How do you get an EIN for an LLC?
You get an EIN for an LLC in 6 steps: wait for state approval, name 1 responsible party, answer lines 8a, 8b and 8c, set the classification on line 9a, complete lines 10 through 18, then file.
The whole form takes 17 minutes with the state approval document in front of you. Preparation is not the slow part of an LLC EIN application. The route is: 15 minutes online against 4 weeks by mail, on identical field content.
- Wait for the state to approve the LLC (0 minutes of your time). The IRS issues EINs to entities that already exist. Your approval document supplies the legal name for line 1 and the date for line 11.
- Pick one responsible party (3 minutes). Line 7a takes one human being who controls the LLC and its money. A parent LLC or a filing agent on line 7a fails.
- Answer the 3 LLC-only questions (4 minutes). Line 8a asks whether the applicant is an LLC, line 8b takes the member count, and line 8c asks whether the LLC was organized in the United States.
- Set the classification on line 9a (3 minutes). 1 member on line 8b defaults to a disregarded entity. 2 or more members default to a partnership. Line 9a records the box you check.
- Complete lines 10 through 18 (5 minutes). Reason for applying, start date, closing month, employee counts in all 3 boxes of line 13, and the principal activity.
- Send it by the route line 7b decided (2 minutes). An SSN or ITIN on line 7b means irs.gov in 15 minutes. The word Foreign means fax to 855-641-6935, or 855-215-1627 from outside the US.
Step 1 is the one that surprises new owners. The IRS assigns EINs to entities that legally exist, so a Form SS-4 sent while the state filing is still pending fails on 2 lines at once: the legal name on line 1 and the start date on line 11. State approval arrives in days in some states and weeks in others, and the EIN clock starts after it.
Step 2 has a rule with no exceptions. The IRS accepts 1 responsible party per Form SS-4, and it has to be a person. Naming the holding company that owns your LLC on line 7a returns the form. Name the human being who controls the LLC and signs for its money.
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
What does an LLC need before applying for an EIN?
An LLC needs 5 things before applying: the state approval document, the exact legal name, the approval date, 1 named responsible party, and the member count. No passport and no US address is required.
| What you collect | Where it comes from | SS-4 line it fills |
|---|---|---|
| Approved legal name | The state approval document, character for character | Line 1 |
| Trade name or DBA | The county or state DBA registration, when one exists | Line 2 |
| Mailing address | Any address, US or foreign, that receives post | Lines 4a and 4b |
| Formation state and county | The state approval document | Line 6 |
| Responsible party's full name | 1 member who controls the LLC | Line 7a |
| SSN, ITIN, or the word Foreign | The responsible party | Line 7b |
| Member count | The operating agreement or state filing | Line 8b |
| State approval date | The state approval document | Line 11 |
| Expected employees in 12 months | Your own plan, 0 is a valid answer | Line 13 |
| Principal activity in a few words | Your own plan | Lines 16 and 17 |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, verified July 2026.
Two items on that list are not required and get asked about constantly. The IRS asks for no identity document with Form SS-4, so no passport scan is uploaded anywhere in the process. The IRS also accepts a foreign mailing address on lines 4a and 4b, with the province, the postal code, and the country written into the same fields.
Line 13 catches more LLCs than any other prepared field. It carries 3 boxes: agricultural, household, and other. An LLC with no staff enters 0 in all 3. A blank line 13 is an incomplete form, and the IRS treats incomplete and wrong the same way.
Which Form SS-4 lines does an LLC fill in differently?
An LLC answers 3 extra lines: line 8a asks whether the applicant is an LLC, line 8b takes the member count, and line 8c asks whether it was organized in the United States. Line 9a takes the classification.
| Line | What the IRS asks | What an LLC enters |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | Legal name of entity | The LLC name exactly as the state approved it, including the ending. Smith Ventures LLC and Smith Ventures L.L.C. are 2 different names to the IRS. |
| Line 2 | Trade name | The DBA, only when the LLC trades under a name that differs from line 1. A DBA never receives an EIN of its own. |
| Line 7b | Responsible party's tax ID | The member's SSN or ITIN. A member who holds neither enters the word Foreign, and that entry moves the filing from the website to the fax line. |
| Line 8a | Is the applicant an LLC? | Yes. This single box is what tells the IRS to read lines 8b and 8c at all. |
| Line 8b | Number of LLC members | The member count on the day of filing. 1 sets a disregarded entity, 2 or more sets a partnership, and the number stays on your IRS record. |
| Line 8c | Was the LLC organized in the United States? | Yes for an LLC formed in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, whatever passport the members hold. |
| Line 9a | Type of entity | The box matching line 8b. A 1-member LLC checks the disregarded-entity treatment. A 2-member LLC checks partnership. |
| Line 10 | Reason for applying | Started a new business for a fresh LLC. Banking purpose when the LLC exists and the EIN is for a US business account. |
| Line 11 | Date business started | The approval date printed by the state, in month, day, year order. A date before approval is a rejection cause. |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, verified July 2026.
What the number on line 8b decides
Line 8b is 1 digit that sets federal tax treatment for the life of the LLC. Enter 1 and the IRS treats the LLC as a disregarded entity, so its income reports on the owner's return. Enter 2 or more and the IRS treats it as a partnership, which files Form 1065 and issues a Schedule K-1 to each member.
Neither default is permanent. An LLC changes its treatment by filing Form 8832, and an LLC electing S corporation treatment files Form 2553. Both elections need the EIN first, which is why the EIN comes before every tax decision an LLC makes.
Line 8c is a question about the LLC, not about its owners. An LLC formed in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia answers yes on line 8c, whatever passport its members carry. Members outside the United States change 1 field on this form and 1 only: line 7b.
The full field-by-field rulebook lives on the ss4 form page, with all 18 numbered fields and the note for each.
How does an LLC get an EIN without an SSN?
The responsible party enters the word Foreign on line 7b, then faxes the signed Form SS-4 to the IRS. The IRS issues EINs to responsible parties who hold no SSN and no ITIN, and no passport is required.
| Channel | Number | Which LLC uses it |
|---|---|---|
| IRS fax, US-based entity | 855-641-6935 | The LLC has a US business address |
| IRS fax, international | 855-215-1627 | The LLC has no US business address |
| IRS international phone line | 267-941-1099 | An international applicant calling the IRS directly |
Source: IRS, Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4, and IRS Instructions for Form SS-4, verified July 2026.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC keeps 1 extra duty after the EIN arrives. It files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, and the penalty for failing to file Form 5472 is $25,000 per year, set by Internal Revenue Code section 6038A(d). The EIN is what makes that filing possible, so the EIN is step 1 of the compliance chain, not an optional extra.
Source: 26 U.S.C. 6038A(d) and IRS Instructions for Form 5472, verified July 2026.
Fax carries no tracking number and no online status page. That gap is what the fee covers: a specialist prepares all 18 fields, then files by fax within 5 business days for $67, or within 24 hours with the IRS call included for $97. Miss that window and the filing is free.
How long does an EIN for an LLC take?
An LLC EIN filed online with an SSN arrives inside one 15-minute session. Faxed applications take days to weeks. Mailed applications take 4 weeks. einnumber.co files by fax within 5 business days, or within 24 hours.
| Method | Time to EIN | SSN required | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRS online assistant | 15 minutes | Yes | $0 |
| IRS fax, Form SS-4 | Days to weeks | No | $0 |
| IRS mail, Form SS-4 | 4 weeks | No | $0 |
| IRS international phone | One call | No | $0 |
| einnumber.co Standard | 12–14 business days total | No | $67 |
| einnumber.co Fast | Under a week | No | $97 |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, verified July 2026. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
The IRS online assistant runs Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. The session closes after 15 minutes of inactivity and restarts from the first screen, so an LLC owner using it keeps the state approval document open before starting. The tool checks the responsible party against SSN and ITIN records, which stops every applicant who holds neither at that screen.
Source: IRS, Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online — hours of operation and session time-out, verified July 2026.
Method-by-method timings, including what happens between sending a fax and hearing back, sit on the how long does it take to get an ein page.
Why do LLC EIN applications get rejected?
A name on line 1 that differs from the state record by 1 character causes most LLC rejections. Three more causes: a company on line 7a, a blank line 13, and a start date on line 11 before state approval.
Line 1 does not match the state record. 1 character decides it. LLC and L.L.C. read as 2 different entities, and so does a dropped comma.
Line 7a names the parent company. The IRS wants 1 person. A holding LLC, a formation agent, or an accountant on line 7a fails.
Line 8b contradicts line 9a. 1 member on line 8b with partnership checked on line 9a is 2 answers to 1 question.
Line 11 predates state approval. Use the approval date printed by the state, not the day you paid the state filing fee.
Line 13 is blank. All 3 boxes need a number. Enter 0 for agricultural, 0 for household, and 0 for other.
The form is unsigned. An unsigned SS-4 is returned unprocessed, and the wait restarts from 0.
The cost of a rejection is time, not money. The IRS reports it by mail, not by email, so a faxed LLC application that fails burns weeks before the notice lands. Reading line 1 against the state approval document before you send the form adds 0 days to the timeline.
What does an LLC receive after the EIN application?
The LLC receives a 9-digit EIN and the official IRS CP-575 confirmation letter. The CP-575 prints the EIN and the legal name from line 1. Banks verify the LLC against that document.
The number prints as 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7 digits. The IRS issues 1 CP-575 per EIN and never reprints it. A replacement arrives only as a 147C letter, which the IRS sends on request, so store a copy the day it arrives and before opening any account.
The name on the CP-575 is copied from what you wrote on line 1, not from the state register. That is why a typo surfaces months later, at the bank counter, when the CP-575 and the formation document disagree. What each document proves, and what banks accept instead, is set out on the ein confirmation letter page.
An EIN lasts the life of the LLC. It never renews and never expires, which puts the year 2 cost at $0 and the cost of every year after that at $0.
What does an LLC's EIN open?
An LLC's EIN opens a US business bank account, payment processing, payroll, marketplace selling, and vendor onboarding. It also keeps the owner's Social Security Number off every W-9 the business signs.
| What the LLC does | What is checked | EIN required |
|---|---|---|
| Open a US business bank account | EIN plus the CP-575 letter | Yes |
| Take card payments through a processor | EIN plus the legal name on line 1 | Yes |
| Sell on a US marketplace | EIN on the tax interview | Yes |
| Hire 1 or more employees | EIN on every payroll filing | Yes |
| Sign a W-9 for a US client | EIN in place of an SSN | Yes |
| File Form 5472 as a foreign-owned LLC | EIN on the pro forma Form 1120 | Yes |
| File Form 8832 or Form 2553 | EIN on the election form | Yes |
The W-9 line is the one owners underrate. A single-member LLC with no EIN puts the owner's Social Security Number on every W-9 it signs, which means that number travels to each client's accounts team. An EIN replaces it with 9 digits that belong to the business.
When does an LLC need a second EIN?
An LLC needs a second EIN when its structure changes, not when its details change. A single-member LLC that adds a member needs a new EIN. A name, address, or state change keeps the same 9 digits.
| What changed | New EIN? | What you file instead |
|---|---|---|
| The LLC changed its trading name | No | Nothing for the EIN. Update the state record. |
| The LLC moved to a new address | No | Form 8822-B |
| The responsible party changed | No | Form 8822-B, within 60 days |
| 1 member became 2 or more members | Yes | A new Form SS-4 |
| A partnership became a single-member LLC | Yes | A new Form SS-4 |
| The LLC elected S corporation treatment | No | Form 2553, using the same EIN |
| The LLC added a DBA | No | Nothing. A DBA gets no EIN of its own. |
Source: IRS Instructions for Form 8822-B, which set the 60-day deadline for reporting a change of responsible party, and IRS Publication 1635, Understanding Your EIN, for the events that require a new EIN. Both verified July 2026.
One limit shapes how owners with several LLCs plan the week. The IRS issues 1 EIN per responsible party per day, across every filing method. An owner registering 3 LLCs names the same responsible party on 3 separate Forms SS-4 and files them on 3 different days.
A second EIN issued by mistake is worse than none. The LLC then carries 2 tax accounts under 1 company, and payment platforms match the wrong one. If the LLC already has an EIN and the paperwork has gone missing, the recovery routes are on the lost ein number page.
How much does an EIN for an LLC cost?
An EIN for an LLC costs $0. The IRS charges nothing for Form SS-4 and nothing for the EIN, through all 4 methods. Year 2 costs $0 and every year after costs $0, because an EIN never renews.
| Filed by | Price | Filing guarantee in writing | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | None | $0 |
| einnumber.co Standard | $67 | Filed by fax within 5 business days or the filing is free | $0 |
| einnumber.co Fast | $97 | Filed and the IRS call made within 24 hours, guaranteed, or the filing is free | $0 |
| Northwest | $200 | Not stated | $0 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | Not stated | $0 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $59.99 | Not stated | $0 |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. Northwest reflects the no-SSN rate.
Read this before paying anyone, including us. An LLC member holding an SSN gets the EIN at irs.gov in 15 minutes for $0. The $67 exists for the members the online tool blocks: a paper form, a fax line with no tracking, 18 fields that have to be right the first time, and a rejection notice that travels by post.
The state charges its own LLC filing fee, and that fee is separate from the EIN. The IRS side of an LLC EIN is $0 in year 1 and $0 in every year after, whichever of the 4 methods you use.
Ready to hand it over? get started and we prepare, file, and guarantee the whole application.