You can change your business name and keep the same EIN, as long as your business structure isn’t changing at the same time. The IRS assigns Employer Identification Numbers based on entity type, not name, so a rebrand or legal name update stays with your existing nine-digit number. What you owe the IRS is a notification, and the method depends on whether you file as a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.1Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
A Name Change Never Requires a New EIN
The IRS is explicit on this point: a name change alone does not trigger a new EIN for any entity type. Corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and LLCs all keep their existing number when they rename. A change of location doesn’t require a new EIN either.1Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
What does require a new EIN is a change in the underlying legal entity. A sole proprietor who incorporates or forms a partnership needs a new number, because the taxpayer itself has changed. A corporation that converts to a sole proprietorship or partnership, receives a new charter from the secretary of state, or merges to form a new corporation needs a new EIN. A partnership that incorporates, that ends and restarts as a new partnership, or where one partner takes over as a sole proprietor also needs a new number.1Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
If your rebrand is purely a name change with the same legal structure underneath, none of that applies. You keep the EIN and simply tell the IRS about the new name.
How Corporations and Partnerships Notify the IRS
Corporations and partnerships report a name change by checking a box on their next annual return and entering the new name in the return header. The IRS uses that to update its master file for the EIN.
- Form 1120 (C corporations): Page 1, Line E, Box 3.
- Form 1120-S (S corporations): Page 1, Line H, Box 2.
- Form 1065 (partnerships): Page 1, Line G, Box 3.
If you already filed for the current year before the name change took effect, don’t wait for next year’s return. Send a letter to the IRS at the address where you filed, stating the EIN, the old name, and the new name. A corporate officer must sign for a corporation; a partner must sign for a partnership.2Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
How Sole Proprietors and LLCs Notify the IRS
Sole proprietors don’t have a checkbox option. You write to the IRS at the address where you file your return and include the EIN, the old business name, the new name, and the owner’s signature.2Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
LLCs follow whichever process matches their federal tax classification:
- Single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity: send a signed letter, like a sole proprietor.
- Multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership: check the name change box on Form 1065.
- LLC that has elected corporate taxation: use the Form 1120 or 1120-S checkbox.
Form 8822-B is worth flagging because people reach for it. That form updates a business address or responsible party, and the IRS does not list it as a method for reporting a name change. Use the tax return checkbox or the written letter instead.3Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business
A DBA change is also a separate matter. The IRS identifies your entity by its legal name, so adding or changing a “doing business as” name while the legal name stays the same generally doesn’t require IRS notification. DBAs are registered at the state or county level. If both the legal name and the DBA are changing, it’s the legal name change that gets reported using the procedures above.
Who Signs and Where to Send It
The signature has to come from the right person or the update can stall:
- Sole proprietorship: the owner or an authorized representative.
- Corporation: a corporate officer.
- Partnership: a partner.
Mail the letter to the IRS service center where you file your return. The correct address depends on your state and entity type, and it’s in the instructions for your return form (1120, 1120-S, 1065, or 1040). Sending to the wrong office delays processing.4Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Forms 1120
There’s no dedicated fax number or online portal for business name changes. Your two channels are the checkbox on the next return and a mailed letter. If you go by letter, send it certified with return receipt requested. You’ll want proof of delivery if the update doesn’t process cleanly and you have to follow up.2Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
Processing Time and Getting Written Confirmation
The IRS doesn’t publish an official timeline for name change updates. Based on similar administrative changes, expect roughly four to six weeks from the date the IRS receives your letter or processes your return, and up to about 60 days during busy filing periods.
You won’t get a new CP 575 notice confirming the change. The CP 575 is issued only once, when the EIN is first assigned.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
If you need written proof that the EIN is now tied to your new name, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and request a Letter 147C. That’s the standard EIN verification letter, and it shows the current name on file. Banks and state agencies generally accept it. Give the IRS enough processing time before you request one, so the new name is already in the system when the letter is generated.
Keep copies of everything: the signed letter, the return page with the checked box, and the certified mail receipt. Banks, state offices, and licensing agencies often want to see federal documentation before they’ll update their own records.
What Happens If You Don’t Report the Name Change
Skipping the notification creates a mismatch between your EIN and the name the IRS has on file, and that’s where the real problems start.
When a business pays you and files a 1099, the IRS matches your name and EIN against its records. If they don’t match, the IRS sends the filer a CP2100 or CP2100A notice. The filer then has to send you a “B” notice asking you to verify your information.6Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP2100 or CP2100A Notice
If the mismatch isn’t cleared up, the payer is required to begin backup withholding on future payments at 24%.7Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Publication 15 Nearly a quarter of every payment goes to the IRS instead of to you. It’s recoverable at tax time, but the cash flow gap in the meantime can be painful.
Beyond backup withholding, a name mismatch causes friction with banks, lenders, state licensing agencies, and vendors that verify business names against IRS records. Opening an account, applying for credit, or renewing a license often requires the name to match the IRS file. The longer the gap sits, the more places it turns up.
State Filings Are a Separate Step
The IRS notification handles the federal side only. If your business is registered with a state as a corporation, LLC, or limited partnership, you also need to file articles of amendment with the secretary of state. State and local DBA registrations, professional licenses, sales tax permits, and any industry-specific registrations need updating too. The IRS change doesn’t flow through to them automatically, so plan to contact each agency directly. Handling the IRS piece first gives you the federal paperwork many state agencies ask for as part of their own process.