Do I Need an EIN for a Business Bank Account?

Whether you need an EIN for a business bank account depends on how your business is set up. Corporations, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, and any business with employees must have an Employer Identification Number before a bank will open an account. Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs with no employees can generally use a Social Security Number instead, though some banks ask for an EIN as a matter of internal policy even when the IRS does not require one.

Business Structures That Require an EIN

The IRS assigns an EIN — a nine-digit number used for tax filing and reporting — to specific types of entities. If your business is any of the following, you must have one, and no bank will open an account without it:

  • Corporations, both S-corp and C-corp.
  • Partnerships of any kind.
  • Multi-member LLCs, which the IRS treats as partnerships (or as corporations if they elect that status).
  • Any business with employees, regardless of structure, because employment taxes must be reported under an EIN.

Trusts, estates, tax-exempt organizations, farmer cooperatives, and retirement plans also need one.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number

When You Can Use Your Social Security Number Instead

If you run the business alone and have no employees, the IRS does not require an EIN. Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs that have not elected corporate tax treatment are “disregarded entities,” meaning the IRS treats the business and the owner as the same taxpayer. Your SSN serves as the business’s taxpayer identification number.2Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies

On Form W-9, which banks and other payers use to collect taxpayer information, the IRS actually encourages sole proprietors to use their SSN even if they also have an EIN.3Internal Revenue Service. Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024) – Section: Part I. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Most banks will open a sole proprietorship account with either number. Some, however, require an EIN as their own policy. Call the bank before you visit so you know which they expect.

Why Get an EIN Anyway

Even when your SSN is legally acceptable, there are practical reasons to apply for an EIN.

Every W-9, vendor form, and tax document tied to your business will carry the taxpayer number you gave the bank. Using an EIN keeps your SSN out of that circulation and reduces your exposure to identity theft. It also draws a cleaner line between business and personal finances.

And if your situation changes — you hire someone, take on a partner, or change your LLC’s tax election — you will need an EIN then anyway. The IRS issues them at no cost and the online application takes only a few minutes, so applying early costs you nothing.4Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

How to Apply for an EIN

The IRS charges no fee. Three application methods are available depending on where you are and how fast you need the number:

  • Online at IRS.gov/EIN. If your legal residence or principal place of business is in the United States or a U.S. territory, this is the fastest route. The EIN is issued immediately, and you can print or save the assignment notice on the spot.
  • Fax. Complete Form SS-4 and fax it in. You will typically receive the EIN by return fax within four business days. The fax line runs 24/7.
  • Mail. Send Form SS-4 to the IRS and allow four to five weeks for processing.

Use only one method per entity so you do not accidentally end up with duplicate numbers.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025) Once the IRS assigns your EIN, it mails a confirmation notice called the CP 575. Hold onto it; banks routinely ask to see it when you open the account. If it goes missing, you can request a replacement (Letter 147C) by calling the IRS business tax line.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number

Avoid Paid EIN Websites

Third-party sites mimic IRS branding — logos, color schemes, sometimes “IRS” in the domain name — and charge up to $300 to file the application for you. The FTC has warned operators of these sites that their practices may violate federal law by implying affiliation with the IRS.6Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns Operators of Websites that Charge for an Employer Identification Number The real IRS application is always free.

Documents the Bank Will Ask For

Requirements vary between institutions, but most banks want a combination of these items when you open a business account:

  • Your EIN confirmation notice (CP 575) or Letter 147C. If you applied online, the saved assignment notice usually works too.
  • Formation documents. Corporations bring articles of incorporation. LLCs bring articles of organization or a certificate of formation, depending on the state. Partnerships may need a partnership agreement.
  • An operating agreement or corporate resolution showing who has authority to manage the company’s money.
  • A fictitious name certificate if the business operates under a DBA different from its legal name.
  • Government-issued photo ID for every owner or authorized signer. The bank will also collect each person’s SSN for identity verification.

Match every detail on the bank application — business name, EIN, address — to what appears on your IRS documents. Small discrepancies can delay the account opening or trigger a review.

Applying Without a U.S. Residence

If you have no legal residence, principal office, or principal place of business in the United States or a U.S. territory, the online application is closed to you. International applicants must use one of these routes:

  • Telephone: 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. The caller must be authorized to receive the EIN and answer application questions.
  • Fax Form SS-4 to 304-707-9471 and expect the EIN back within four business days.
  • Mail Form SS-4 to Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999. Processing takes about four weeks.

If you do not have and are not eligible for an SSN or ITIN, enter “foreign” or “N/A” on the line asking for the responsible party’s SSN or ITIN. If the EIN is specifically for opening a U.S. bank account, check the “Banking purpose” box on Line 10 and describe the purpose there.7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)

When a Business Change Requires a New EIN

A name or address change does not require a new EIN. Structural and ownership changes often do.8Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN The most common triggers:

  • A sole proprietor incorporates, forms a partnership, or files for bankruptcy.
  • A corporation gets a new charter from the secretary of state, converts to a partnership or sole proprietorship, or merges to create a new corporation. A corporation that survives a merger keeps its number.
  • A partnership incorporates, dissolves and starts a new partnership, or is taken over by one partner as a sole proprietor. An ownership change that does not terminate the partnership does not require a new number.
  • An LLC terminates and forms a new corporation or partnership, or a single-member LLC begins filing employment or excise taxes.

When any of these happens, update your bank with the new EIN promptly. Reporting under a stale number can create tax-reporting problems that are harder to fix later than at the moment they arise.