A trust number is almost always the trust’s Employer Identification Number (EIN), a nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns in the format XX-XXXXXXX.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number It functions for the trust the way a Social Security Number functions for you. Whether your trust needs its own depends on what kind of trust it is: an irrevocable trust needs an EIN from day one, while a revocable living trust generally uses the grantor’s SSN until the grantor dies.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: Who Needs an EIN
EIN vs. Bank Account Number
Two different numbers get called a “trust number,” and they do very different jobs.
The EIN is the trust’s identity with the federal government. There is only one per trust, and it stays with the trust for its entire life. It goes on tax returns, on Schedule K-1s to beneficiaries, and on paperwork that opens accounts in the trust’s name.
The other number is the internal account number a bank or brokerage assigns when the trust opens an account there. It exists only inside that institution’s system and tracks the assets in that specific account. A trust can have several of these across different firms, but still only one EIN.
When Your Trust Needs Its Own EIN
The IRS rule is that a trust needs an EIN to operate, with an exception for certain grantor-owned revocable trusts.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: Who Needs an EIN That exception is where most of the real-world confusion lives.
Revocable Living Trusts (Grantor Alive)
If you set up a revocable living trust and you’re still alive and competent, the IRS treats the trust as an extension of you. You report the trust’s income on your personal Form 1040 under your own Social Security Number, and the trust usually doesn’t file its own return.3Internal Revenue Service. Abusive Trust Tax Evasion Schemes – Questions and Answers Banks will open accounts under your SSN with the trust name attached. No EIN needed.
Irrevocable Trusts
An irrevocable trust is its own taxpayer the moment it’s created. Because the grantor has given up the right to revoke or amend it, it can’t ride on anyone’s SSN. Apply for the EIN before opening any financial accounts or conducting business in the trust’s name.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: Who Needs an EIN
When a Revocable Trust Becomes Irrevocable
A revocable trust automatically becomes irrevocable when the grantor dies. The grantor’s SSN can no longer be used, and the successor trustee needs to apply for a new EIN quickly so that post-death income and transactions are reported under the trust’s own tax identity. This should be one of the first things a successor trustee does, because financial institutions will generally freeze the trust’s accounts until a new EIN is on file.
How to Apply for the Trust’s EIN
The fastest route is the IRS online application, which issues the EIN immediately on approval.4Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The session can’t be saved and times out after 15 minutes of inactivity, so have your information ready before you start. The IRS also limits applicants to one EIN per responsible party per day.
If you’d rather do it on paper, submit Form SS-4 by fax or mail.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number Fax responses typically come within four business days; mailed applications take four to six weeks.
Before you start, pull together:
- The trust’s full legal name, exactly as written in the trust document.
- The type of trust (irrevocable, newly irrevocable after the grantor’s death, or another type that needs its own EIN).
- The responsible party. For a trust, this is usually the grantor or the trustee, and it must be an individual, not another entity. You’ll need their SSN or ITIN.6Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Application for Employer Identification Number
- The reason for applying, such as creating a new trust or a change in trustee.
Where the EIN Shows Up After You Have It
Once the trust has an EIN, that number is the trust’s identity for essentially every tax and financial purpose.
Tax Filing
A trust with its own EIN files Form 1041, the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, to report income, deductions, gains, losses, any tax owed, and income distributed to beneficiaries.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts The EIN goes on every return and every piece of IRS correspondence.
When the trust distributes income to beneficiaries, the trustee prepares a Schedule K-1 for each one showing their share, which they report on their personal returns.9Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 1041 and Schedules A, B, G, J, and K-1 The trust’s EIN appears on every K-1 so the IRS can match the figures.
Accounts and Asset Titling
Banks and brokerage firms require the trust’s EIN to open accounts in the trust’s name. After the grantor dies, those institutions generally won’t let the successor trustee move or manage trust assets until a new EIN is on file. The firm then assigns its own internal account number for its tracking, but the EIN is what ties the account to the trust’s tax identity.
Finding the Numbers Later
The EIN appears on the original confirmation letter the IRS sent when it was issued and on any Form 1041 the trust has filed. Internal account numbers appear on bank or brokerage statements. Keep the EIN confirmation letter with the trust document itself.
If the Trust Ends or the EIN Is Lost
An EIN is permanent. The IRS doesn’t cancel, reuse, or transfer it to another entity.10Internal Revenue Service. If You No Longer Need Your EIN You can ask the IRS to close the business account tied to the EIN once the trust has filed its final Form 1041 and distributed all remaining assets, but the number itself stays on file.
If you misplace the EIN, check the IRS confirmation letter, prior tax returns, or a bank where the trust has an account. You can also call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at (800) 829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.11Taxpayer Advocate Service. Getting an EIN
Treat the EIN like a Social Security Number. Someone with the EIN and basic trust details could try to open fraudulent accounts or file bogus returns in the trust’s name. Share it only with financial institutions, tax preparers, and government agencies that have a legitimate need. If you think the EIN has been compromised, contact the IRS right away; for an exposed internal account number, contact the bank or brokerage directly.