How to Get an EFIN and Become an Authorized E-File Provider

To get an EFIN, you create an IRS e-services account, complete the online e-file application, pass a suitability review (with fingerprints if you are not a CPA, attorney, or enrolled agent), and wait up to 45 days for the IRS to issue your six-digit Electronic Filing Identification Number. There is no IRS fee for the application itself.¹

An EFIN identifies your firm, not you personally, as an authorized participant in the IRS e-file program. Every electronic return your office transmits carries this number so the IRS can trace it back to a verified source. Paid preparers who expect to file 11 or more individual income tax returns in a calendar year are required to file them electronically, which means they need an EFIN. Preparers below that threshold can still apply voluntarily.²

What to Have Ready Before You Apply

Gathering these items first will save you from a stalled application:

An active Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) for at least one principal or responsible official. A PTIN is a separate credential issued to you as an individual; it costs $18.75 to obtain or renew for 2026.³
Your firm’s Employer Identification Number, or your Social Security Number if you are a sole proprietor without an EIN.
Your business’s legal name, physical address, and structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation).
License or enrollment numbers for any CPA, attorney, or enrolled agent who will be listed on the application.
Clean tax filings. Every principal should have personal and business returns filed and any outstanding balances resolved or on a payment plan before applying, because unfiled returns or unpaid taxes are among the most common reasons for denial.

If your firm operates from more than one office, each location where returns are transmitted needs its own EFIN.⁴

Step 1: Create Your IRS E-Services Account

The EFIN application lives inside the IRS e-services portal.⁵ Access requires an IRS online account, and identity verification runs through ID.me. You will upload a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and take a live selfie with a smartphone or webcam. Once your identity is confirmed, you can sign in and reach the e-file application.

Step 2: Complete the E-File Application

The application asks for detailed information about your firm: legal name, physical address, EIN, and business structure. You also choose your provider type. Most tax preparers select Electronic Return Originator, which authorizes you to originate and transmit returns on behalf of clients.¹

Every person listed as a principal or responsible official must supply personal identifying information for the IRS suitability review. The portal lets you save your progress and return later, so you do not need to finish in one sitting. Before submitting, review every field. Mismatches between what you enter and what appears in government records, such as a slightly different business name or address, can delay processing.

Step 3: Handle Fingerprinting If Required

If a principal or responsible official holds an active credential as a CPA, attorney, or enrolled agent, they enter their professional status information and can skip fingerprinting. Anyone without one of those credentials must be fingerprinted through an IRS-authorized vendor using a digital livescan process.¹ Fingerprinting fees vary by vendor and location but generally run between $40 and $120.

Step 4: Sign and Submit

On the final screen, the primary applicant signs the application electronically. This signature carries the same legal weight as an ink signature and certifies under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate. After signing, the system generates a confirmation with a tracking number. If any principal required fingerprinting but used a paper fingerprint card rather than a digital scan, the card must be mailed to the IRS along with the confirmation form. Use a trackable shipping method so you have proof of delivery.

What the IRS Checks

Once you submit, the IRS runs a suitability check on every principal and responsible official named in the application. It can include four components:¹

A credit history review.
Verification that your federal, state, and local tax obligations are current.
A criminal background check, including any outstanding indictments.
A review of whether you have previously violated IRS e-file rules.

Applications are commonly denied for an indictment or conviction, unfiled returns, unpaid taxes not covered by an installment agreement, a prior assessment of civil or criminal fraud penalties, suspension or disbarment from practice before the IRS or a state tax agency, providing false information on the application itself, or knowingly working with a firm or individual expelled from the e-file program.⁶

If your application is denied, you can request an administrative review, and if that does not resolve the matter, a second review by the IRS Independent Office of Appeals. You generally have 30 days from the date of the denial letter to file your appeal, though the IRS may accept a late appeal if you can show reasonable cause for the delay.⁷

How Long It Takes and What You Receive

The IRS states that a decision can take up to 45 days from the date you submit your application.¹ You can check your status anytime by logging back into the e-services portal, where updates range from pending to approved.

If your application is approved, the IRS sends an acceptance letter through the portal that contains your six-digit EFIN. Download and securely store this letter. You will need the number to configure your tax preparation software before you can transmit any returns. After setup, confirm that your EFIN appears as active in the IRS provider locator to verify it is correctly linked to your business location.

Keeping Your EFIN Active

Approval is not the last step. The IRS requires you to update your e-file application within 30 days whenever your business information changes, and failing to do so can result in your EFIN being deactivated.⁴ Updates are required when you add or remove anyone listed as a principal or responsible official, move your office, or change contact information.

Two boundaries worth knowing. If you open a new office, that location needs its own separate EFIN application. And if you sell your business, the EFIN does not transfer to the new owner. They must apply for their own.⁴

1
Internal Revenue Service. Become an Authorized E-File Provider
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Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions: E-File Requirements for Specified Tax Return Preparers
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Reminds Tax Pros to Renew PTINs for the 2026 Tax Season
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Internal Revenue Service. How to Maintain, Monitor and Protect Your EFIN
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Internal Revenue Service. E-Services
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Internal Revenue Manual 8.7.13 – E-File Cases
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Internal Revenue Manual 3.42.10 – Authorized IRS E-File Providers