How to Get an EIN From the IRS Online (Free, in About 15 Minutes)

You’ve just filed your LLC paperwork, the bank wants an EIN before it will open your business account, and a Google search shows a dozen sites offering to “file your EIN today” for a fee. Here’s the short version: you don’t need any of them. The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers for free, online, and usually in the time it takes to drink a coffee.

This guide walks through exactly how the official IRS application works, what to have ready, the mistakes that get applications rejected, and how to tell the real IRS site from a paid lookalike.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

What an EIN is and who needs one

An Employer Identification Number is a 9-digit number (formatted XX-XXXXXXX) that the IRS uses to identify a business for tax purposes. Think of it as a Social Security number for your company. Despite the name, you don’t need employees to get one.

According to the IRS, you generally need an EIN if your business:

• Has employees
• Operates as a corporation or a partnership, including a multi-member LLC
• Files employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco and firearms tax returns
• Is a trust, estate, nonprofit or certain types of retirement plan

The IRS Form SS-4 instructions also say a partnership or corporation must use an EIN for any tax purpose, even with no staff. A single-member LLC that the IRS treats as a “disregarded entity” needs its own EIN for employment taxes and some excise tax filings.

A sole proprietor with no employees can often use their Social Security number instead. Many still get an EIN anyway, because banks, payment processors and wholesale suppliers ask for one, and it keeps your SSN off W-9 forms you hand to clients. If you’re still deciding on a business structure, read our comparison of LLC vs S corp taxes first, since the entity you choose changes the answers on the application.

Key takeaway: The IRS never charges for an EIN. If a site asks for a credit card to “process” your application, you’re on a third-party service, not the IRS.

What to have ready before you start

The IRS online tool won’t let you save your progress, and the session times out after 15 minutes of inactivity. Gather everything first so you can finish in one sitting.

Item	Why you need it
Legal name of the business	Must match your state formation documents exactly
Business mailing and physical address	The physical address must be in the US or a US territory
Entity type	Sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, partnership, nonprofit, trust or estate
Number of LLC members (if an LLC)	Determines default tax treatment
State and date of formation	Taken from your articles of organization or incorporation
Responsible party’s name and SSN or ITIN	Required to use the online tool
Reason for applying	Starting a new business, hiring employees, banking purposes and so on
Expected first payroll date and number of employees	Only if you plan to hire in the next 12 months
Principal business activity	Retail, construction, consulting, food service and similar categories

The IRS also says to form your LLC or corporation with your state before you apply. If you apply first, the names may not match and your application can be delayed.

Who counts as the “responsible party”

The responsible party is the individual who ultimately owns or controls the business, or who directs and manages its funds and assets. For a small business this is almost always the owner or a managing member. It must be a person, not another company (with limited exceptions for government entities). An accountant or lawyer can apply on your behalf as a third-party designee, but they need your signed authorization.

Step-by-step: applying for an EIN on IRS.gov

Here is how the official process works. The whole interview usually takes 10 to 15 minutes if your details are ready.

Step 1: Go to the real IRS page

Type irs.gov into your browser yourself, then search for “EIN” or go to the “Get an employer identification number” page under Businesses. Don’t click ads at the top of search results; many of them lead to paid filing services. The real application lives on an irs.gov address.

Step 2: Check the hours

The online EIN Assistant is not available around the clock. At the time of writing, the IRS lists these hours (Eastern Time):

• Monday to Friday: 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day
• Saturday: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday: 6 p.m. to midnight

Check the IRS page for current hours before you start, since they can change.

Step 3: Choose your entity type

The interview starts by asking what kind of entity you are. Pick the option that matches your state filing. If you’re an LLC, you’ll be asked how many members you have and, in some cases, whether you want to be taxed as a corporation. Choosing “LLC” here does not make an S corporation election; that’s a separate filing (Form 2553).

Step 4: Enter the responsible party details

You’ll enter the responsible party’s name and SSN or ITIN, and confirm your role. Typos here are a common reason for rejections, so check every digit.

Step 5: Add business details

Enter the legal name, any trade name (DBA), addresses, formation date and state, and your business activity. Follow the IRS name rules: use only letters, numbers, hyphens and ampersands. Don’t add punctuation such as commas or periods to the legal name.

Step 6: Answer the employment and tax questions

You’ll be asked whether you expect to have employees in the next 12 months, whether you’ll owe excise taxes, and similar questions. Answer for what you actually plan, not what you might do someday.

Step 7: Review, submit and save your confirmation

Review the summary page carefully, then submit. If the IRS approves the application, your EIN appears on screen immediately. Download and print the confirmation letter (CP 575) right away. It’s the proof banks ask for. If you lose it, you can later download a digital copy through an IRS Business Tax Account or request Letter 147C.

Limits and rules that trip people up

A few IRS rules catch first-time applicants:

• 1 EIN per responsible party per day. If you run several businesses, you’ll need to apply on different days.
• No saving. The session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity and you start over.
• US-based only. The online tool is only for entities formed in the US or a US territory, with a principal place of business there.
• Don’t apply twice. If you already have an EIN and you’re only adding employees, you don’t need a new one. You may need a new EIN if you change your structure, such as incorporating a sole proprietorship or turning it into a partnership.

Other ways to apply

If you can’t use the online tool, the IRS accepts Form SS-4 by other methods:

Method	Who it’s for	Typical timing (per IRS instructions)
Online (EIN Assistant)	US entities with an SSN or ITIN for the responsible party	Immediately
Fax Form SS-4	Anyone, including those who can’t use the online tool	Generally within 4 business days
Mail Form SS-4	Anyone; mail at least 4 to 5 weeks before you need it	About 4 weeks
Phone	International applicants only	During the call

The IRS no longer issues EINs by phone to domestic applicants. International applicants can call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free) during IRS business hours. Fax numbers differ depending on whether your principal place of business is in the US, so use the numbers printed in the current Form SS-4 instructions.

How to avoid paid lookalike EIN sites

Third-party “EIN filing” services aren’t illegal, but many are designed to look official, with eagle logos, government-blue colors and names that include “federal” or “tax ID.” They charge a fee to type your information into the same free IRS form you could fill in yourself. Some also collect your SSN, which is a lot of trust to hand to an unknown company.

Watch for these red flags:

• The web address doesn’t end in .gov
• You’re asked to pay anything at all
• The site promises “priority” or “expedited” processing (the online IRS process is already instant)
• Small print says “not affiliated with the IRS”
• You receive an email or text asking you to “verify” your EIN by clicking a link

The IRS states plainly on its EIN page that you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. The IRS also doesn’t start contact by email or text to request personal or financial details, so treat those messages as phishing. Our guides on spotting phishing emails and protecting yourself from identity theft cover the warning signs.

What to do after you get your EIN

Once you have your number, put it to work:

1. Store the CP 575 letter safely. Save a PDF in your business records and keep a printed copy.
2. Open a business bank account. Keeping business and personal money separate makes bookkeeping and taxes far easier.
3. Register with your state tax agency if you’ll collect sales tax or run payroll. Your federal EIN doesn’t register you at the state level.
4. Give your EIN on W-9 forms instead of your SSN when clients ask.
5. Set up estimated taxes. Most owners of pass-through businesses pay quarterly. See our guide to paying quarterly estimated taxes online.
6. Protect your brand. An EIN doesn’t reserve your name. If the name matters to you, read how to trademark a business name.

What about beneficial ownership reporting?

You may see older articles saying every new LLC must file a beneficial ownership information (BOI) report with FinCEN. That changed. FinCEN’s March 2025 interim final rule exempted companies created in the US, and a final rule issued on August 11, 2026 made that exemption permanent. Foreign companies registered to do business in a US state may still have to file. Check FinCEN’s BOI page for the current rules.

If you lose your EIN

Look at your CP 575 letter, old tax returns, bank account paperwork or state license applications first. If you still can’t find it, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. After verifying your identity, the IRS can tell you the number and send a confirmation letter (Letter 147C) if you need written proof.

Conclusion

Getting an EIN is one of the easiest steps in starting a business, as long as you go straight to IRS.gov. Form your entity with the state first, gather your details, finish the interview in one session, and save your confirmation letter. Skip the paid services; they add cost and risk without making anything faster. For more definitions you’ll meet while setting up, browse our glossary.

Sources

• IRS: Get an employer identification number — free application, hours, eligibility, 1-per-day limit, 15-minute timeout
• IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) — who needs an EIN, fax and mail timing, international phone applications
• IRS: Employer identification number — finding a lost EIN and the Business and Specialty Tax Line
• FinCEN: Beneficial ownership information reporting — exemption for US-created companies and the August 2026 final rule