Why Can’t I Get an EIN? Reference Numbers, Outages, and Fixes

If you can’t get an EIN, the rejection almost always traces back to one of four causes: a business name that conflicts with an existing IRS record, a mismatch between the responsible party’s name and Social Security number, the IRS limit of one EIN per responsible party per day, or a technical problem with the online EIN Assistant. Each has a specific fix, and when the online tool keeps failing, a faxed Form SS-4 usually gets the number issued within about eight business days.¹

You Already Applied Today

The IRS issues only one EIN per responsible party per calendar day, regardless of how you apply — online, by fax, or by mail.² If you are forming several entities and listing yourself as the responsible party on each, a second application submitted the same day is automatically rejected. The same limit applies to grantors of trusts and decedents of estates.

The fix here is only patience. Wait until the next calendar day and resubmit.

Reference Number 101: Name Conflict

Reference Number 101 is one of the most common online rejections. It means the IRS system already has a business entity on file with a name that is the same as or very similar to yours.³ The automated tool can’t distinguish between two legitimately different businesses that happen to share a common name, so it blocks the application to prevent duplicates.

You can’t clear a 101 error inside the online tool. Call the IRS business tax line at 800-829-4933 and explain that your entity is separate from the one already on file. A representative will typically ask you to fax a completed Form SS-4 along with a copy of your state-filed formation documents, such as articles of incorporation or a certificate of organization, so a staff member can verify and process the application manually.

Reference Numbers 109, 110, 112, and 113

These codes usually point to a technical problem on the IRS side rather than something wrong with your information. Server overload, scheduled maintenance, and browser compatibility issues can all trigger them. Wait 24 hours, try a different browser, and resubmit. If the error keeps coming back, skip the online system and file Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

A Problem With the Responsible Party

Every EIN application must list a single responsible party: the individual who owns or controls the entity’s finances. That person has to be a real individual, not another business entity, and has to provide either a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.⁴ Government entities are the only exception. Since May 2019, the IRS has not allowed one entity’s EIN to be used to obtain another entity’s EIN.²

The most frequent rejection in this category is a name/SSN mismatch. If the name and SSN you enter don’t match Social Security Administration records exactly, the application is refused. Even a small discrepancy causes it: a legal name change you haven’t reported to the SSA, a transposed digit, a hyphenated last name entered differently than on your card. Before you reapply, confirm your name is listed exactly as it appears on your Social Security card. If you recently changed your name, update it with the SSA first using Form SS-5 and wait at least two weeks for the change to reach IRS systems before trying again.

Unresolved federal tax issues tied to the responsible party — unfiled returns or an outstanding balance — can also hold an application. Clearing those with the IRS first is the fastest path forward.

The Online Tool Isn’t Available Right Now

The online EIN Assistant doesn’t run around the clock. Its hours (all Eastern Time) are:⁵

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

Trying to use the tool outside these hours produces a generic error message that doesn’t say what the real problem is. If you’re in a western time zone or working late, check the schedule before assuming your application was rejected on the merits.

Session Timeouts and Special Characters

The online Assistant times out after roughly 15 minutes of inactivity, and there’s no way to save and return. Gather everything before you start: legal name, formation date, responsible party details, and a business activity description.

Certain special characters in your entity’s legal name can also trip up the tool. Hyphens and ampersands generally work, but apostrophes, periods, and other symbols may cause an error.⁶ If your legal name uses a character the system won’t accept, try leaving it out on the online form, or file Form SS-4 by fax or mail, where a staff member can enter the name manually.

You’re Outside the U.S. and Trying to Apply Online

International applicants — those with no legal residence, principal office, or place of business in the United States — 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.⁷ The caller has to be authorized to receive the EIN and answer questions about Form SS-4. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN and isn’t eligible for one, enter “foreign” or “N/A” on Line 7b. An IRS representative may ask you to fax or mail a signed copy of the form within 24 hours of the call.

Domestic applicants can no longer apply by phone. The IRS ended that option in January 2014.³ If you’re in the U.S., your options are the online Assistant, fax, or mail.

The Reliable Fallback: Form SS-4 by Fax or Mail

When the online tool keeps rejecting you, a paper Form SS-4 is the way through. The form asks for your entity’s legal name exactly as it appears on your state formation documents, any trade names, the entity type, the reason you’re applying, the business start date, and the closing month of your accounting year.² You also select a principal business activity code from the categories in the form’s instructions.

The form has to be signed by hand. Form SS-4 is not currently on the IRS list of paper forms eligible for electronic signatures.⁸ Download the form from irs.gov, complete it, and sign before sending.

Where to Send It

Domestic applicants (principal business or residence in the 50 states or the District of Columbia) fax to 855-641-6935.⁹ International applicants fax to 304-707-9471. Mailed applications go to the Internal Revenue Service, Cincinnati, OH 45999.

How Long It Takes

Faxed applications are currently processed within about eight business days.¹ Include a return fax number so the IRS can send the EIN assignment back the same way. Mailed applications take roughly four weeks.⁷ Use only one method per entity. Submitting the same application through more than one channel can result in duplicate EINs for the same business, which creates its own set of problems to unwind.

One more thing worth knowing while you’re troubleshooting: the IRS charges nothing for an EIN. If a website is asking for a fee, it’s a third-party service, not the IRS, and the FTC has warned operators of sites that charge for EIN services while implying an IRS affiliation.¹⁰

1
Internal Revenue Service. Processing Status for Tax Forms
2
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)
3
Internal Revenue Service. IRM 21.7.13 Assigning Employer Identification Numbers (EINs)
4
Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees
5
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
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Internal Revenue Service. Using the Correct Name Control in E-Filing Corporate Tax Returns
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Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4
8
Internal Revenue Service. Details on Using E-Signatures for Certain Forms
9
Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4
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Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns Operators of Websites That Charge for an Employer Identification Number and Claim Affiliation With the IRS