Is a free EIN number really free?
Yes. The IRS charges $0 for an EIN and $0 for Form SS-4. All 4 filing methods cost $0: online, fax, mail, and phone. No IRS fee exists at any step, and no renewal fee exists after.
The IRS assigns the EIN under Internal Revenue Code section 6109, the statute that requires a taxpayer identifying number. Congress attached no fee to it. The 9-digit number prints in a 2-digit and 7-digit format separated by a hyphen, and the IRS issues 1 EIN per entity.
| What you pay for | IRS charge | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Form SS-4, the application | $0 | Download at irs.gov |
| The 9-digit EIN itself | $0 | Assigned by the IRS |
| The CP-575 confirmation letter | $0 | Mailed by the IRS |
| Filing by fax | $0 | 855-641-6935 or 855-215-1627 |
| Filing by mail | $0 | IRS service center |
| Keeping the EIN in year 2 | $0 | An EIN never renews |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
Two numbers on this page are not $0: $67 and $97, the prices einnumber.co charges to prepare and file the form. The $67 buys preparation and fax filing within 5 business days; the $97 adds the IRS call within 24 hours. Neither buys the EIN, because the EIN carries no price.
How do you get a free EIN number from the IRS?
File Form SS-4 with the IRS. Holders of an SSN or ITIN use the IRS online assistant and receive the EIN in one 15-minute session. Holders of neither enter Foreign on line 7b and fax the form.
The free route in 5 steps
- Register the entity with your state first. The IRS issues an EIN to an entity that legally exists. Line 1 of Form SS-4 takes the approved legal name.
- Download Form SS-4 from irs.gov ($0). The IRS charges $0 for the form. Form SS-4 carries 18 numbered fields and 1 signature block.
- Answer line 7b (1 minute). Enter the responsible party's SSN or ITIN. Holding neither, enter the word Foreign.
- Pick the route line 7b gives you (15 minutes, or 1 fax). An SSN or ITIN opens the IRS online assistant at irs.gov. Foreign sends the form to the IRS fax line.
- Keep the CP-575 letter (0 cost, permanent). The IRS issues 1 CP-575 per EIN. Banks verify the business against that letter.
What the IRS online assistant requires
The IRS online assistant runs Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. The session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity and restarts from screen 1. The tool validates the responsible party on line 7a against SSN and ITIN records, which is the reason 1 field decides everything.
The tool issues the EIN on screen at the end of the session and produces the CP-575 letter as a PDF. Cost: $0. Same-day: yes. Requirement: 1 valid SSN or ITIN for the responsible party.
Every field is listed on the form ss-4 checklist, with the exact IRS rule for all 18 numbered lines.
How do you get a free EIN number without an SSN?
Enter the word Foreign on line 7b of Form SS-4, then fax the form to the IRS. The IRS charges $0 for that route. Fax 855-641-6935 for US-based entities, or 855-215-1627 from outside the United States.
| Channel | Number | Who uses it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRS fax, US-based entity | 855-641-6935 | The entity has a US business address | $0 |
| IRS fax, international | 855-215-1627 | The entity has no US business address | $0 |
| IRS international phone line | 267-941-1099 | International applicants calling the IRS | $0 |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026. The international phone line is not toll-free.
Two facts settle the questions that follow. The IRS asks for no Social Security Number on line 7b, and the IRS asks for no identity document with Form SS-4. No passport is required for an EIN. Line 7b carries 1 word, and the IRS accepts it.
Line 7a still needs a person. The IRS accepts 1 responsible party per application, and a parent company or a filing agent on line 7a fails. Line 4b takes a foreign mailing address, including the province, the postal code, and the country.
How long does a free EIN number take?
A free EIN number takes 15 minutes online with an SSN or ITIN. A faxed Form SS-4 takes days to weeks, a mailed one 4 weeks. einnumber.co files within 5 business days at $67, or within 24 hours at $97.
| Method | Time to EIN | SSN required | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 free fax route carries no tracking number and no online status page. The IRS returns the EIN by fax or by mail, and the applicant waits without a reference to check. That single gap is the whole difference between $0 and $67.
einnumber.co files by fax within 5 business days of receiving your completed details on Standard, and within 24 hours on Fast. Your confirmation email prints the filing date.
Does a free EIN number cost anything in year 2?
No. An EIN costs $0 in year 2 and $0 in every year after. An EIN never renews and never expires. The IRS issues 1 EIN per entity and sends no annual invoice for it, ever.
The EIN lasts the life of the entity. Closing the business does not release the number back to the IRS pool, and the IRS never reassigns a retired EIN to a second company. A 9-digit EIN issued in 2026 stays valid in 2036.
One filing does change the picture: a change of responsible party. The IRS requires Form 8822-B within 60 days of that change, and Form 8822-B costs $0. A single-member LLC with a foreign owner also files Form 5472 every year, and Form 5472 costs $0 to file.
Any renewal notice demanding a fee for an existing EIN comes from nobody at the IRS. The IRS bills $0 for the number in year 1 and $0 for the number in year 10.
Why do free EIN number applications get rejected?
A name on line 1 that does not match the state record causes most rejections. Four more causes: a company on line 7a, a blank line 13, a start date on line 11 before state approval, and no signature.
Line 1 does not match the state record. One character decides it. LLC and L.L.C. read as 2 different entities to the IRS.
Line 7a names a company. The IRS requires 1 person. A parent LLC, a formation agent, or an accountant on line 7a fails.
Line 13 is blank. All 3 boxes need a number. Enter 0 for agricultural, 0 for household, and 0 for other when you hire nobody.
Line 11 predates state approval. The IRS issues EINs to entities that legally exist. Use the approval date printed by the state.
The form carries no signature. An unsigned Form SS-4 gets returned unprocessed, and the wait restarts from day 0.
The IRS reports a rejection by mail, not by email. A rejected fax filing costs weeks before the notice arrives, then the applicant restarts the full days-to-weeks wait. Checking line 1 against the formation document before filing removes the single most common cause.
What do you receive with a free EIN number?
You receive the 9-digit EIN and the official IRS CP-575 confirmation letter. The CP-575 prints the EIN and the legal name from line 1 of Form SS-4. The IRS charges $0 for both.
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. Store a copy of the CP-575 before opening any account.
The CP-575 prints 3 fields that business verification runs on: the 9-digit EIN, the legal name copied from line 1, and the IRS issue date. A 1-character mismatch on line 1 surfaces at that check, months after the free filing went through.
Read what arrives, field by field, on the IRS EIN assistant page, which prints the tool's hours and its rejection screen.
Why do services charge for a free EIN number?
Services charge for preparation and filing, never for the number. The IRS fee stays $0 in every case. Verified July 2026: Northwest charges $200 for the no-SSN route, ZenBusiness $99, Rocket Lawyer $59.99, einnumber.co $67 or $97.
| Filed by | Price | IRS fee | Filing guarantee in writing | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | $0 | None | $0 |
| einnumber.co | $67 or $97 | $0 | Filed by fax within 5 business days, or within 24 hours on Fast, or the filing is free | $0 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $59.99 | $0 | Not stated | $0 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $0 | Not stated | $0 |
| Northwest | $200 | $0 | Not stated | $0 |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. Northwest reflects the no-SSN rate. Every row pays the same $0 IRS fee.
What the $67 covers. Form SS-4 prepared across all 18 fields, the legal name on line 1 verified character by character, filing by fax within 5 business days, and the EIN plus CP-575 by email. The $97 Fast tier adds filing within 24 hours with the IRS call included. Support runs on live chat 24/7, a dedicated post-purchase chat, and email.
See the full breakdown of how much does an ein cost, or get it filed within 5 business days, guaranteed.
Who should not pay for an EIN number?
Anyone holding an SSN or an ITIN. The IRS issues their EIN at irs.gov in 15 minutes for $0. Paying $67, $99, or $200 buys nothing that those 15 minutes do not already deliver.
The IRS online assistant accepts 1 valid SSN or ITIN on line 7b and returns the 9-digit EIN on screen before the session ends. Nothing about that path improves with a fee attached. The honest answer to the price question is 2 words long: use irs.gov.
The $67 exists for the applicants the online tool blocks at line 7b. That route is a paper form, a fax line with 0 tracking numbers, 18 fields that have to be right the first time, and a rejection notice that arrives by mail weeks later. einnumber.co carries that route and guarantees when the filing goes out.