How to Get an EIN
Your federal tax ID, from the IRS, in about 15 minutes online. What you need before you start and the four ways to apply.
Apply online at irs.gov/EIN. If you have a US SSN or ITIN, you'll get your EIN in 15 minutes. There is no fee — anyone charging you is reselling a free IRS service.
Who needs an EIN
You need one if you...
- Are forming an LLC, Corp, or partnership
- Will hire any employees
- Open a business bank account (most banks require it)
- File excise tax returns
- Want to keep your SSN off invoices and W-9s
You can technically skip if...
- You're a sole proprietor (or single-member LLC) with no employees
- You're comfortable using your SSN on every client's W-9
Even then, most founders get an EIN for privacy and to open business banking.
Information you need before you start
- Legal name of the entity exactly as filed with the state (including LLC/Inc. suffix)
- Mailing address — physical, not a PO box (registered agent address works)
- Responsible party — a person who controls the entity. Their full legal name and SSN/ITIN/EIN.
- State of formation and date the entity was formed
- Primary business activity(NAICS code helpful — you'll pick a description from a menu)
- Estimated number of employees over the next 12 months (zero is a valid answer)
- Reason for applying— typically "Started a new business"
Are you eligible to apply online?
Yes, if all of these are true
- The entity is located in the US or a US territory
- The responsible party has a valid SSN, ITIN, or EIN
- The responsible party hasn't been responsible for getting an EIN today (limit: one per day)
No — use fax or phone if
- Responsible party has no SSN/ITIN/EIN (international founder)
- The entity is foreign
- You already got one EIN today
Four ways to apply
Online is by far the fastest. Skip the others unless you have to.
Online
US-based responsible party with SSN/ITIN/EIN
Fax SS-4
Anyone, US or international
Mail SS-4
Anyone — slowest method
Phone
International applicants only
What you can do with an EIN
Common gotchas
Applying before your entity is approved by the state.
For LLCs and Corps, wait for state approval first. Otherwise the IRS may reject the application or issue an EIN under the wrong entity type.
Listing a generic email or name as the responsible party.
The responsible party must be a real person with full legal name + SSN/ITIN/EIN. They are the IRS's point of contact.
Paying a third party $50–$300 to "help you get an EIN."
The IRS issues EINs for free in 15 minutes. Paid services exist; they're reselling something free.
Trying to apply between 10pm and 7am ET.
The IRS online portal is closed overnight and on weekends. Apply during business hours.
Submitting more than one EIN application in a day.
The IRS limits one EIN per responsible party per day. Subsequent attempts will fail with a vague error.
We handle the EIN as part of formation.
When you form an entity through Pixelbase, we file your EIN application immediately after the state approves your formation. You get the SS-4 confirmation letter saved to your dashboard automatically.