To get an EIN for an LLC, apply directly through the IRS online application at irs.gov. The number is issued immediately, the service is free, and the session usually takes under 15 minutes if you have your Articles of Organization and the responsible party’s Social Security number or ITIN in front of you. Fax, mail, and phone options exist for situations where the online tool won’t work, but online is the right default for a domestic LLC with a U.S.-based responsible party.
Does Your LLC Actually Need Its Own EIN?
Not every LLC is legally required to have one. A single-member LLC with no employees and no excise tax obligations can use the owner’s Social Security number for federal tax purposes.1Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies In practice, almost every LLC gets one anyway, because banks require an EIN to open a business account and many states require a federal EIN before they’ll issue a state tax ID.
Your LLC needs its own EIN if it has employees or plans to hire, has more than one member (multi-member LLCs are treated as partnerships), files excise tax returns, or elects corporate taxation by filing Form 8832 or Form 2553. Even when none of those apply, an EIN keeps your personal Social Security number off invoices, W-9s, and vendor paperwork.
What to Have Ready Before You Apply
Every application method uses Form SS-4 underneath, including the online tool.2Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN) Gather the following first so the session doesn’t stall:
- The LLC’s legal name, exactly as written on your Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation. The IRS builds a four-character “name control” from the first four characters, and a mismatch causes trouble when you later file returns.3Internal Revenue Service. Using the Correct Name Control in E-Filing Partnership Tax Returns
- The business’s physical address, plus a mailing address if it differs.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
- The responsible party’s name and SSN or ITIN. The responsible party is the individual who controls the LLC and directs how its money and assets are used.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
- The date the LLC was formed or started operating, taken from your state filing receipt.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
- A reason for applying (usually “started a new business” or “hired employees”).
- The entity type (LLC) and number of members, which drives the default tax classification.
One classification note: the IRS doesn’t treat LLC as its own tax category. A single-member LLC defaults to disregarded-entity treatment; a multi-member LLC defaults to partnership treatment. If you elect corporate treatment, a disregarded entity that previously used the owner’s SSN must obtain its own EIN going forward.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Limited Liability Company Reference Guide Sheet Making that election near the same time you apply keeps the IRS records consistent.
How to Apply
Online
The IRS online application is the fastest route for a domestic LLC. You get the EIN on screen at the end of the session. The tool is open 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.; and Sunday, 6:00 p.m. to midnight, all Eastern Time.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
Two limits are worth knowing. The responsible party must have a valid SSN or ITIN, with no online workaround. And the IRS caps assignments at one EIN per responsible party per day, so multiple LLCs need multiple days.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number You also can’t save your progress mid-session; a timeout means starting over.
When the confirmation screen appears with your new number, print or save it right then. That page is your only immediate proof of the EIN until the formal notice arrives in the mail weeks later.
Fax
Complete Form SS-4 and fax it to the IRS. For LLCs in the 50 states or Washington, D.C., the number is 855-641-6935. Entities with no U.S. principal place of business use 855-215-1627 (domestic) or 304-707-9471 (international).7Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4 The EIN typically comes back by return fax within four business days.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025)
Mail Form SS-4 to Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999.7Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4 Turnaround is four to five weeks. Use this route only when you have no urgent need for the number.
Phone (International Applicants)
If the LLC’s principal place of business is outside the United States, or the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, apply by calling 267-941-1099, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time.9Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number This is the only path available when the responsible party has no U.S. taxpayer ID. On a faxed or mailed SS-4, write “foreign” or “N/A” on line 7b in that situation.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
What Arrives After the EIN Is Issued
The CP 575 Notice
The IRS mails a CP 575 notice to the address on your application within about eight to ten weeks. It confirms the EIN, the LLC’s legal name and address, and the returns the IRS expects you to file. Store it with your formation documents.
If it’s ever lost, request a replacement (Letter 147C) by calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933. There is no online request. Have your EIN, business name, and responsible party information ready for identity verification.
Opening a Business Bank Account
Banks generally accept either the CP 575 or the confirmation page you printed from the online application. The printout is usually enough to open an account the same week you form the LLC. Make sure the legal name on the EIN matches your Articles of Organization exactly, since banks flag discrepancies between the two.
State Tax Registration
A federal EIN does not cover state tax obligations. Most states require a separate state tax ID before you can collect sales tax, withhold employee income tax, or file state business returns. Check with your state’s department of revenue after the EIN is in hand.
The IRS Charges Nothing for an EIN
Every IRS application method is free.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number Third-party sites nonetheless charge up to $300 to file the same form. The FTC has warned that many of these sites use IRS-style logos and domain names containing “IRS” or “EIN Assistant” to imply a government affiliation they don’t have.10Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns Operators of Websites That Charge for an Employer Identification Number and Claim Affiliation with the IRS The real application is at irs.gov. If the URL doesn’t end in “.gov,” it isn’t the IRS.
Keeping the EIN Current
When the person who controls the LLC changes, notify the IRS within 60 days using Form 8822-B.11Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business It’s easy to forget, and skipping it creates problems when the IRS later tries to reach someone no longer involved with the business.
Your LLC keeps the same EIN through name changes, address changes, and shifts in tax election such as moving from partnership to S-corp treatment. A new EIN is required only when you terminate the LLC and form a new entity, or when a single-member LLC that had been using the owner’s SSN starts having employees or excise tax obligations.12Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN An EIN is permanently tied to the entity it was assigned to and can’t be transferred.