How to Apply for an EIN for Your Single-Member LLC

To apply for an EIN for a single-member LLC, use the free IRS online EIN application at IRS.gov; it takes a few minutes and the number is issued immediately when you finish. Before you start, have your Social Security number or ITIN, the LLC’s exact legal name from your Articles of Organization, and a U.S. street address ready. If the online tool won’t work for your situation, you can submit Form SS-4 by fax or mail instead. There is no fee, ever, when you apply directly with the IRS.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

What to Gather Before You Start

Every EIN application requires a “responsible party,” and that must be an individual person, not another business. For a single-member LLC, that’s you.2Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees You’ll enter your legal name and either your SSN or ITIN.

Have the rest of this ready before you open the application:

  • The LLC’s exact legal name as it appears on your Articles of Organization. Small mismatches cause processing delays.
  • A physical U.S. business address. A P.O. box won’t work as the principal business address, and this is where the IRS will send legal notices.
  • A short description of what the LLC does, such as “freelance graphic design” or “residential property management.” The form asks for a general industry category and then a more specific description.3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
  • The number of employees you expect in the next 12 months. Enter zero if you don’t plan to hire.

One thing to be firm about: never pay for an EIN. The IRS warns applicants about third-party sites that charge for what the government provides for free.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

Applying Online

The online application is the fastest route and the one most single-member LLC owners should use. Instead of a paper form, you’ll answer a series of guided questions, and the system issues the EIN as soon as you finish. The tool is available during these hours, Eastern Time:1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

  • Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next day
  • Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, 6:00 p.m. to midnight

Two conditions have to be met to use the online tool. Your principal place of business must be in the United States or a U.S. territory, and the responsible party must have an SSN or ITIN. If either isn’t true, you have to apply by phone, fax, or mail.

When the system asks about your entity type, choose “Limited Liability Company” and indicate one member. It will then ask how the LLC is taxed. Most single-member LLC owners select “disregarded entity,” which routes business income to your personal return on Schedule C. If you’ve already made a corporate tax election, pick the matching corporate classification.

Applying by Fax or Mail With Form SS-4

If the online tool isn’t an option, download Form SS-4 from the IRS website and submit it by fax or mail.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN) The information is the same, but a few lines catch people out.

On Line 8a, check “Yes” for LLC, and enter “1” on Line 8b for the number of members.5Internal Revenue Service. Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) Application for Employer Identification Number On Line 9a, for a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship, check “Other” and write “Disregarded Entity.” Line 10 asks why you’re applying; typical answers are starting a new business or banking purposes. Line 13 asks for expected employees over the next 12 months, split into agricultural, household, and other; enter zero in each box if you won’t have any. Lines 16 and 17 cover your industry category and the more specific description of your work.3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)

Timing depends on the method. A faxed application usually gets a response within four business days if you include a return fax number. A mailed application takes about four to five weeks, so plan accordingly if you need the EIN by a specific date.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025)

Applying From Outside the United States

If your principal place of business is outside the U.S. and its territories, the online tool won’t work. You can apply by phone at 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025) Whoever calls must be authorized to receive the EIN and able to answer questions about the application. Form SS-4 can also be submitted by fax or mail.

Foreign owners without an SSN or ITIN face the same block: the online application requires one of those numbers for the responsible party. You’ll need to either obtain an ITIN first or apply by phone, fax, or mail.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

Having Someone Else Apply for You

You can authorize an accountant, attorney, or other representative to complete the application by filling in Line 18, the “Third Party Designee” section, on Form SS-4. The designee can answer IRS questions about the form and receive the assigned EIN. That authority ends automatically once the EIN is issued and released.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025)

Watch one quirk. If the designee’s address or phone number matches the LLC’s address or phone, you can’t use the online application; you’ll have to submit Form SS-4 by fax or mail. The EIN confirmation notice is always mailed directly to the taxpayer regardless of who filed.

After You Have the EIN

If you applied online, you can use the EIN right away for most business purposes, including opening a bank account.7Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number The IRS will also mail a CP 575 confirmation notice, which is your official proof of the number. Keep it with your permanent business records. Replacing a lost CP 575 requires a call to the IRS business line, and the wait can be long.

The EIN is permanent. It stays with the LLC even if you close the business, and the IRS does not cancel or reissue EINs. Treat it like the business’s Social Security number.

If your business address changes, or the responsible party changes, file Form 8822-B within 60 days.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business For a single-member LLC, a responsible-party change is uncommon, but it can happen if a manager takes over control of the LLC’s finances.2Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees Skipping the update means IRS notices can end up at the wrong address, which is harder to untangle after the fact than to prevent.