To get an EIN for a multi-member LLC or partnership, apply directly to the IRS at no cost. The fastest route is the online EIN application, which issues the nine-digit number immediately once you finish the session. If you prefer paper, file Form SS-4 by fax (about four business days) or by mail (roughly four to five weeks).
Why Your Multi-Member LLC Needs an EIN
Federal rules require any entity that isn’t an individual to use an EIN when giving a taxpayer identification number on returns or other documents.1eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6109-1 – Identifying Numbers The IRS automatically treats a domestic LLC with two or more members as a partnership unless the entity files Form 8832 to elect corporate treatment.2Internal Revenue Service. Form 8832 – Entity Classification Election Under that default, the business files Form 1065 each year and issues a Schedule K-1 to every partner showing their share of income, deductions, and credits.3Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 1065 None of that works without an EIN.
Banks need it too. Federal customer due diligence rules require financial institutions to collect a taxpayer identification number for every legal entity customer, and for U.S. businesses that number is the EIN.4Federal Register. Customer Due Diligence Requirements for Financial Institutions You cannot open a business checking account without one.
What to Gather Before You Apply
The online tool can’t save your progress, so having everything on hand before you start makes the difference between a fifteen-minute task and a restart. You’ll need:
- The legal name of the LLC exactly as it appears on your articles of organization or partnership agreement.
- Any trade name or “doing business as” name the business uses.
- A mailing address for IRS correspondence.
- The name and Social Security number or ITIN of the responsible party.
- The business start date.
- The number of employees you expect to hire in the next twelve months, if any.
- A short description of the primary business activity, used to select the industry code.
If you’re filing Form SS-4 by paper, note that line 8a asks whether the entity is an LLC and line 9a asks for the entity type. A multi-member LLC accepting the default tax treatment checks “Partnership” on line 9a.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Application for Employer Identification Number Line 10 asks for the reason, usually “Started new business” or “Banking purpose.”
The Three Ways to Apply
Apply Online for an Instant EIN
The IRS online EIN application issues a number immediately when you complete the session, at no charge.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The tool runs on Eastern Time:
- 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.
The session can’t be paused. If your browser closes or the session times out, you start over. For most multi-member LLCs, the whole process takes under fifteen minutes once you have the required information in front of you.
Apply by Fax
Fax a completed Form SS-4 to 855-641-6935 for domestic applicants.7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 Processing generally takes about four business days, after which the IRS returns the EIN by fax.
Apply by Mail
Mailing Form SS-4 is the slowest route, running roughly four to five weeks.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Application for Employer Identification Number The correct mailing address depends on your location and is listed in the Form SS-4 instructions. An authorized member or officer of the partnership must sign the form.
Naming the Responsible Party
Every EIN application names one responsible party, and it has to be a real person, not another business entity.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Section: Lines 7a-7b Name of Responsible Party The IRS defines the responsible party as the individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity, or who exercises effective control over it.9Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees In practical terms, that’s whoever can direct the business’s funds and assets.
The responsible party provides their Social Security number or ITIN on the application.9Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees If that person later changes, the business has 60 days to file Form 8822-B and update the IRS.10Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business
You can also name a third-party designee on Form SS-4, such as an accountant or attorney, to receive the EIN and answer questions about the application. That authority is temporary and ends the moment the IRS assigns and releases the number.11Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Section: Third-Party Designee
Applying Without a Social Security Number
If the responsible party is a foreign national without an SSN or ITIN, the online application is not available. International applicants with no legal residence or principal place of business in the United States apply by phone, fax, or mail.12Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Section: How to Apply
- By phone: 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Have a completed Form SS-4 ready; the IRS may ask you to fax or mail the signed form within 24 hours.
- By fax: 304-707-9471.
- By mail: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999.
On line 7b, where the responsible party’s SSN or ITIN normally goes, enter “foreign” or “N/A” if the individual doesn’t have one and isn’t eligible for one.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Section: Lines 7a-7b Name of Responsible Party
Don’t Pay Anyone to Get Your EIN
The IRS issues EINs for free. Websites that charge a fee for this service are not affiliated with the government.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The FTC has warned that these lookalike sites may violate federal consumer protection rules and could face enforcement action.13Federal Trade Commission. Don’t Pay to Get Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) Go directly to irs.gov.
After the IRS Issues Your EIN
Once approved, the IRS sends a CP 575 confirmation notice.14U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. IRS CP 575 G Notice This is your official proof of the EIN assignment. Store it securely: banks will ask for it when you open a business account, and state agencies and vendors often want it for registrations and permits.
With the EIN in place, the partnership can file its annual Form 1065. The partnership itself pays no income tax; it reports income and expenses on Form 1065 and issues a Schedule K-1 to each partner, who then reports their share on a personal return.3Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 1065
Keeping the EIN Record Current
If the business moves or the responsible party changes, file Form 8822-B within 60 days.10Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business That form covers changes to the mailing address, the physical location, and the identity of the responsible party.15Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B – Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business A change to the partnership’s legal name goes in a separate written notification signed by an authorized person and sent to the IRS service center where the business files its returns.
One useful boundary: changing your LLC’s tax classification later, from partnership to corporation via Form 8832, does not require a new EIN. The IRS confirms that an entity keeps its existing number when it changes classification.16Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN Get the number once, keep the records current, and it will carry the business through its filing life.