hire employees, file federal taxes as anything other than a sole proprietorship, register for state tax accounts, apply for business credit, or file your FinCEN BOI report (where it goes in the "reporting company" section). Without an EIN, most banks won't even let you open a business checking account.

Do you need an EIN for a single-member LLC?

Technically: only if you have employees or elect to be taxed as an S-corp or C-corp. A single-member LLC with no employees can use the owner's SSN for federal income tax (the LLC is "disregarded" by default).

Practically: get one anyway. Every business bank will ask for it. Every payment processor (Stripe, Square, PayPal Business) will ask for it. Every state tax registration will ask for it. And handing out your SSN to vendors and payment processors instead of your EIN is a privacy and identity-theft risk you don't need. It's free and takes 10 minutes — just get the EIN.

Eligibility: who can apply

• Your business must have an existing legal structure (LLC, corporation, partnership, sole prop, etc.) at the state level — for an LLC, this means your Articles of Organization have been filed and approved.
• The principal officer / responsible party (you) must have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number — usually an SSN, or an ITIN if you're a non-resident.
• Your business must be located in the U.S. or its territories.
• You can apply online if you have a valid SSN/ITIN. Non-residents without SSN/ITIN apply by fax or mail using Form SS-4.

What you need before starting

• Your LLC's legal name (exactly as on the Articles of Organization)
• Any DBA / trade name (if applicable)
• Your LLC's mailing address (P.O. Box is OK for the mailing address but NOT for the physical address)
• The physical business location (a real street address — can be your home)
• Date the LLC was formed (the date on your Articles)
• State where the LLC was formed
• The number of LLC members
• Your name and SSN (or ITIN) as the responsible party
• A short description of the LLC's primary business activity
• Whether the LLC will have employees in the next 12 months

Step-by-step: apply online (the fast path)

Step 1 — Go to irs.gov/ein

Open https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. Click "Apply Online Now." The application is only available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. You must complete it in one session — there's no save-and-resume.

Step 2 — Choose your entity type

Select "Limited Liability Company (LLC)" → answer the number of members. If single-member, the next screen asks how the LLC will be taxed (the default is "disregarded entity / sole proprietorship"). Multi-member defaults to "partnership." Don't select S-corp or C-corp here unless you have actually filed Form 2553 or 8832 with the IRS.

Step 3 — Reason for applying

Most people pick "Started a new business." Other options: "Banking purposes" (if you only need the EIN to open a bank account and have no other federal obligations), "Hired employees," or "Changed type of organization."

Step 4 — Responsible party info

Enter your full legal name and SSN (or ITIN). The "responsible party" is the person who controls the LLC. For a solo founder, that's you. For a multi-member LLC, it's typically the managing member.

Step 5 — LLC details

Enter the LLC's name (exactly as on the Articles), mailing address, physical address, state of formation, and date of formation. Pick the closing month of your accounting year (most LLCs use December).

Step 6 — Activity questions

Will you have employees in the next 12 months? (If unsure, answer no — you can update later.) Will you owe employment taxes under $1,000/year? Then select your primary business activity (e.g., "Retail," "Construction," "Health Care," "Consulting"). Add a brief description (e.g., "Online retail of consumer electronics").

Step 7 — Receive your EIN instantly

On submission, the IRS issues your EIN immediately on screen. You'll get a downloadable PDF called the EIN Confirmation Letter (CP 575). DOWNLOAD AND SAVE THIS PDF. It's the only proof of EIN issuance, and the IRS won't resend it. Many banks ask for the CP 575 to open a business account.

Alternative: apply by fax or mail

If you don't have an SSN or ITIN (most common reason: you're a non-resident alien forming a U.S. LLC), you can't use the online application. Instead, complete Form SS-4 (Application for Employer Identification Number) and submit by fax (4 business days for response) or mail (4 weeks).

• Form SS-4: download from https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-4
• Fax submission: (855) 641-6935 (toll-free for U.S. residents) or (855) 215-1627 (non-U.S. residents)
• Mail submission: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999
• Response time: 4 business days for fax, 4–6 weeks for mail

Common mistakes that cause rejection

• Applying before your LLC is formed — the IRS will reject because the LLC doesn't exist yet. Wait for state approval first.
• Mismatched LLC name — the name you enter must exactly match the Articles of Organization, including punctuation and capitalization.
• Multiple EIN applications for the same entity — the IRS limits applications to one per responsible party per day. Don't resubmit if your first application errored mid-process; wait and check.
• Listing a foreign address as the principal business location — must be a U.S. street address. Use your registered-agent address if you're a non-resident.
• Choosing the wrong tax classification — only pick S-corp or C-corp if you've actually filed Form 2553 or 8832. Default to "disregarded" for single-member or "partnership" for multi-member.

After you get your EIN: what to do next

• Open a business bank account — bring your CP 575, Articles of Organization, and Operating Agreement.
• Register with your state Department of Revenue for sales tax (if you sell taxable goods) and withholding tax (if you have employees).
• File your FinCEN BOI report within 30 days of LLC formation — the EIN is required as the reporting company identifier.
• Set up payment processing (Stripe, Square, PayPal Business) using the EIN, not your SSN.
• If you're planning an S-corp election, file Form 2553 within 2 months and 15 days of formation (or any time during the prior tax year for next year's effective date).

EIN scams to avoid

A whole cottage industry exists to charge people for EINs that the IRS issues for free. Common patterns:

• Sites with URLs like "irs-ein.com", "federal-ein.org" — these are private companies, not the IRS. They charge $99–$300 to file a form you can file for free.
• Ads showing up first when you Google "get an EIN" — usually paid placements for these services. The real IRS site is irs.gov/ein.
• Formation services that bundle "EIN filing" as a paid add-on — Northwest, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom all offer this. It's convenient but you're paying $50–$100 for 10 minutes of work.
• Fake "EIN verification" or "EIN renewal" services — your EIN never expires and never needs renewing. The IRS doesn't verify EINs through third parties.

Don’t want to file yourself? Northwest Registered Agent files your LLC for $39 + state fee and acts as your registered agent the first year free.