EIN for an LLC: What It Is and How to Get One Free
An EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID number. The IRS gives them out free in minutes. This page explains who needs one, how the application works, and why you should never pay a service for it.
What an EIN is
EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. It is a nine-digit number the IRS assigns to a business for tax purposes, written like 12-3456789. Think of it as the business version of a Social Security number: banks, payroll providers, and tax forms use it to identify the entity. It is sometimes called a Federal Tax ID Number or FEIN. They are the same thing.
An LLC gets its own EIN even if it has no employees. The name misleads people. "Employer" is in the title because the system was built for employers, but the IRS issues EINs to entities of all kinds.
Does your LLC need one?
| Your situation | EIN needed? |
|---|---|
| Your LLC has, or will hire, employees | Yes. Required for payroll taxes. |
| Multi-member LLC (taxed as a partnership by default) | Yes. The entity files its own return and needs its own number. |
| Your LLC elects S corporation or C corporation tax status | Yes. The election is filed under the entity's EIN. |
| You want a business bank account | Practically yes. Most banks require an EIN to open an account in the LLC's name, even for single-member LLCs. |
| Single-member LLC, no employees, no election, banking elsewhere sorted | Not required by the IRS. You may use your own Social Security number for tax purposes. Most owners get an EIN anyway so their SSN stays off forms handed to vendors and banks. |
Note the sequence: form the LLC with your state first, then apply for the EIN. The IRS application asks for the entity's legal name and formation date, so the state filing comes first. Our formation guide puts the steps in order.
How to apply, step by step
Go to the IRS EIN application
The application lives on IRS.gov and is called the EIN Assistant. It is available during posted IRS hours, which are generous: Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern, Saturday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight. Start at irs.gov and search "apply for an EIN online" so you land on the real government page, not a lookalike.
Choose "Limited Liability Company" as the entity type
The assistant asks what you are applying for and how the LLC is structured, including the number of members and the state where it was formed.
Enter the responsible party
The IRS requires a responsible party: a real person who controls the entity, with that person's Social Security number or ITIN. This is an IRS anti-fraud rule. A company cannot be the responsible party.
Submit and save your confirmation letter
Online applications get the EIN immediately at the end of the session. The IRS generates a confirmation notice (CP 575) as a PDF. Save it and print it. Banks ask for it, and replacing it later takes a phone call and a wait.
Applying by fax or mail with Form SS-4 also works. A faxed application generally gets its EIN within about four business days; a mailed one takes about four weeks, so send it four to five weeks before you need the number. These routes, and a phone line reserved for international applicants, are also how you apply when the responsible party has no US Social Security number or ITIN: a foreign responsible party writes "Foreign" on line 7b of the SS-4 instead.
Why you should never pay for an EIN
Save your money
Formation companies and lookalike websites charge $50 to $200, on the provider pricing pages we checked, to "file for your EIN." The service they provide is typing your answers into the same free IRS form. The IRS never charges for an EIN. If a checkout flow adds an EIN fee, decline it and spend ten minutes on IRS.gov instead.
This is the single easiest money leak in the whole formation process, and it is why our services comparison calls out EIN charges in every vendor's pricing.
After you get it
- Open the business bank account. Bring the EIN letter and your approved formation document.
- Use it where the LLC's number belongs, with one exception owners get wrong. Payroll and excise tax filings use the LLC's EIN. But if your single-member LLC is taxed as a disregarded entity, a Form W-9 asks for your own name and your own Social Security number or personal EIN, not the LLC's EIN. Partnership and corporation classified LLCs use the LLC's EIN on a W-9.
- Keep it stable. An LLC keeps the same EIN through name and address changes, and through a bankruptcy filing. A new EIN is required when the ownership or structure changes in the ways the IRS lists, the clearest case being terminating the LLC and forming a different kind of entity. The IRS publishes the full trigger list, and it is shorter than people fear.
- State accounts are separate. Sales tax, unemployment insurance, and state withholding accounts use state-issued numbers, not your EIN, though applications ask for the EIN as identification.
Common questions
How much does an EIN cost?
Nothing. The IRS never charges for an EIN. Any website or service charging for one, and we have seen $50 to $200 on provider pricing pages, is charging you to type your answers into a free form.
How long does the online application take, and when do I get the number?
Plan on one short sitting; the IRS publishes no time estimate, the application cannot be saved partway, and the session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity. The IRS also limits you to one EIN per responsible party per day. If the application is approved, the number is issued immediately at the end of the session, with a confirmation notice (CP 575) you can save as a PDF.
Can I get the EIN before I form the LLC?
The IRS instructs you to form the entity with your state first, then apply. Applying before the LLC exists can delay the application, because the EIN record has to match the formed entity's legal name. Form the LLC, let it be approved, then apply.
I am a single-member LLC with no employees. Do I need one?
The IRS does not require it in that situation; you may use your own Social Security number for tax purposes. Most owners get an EIN anyway, because most banks require one to open the business account and it keeps your SSN off forms you hand to vendors.
I lost my EIN confirmation letter. What now?
Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and ask for the replacement confirmation, called Letter 147C. First check whether the number appears on a prior tax return or an old IRS notice; banks often accept those too. Either way, save the CP 575 PDF and print a copy when you first get it; banks ask for this letter.
Can my company be the responsible party on the application?
No. The IRS requires a responsible party who is a real person controlling the entity, identified with that person's Social Security number or ITIN. It is an anti-fraud rule and there is no workaround.
General Information Only
LLCForming publishes general information about forming and running an LLC. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice, and it does not create an attorney or advisor relationship. Rules vary by state and by your situation. For a decision that matters, talk to a licensed attorney or tax professional in your state.