What is a Florida EIN number?
A Florida EIN number is the 9-digit Employer Identification Number the IRS assigns to a business registered in Florida. It is a federal number, not a state number. The IRS issues it for $0 through Form SS-4.
The number prints in a 2-digit and 7-digit format separated by a hyphen, like 12-3456789. The IRS does not issue a separate series for Florida. The same 18-field Form SS-4 produces an EIN for a Miami restaurant, a Tampa freight company, and a Jacksonville software firm, and it produces the same number format in every other state.
Two entries on the form carry Florida information. Line 6 takes the county and the state of the principal business location, and Florida has 67 counties to choose from. Line 11 takes the date the Florida Division of Corporations approved the entity. Line 9b takes Florida for a corporation incorporated there.
An EIN never expires and never renews. That puts the cost in year 2 at $0 and the cost in year 10 at $0. A Florida business keeps the same EIN for the life of the entity, through address changes, county moves, and bank changes.
How do you get an EIN number in Florida?
You get an EIN number in Florida by filing Form SS-4 with the IRS: free online at irs.gov in 15 minutes if you have an SSN, or by fax to 855-641-6935 if you do not. The IRS fee is $0.
Register the entity with Florida first. The IRS issues EINs to entities that legally exist, and line 11 asks for a state approval date. The Florida Division of Corporations runs that registration at sunbiz.org. Articles of Organization for a Florida LLC cost $125. Articles of Incorporation for a Florida corporation cost $70.
The 5 steps, in order
- Register the business with Florida first (before line 1). The Florida Division of Corporations approves the entity at sunbiz.org. An LLC pays $125 for Articles of Organization.
- Copy the legal name from the Florida approval (line 1). Line 1 of Form SS-4 must match the sunbiz record character for character, including LLC or L.L.C.
- Enter the Florida county on line 6 (1 of 67). Line 6 takes the county and the state. Florida has 67 counties, and the answer is one of them plus the word Florida.
- Answer line 7a and line 7b (2 fields). Line 7a takes one person. Line 7b takes their SSN, their ITIN, or the word Foreign.
- File the form (15 minutes online, or by fax). File at irs.gov in 15 minutes with an SSN, or fax to 855-641-6935 from a Florida address.
Sources: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions; Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Verified July 2026.
Keep the Florida approval document open while you fill the form. Line 1 and line 11 both copy straight off it. Preparation is not the slow part of a Florida EIN application. IRS processing is, and the processing time depends entirely on which of the two routes above applies.
Is a Florida EIN number the same as a Florida state tax ID?
No. The EIN is a 9-digit federal number issued by the IRS for $0. A Florida state tax registration is separate, filed with the Florida Department of Revenue on Form DR-1, and it covers sales tax and reemployment tax.
| Registration | Issued by | Form | Fee | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EIN | IRS (federal) | Form SS-4 | $0 | Federal tax filing, payroll, US bank accounts |
| Florida tax account | Florida Department of Revenue | Form DR-1 | $0 online | 6% state sales tax, reemployment tax |
| Entity registration | Florida Division of Corporations | Articles of Organization | $125 for an LLC | Legal existence of the company |
Sources: IRS; Florida Department of Revenue; Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Verified July 2026.
The order matters. Florida registration comes first, the EIN comes second, and the Florida Department of Revenue account comes third, because Form DR-1 asks for the federal EIN. Filing them out of order sends you back to step 1.
Florida charges 0% personal income tax and a 5.5% corporate income tax. Neither number changes the EIN application, which is federal and identical in every state. For the full breakdown of which number does what, the federal EIN identifies the entity to the IRS while a Florida sales and use tax certificate number identifies it to the Department of Revenue, and neither one substitutes for the other. The state tax id vs ein breakdown runs that same comparison across all 50 states, so you can see how many accounts Florida asks for against everywhere else. Texas is the closest comparison, another no-income-tax state, and the texas ein number page covers the 11-digit taxpayer number Texas issues in place of Florida’s certificate.
How does a Florida LLC get an EIN number?
A Florida LLC gets an EIN by filing Form SS-4 after the Division of Corporations approves its Articles of Organization. Line 8a is checked yes, line 8b takes the member count, and line 8c is checked yes.
The number on line 8b decides federal tax treatment for the life of the company. 1 member defaults to a disregarded entity. 2 or more members default to a partnership. A Florida LLC that wants corporate treatment files a separate election after the EIN arrives, because the election needs the EIN on it.
A single-member Florida LLC owned by a person outside the United States files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year. Form 5472 requires the EIN in its header. That is why the EIN comes before the first tax season, not after it.
The Florida LLC calendar
| Item | Filed with | Deadline | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | Florida Division of Corporations | Before the EIN application | $125 |
| EIN application (Form SS-4) | IRS | After state approval | $0 |
| Florida annual report, LLC | Florida Division of Corporations | May 1 each year | $138.75 |
| Florida annual report, corporation | Florida Division of Corporations | May 1 each year | $150 |
| Late annual report penalty | Florida Division of Corporations | After May 1 | $400 |
Source: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Verified July 2026. The $400 late fee does not apply to nonprofit corporations.
The EIN sits outside that calendar. It costs $0 to obtain, $0 to keep, and it carries no annual deadline of its own. The only recurring Florida cost in the table is the annual report.
How do you get a Florida EIN number without an SSN?
Enter the word Foreign on line 7b of Form SS-4. The IRS issues EINs to responsible parties who hold no SSN and no ITIN. The application moves from the online tool to the fax line, and no passport is required.
| Channel | Number | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| IRS fax, US-based entity | 855-641-6935 | The Florida entity has a US business address |
| IRS fax, international | 855-215-1627 | The Florida entity has no US business address |
| IRS international phone line | 267-941-1099 | International applicants calling the IRS directly |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
Line 7b is the field that decides the route. The IRS online assistant validates the responsible party against SSN and ITIN records, so an applicant holding neither stops at that screen. The paper form does not run that check. One word on line 7b opens the fax route.
Line 6 still takes a Florida county even when the owner lives 8,000 miles away. Use the county named on the Florida formation record. Lines 5a and 5b stay blank when there is no US street address, and line 4a accepts a foreign mailing address with the country written out.
The full no-SSN walkthrough sits on the apply for EIN without SSN page, and every field rule is on the Form SS-4 checklist.
How long does a Florida EIN number take?
A Florida EIN takes 15 minutes online with an SSN, days to weeks by fax, and 4 weeks by mail. Florida does not change IRS processing time. 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. Florida sits in the Eastern time zone, so those hours read straight off the clock in Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville. The session ends after 15 minutes of inactivity and restarts from the first screen.
Fax carries no tracking number and no status page. That gap is what the fee buys: we file by fax within 5 business days for $67, follow up with the IRS, and file within 24 hours for $97, guaranteed or the filing is free.
What does Form SS-4 ask a Florida applicant on each line?
Form SS-4 asks the same 18 numbered fields of every applicant. Florida changes 4 answers: the legal name on line 1, the county on line 6, the state approval date on line 11, and Florida on line 9b for corporations.
| Line | What it asks | The Florida answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal name of entity | The exact name on the Florida Division of Corporations record, character for character. |
| 2 | Trade name (DBA) | A Florida fictitious name registered with the state goes here. A fictitious name never gets its own EIN. |
| 4a, 4b | Mailing address | Where the IRS mails the CP-575. A foreign mailing address is accepted, with the country named. |
| 6 | County and state of the principal business | One of Florida's 67 counties, then Florida. A city name is a rejection cause: Miami is a city, Miami-Dade is the county. |
| 7a | Responsible party | One human being who controls the entity and its funds. A Florida registered agent on line 7a triggers rejection. |
| 7b | SSN, ITIN, or EIN of the responsible party | An SSN or ITIN when the responsible party holds one. The word Foreign when the responsible party holds neither. |
| 8a, 8b, 8c | LLC questions | A Florida LLC checks yes on 8a, enters its member count on 8b, and checks yes on 8c because it was organized in the United States. |
| 9a, 9b | Type of entity | One box on 9a. A Florida corporation enters Florida on line 9b as the state of incorporation. |
| 10 | Reason for applying | Started a new business, or banking purpose when the EIN opens a US business bank account. |
| 11 | Date the business started | The date the Florida Division of Corporations approved the entity, not the date the paperwork was signed. |
| 13 | Highest number of employees in the next 12 months | A number in all three boxes: agricultural, household, other. Enter 0 where none are expected. |
| 16, 17 | Principal activity and merchandise | One box on line 16 and a specific description on line 17. Software development is specific. Services is not. |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
The 5 mistakes that reject Florida applications
Line 1 does not match the sunbiz record. One character decides it. LLC and L.L.C. read as two different entities to the IRS.
Line 6 names a city instead of a county. Miami is a city. Miami-Dade is the county. Line 6 takes 1 of Florida's 67 counties.
Line 7a names the registered agent. Florida requires a registered agent. The IRS requires a person who controls the funds. They are 2 different roles.
Line 11 predates Florida approval. Use the approval date printed by the Division of Corporations, not the date the form was signed.
Line 13 is blank. All 3 boxes need a number. Enter 0 for agricultural, household, and other when you hire nobody.
The IRS reports a rejection by mail, not by email. A rejected fax filing burns weeks before the notice reaches you. Reading line 1 back against the Florida record before you file prevents the first failure on this list of 5.
Building in another state instead? The same template applies everywhere, because the EIN application is federal. Only the line 6 county and the line 9b state of incorporation change.
How much does a Florida EIN number cost?
A Florida EIN number costs $0. The IRS charges nothing for Form SS-4 and nothing for the EIN, through every filing method. An EIN costs $0 in year 2 and every year after, 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. Holding an SSN means the IRS issues your Florida EIN at irs.gov in 15 minutes for $0. The $67 exists for the applicants the online tool blocks: a paper form, a fax line with no tracking, and 18 fields that have to be right the first time.
Note what the $67 does not cover. It does not cover the $125 Florida Articles of Organization, and it does not cover the $138.75 annual report. Those are Florida state fees paid to the Division of Corporations. The $67 covers the federal EIN filing and the filing guarantee behind it.
The honest version of the price question lives on the free EIN number page, which lays out every route the IRS operates and what each one actually costs.