How much does an EIN cost in 2026?
An EIN costs $0. The IRS charges no fee to issue one, through the online assistant, fax, mail, or the phone line. Filing services charge $59.99 to $200 for preparing and sending Form SS-4, never for the number.
Two different questions hide inside the word cost. The first is what the government charges: $0, with no exceptions and no entity type that pays more. The second is what a filing service charges to complete the 18 fields of Form SS-4 and get it in front of an IRS agent. That second number ranges from $59.99 to $200, verified July 2026.
Every dollar in that range pays a private company. The IRS receives $0 from all of it. A page that says an EIN costs $99 is quoting a service fee and calling it a government fee, and the two are not the same thing.
One more number matters as much as the first: the number of times you pay. An EIN is issued once and lasts the life of the entity, so the total lifetime cost of an EIN from the IRS is $0, not $0 per year.
What does the IRS charge for an EIN?
The IRS charges $0. All four channels are free: the online assistant at irs.gov, fax to 855-641-6935 or 855-215-1627, mail, and the international phone line at 267-941-1099. Form SS-4 itself downloads free.
| IRS channel | IRS fee | SSN | Time to EIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRS online assistant, irs.gov | $0 | Required | 15 minutes |
| IRS fax, Form SS-4 | $0 | Not required | Days to weeks |
| IRS mail, Form SS-4 | $0 | Not required | 4 weeks |
| IRS international phone line | $0 | Not required | One call |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its instructions, verified July 2026.
IRS online assistant, irs.gov
Open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. The session ends after 15 minutes of inactivity.
IRS fax, Form SS-4
855-641-6935 for entities with a US address, 855-215-1627 from outside the United States.
IRS mail, Form SS-4
Postage is the only money that leaves your hand, and it goes to the post office, not the IRS.
IRS international phone line
267-941-1099. The agent reads all 18 fields of Form SS-4 aloud, so answer them before dialling.
The price is identical across all four. A 15-minute online session and a 4-week mail filing produce the same 9-digit number and the same CP-575 letter, and both cost $0. Speed is the only variable the channel changes.
Work through the form ss-4 checklist before you pick a channel. Every field is free to fill in and expensive to get wrong.
How much do EIN filing services charge?
Filing services charge $59.99 to $200, verified July 2026, and the IRS fee inside every price is $0. einnumber.co charges $67 to file by fax within 5 business days, or $97 on Fast to file within 24 hours.
| Filed by | Price | Filing guarantee in writing | IRS fee inside | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | None | $0 | $0 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $59.99 | Not stated | $0 | $0 |
| einnumber.co Standard | $67 | Filed by fax within 5 business days or the filing is free | $0 | $0 |
| einnumber.co Fast | $97 | Filed and the IRS call made within 24 hours, guaranteed — or the filing is free | $0 | $0 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | Not stated | $0 | $0 |
| Northwest | $200 | Not stated | $0 | $0 |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. Northwest reflects the no-SSN rate. Prices are for the EIN filing only and exclude state formation fees.
The $200 at the top of the table is $133 above Standard and $103 above Fast, for an identical outcome: one 9-digit number and one CP-575 letter. Nothing in the higher price reaches the IRS, shortens IRS processing, or changes the document you receive.
What separates the prices is what the company commits to. einnumber.co is the only entry in the table that puts a filing deadline in writing. Standard: filed by fax within 5 business days or the filing is free. Fast: filed and the IRS call made within 24 hours, guaranteed — or the filing is free.
The honest version of this comparison lives on the free ein number page, which walks the $0 route end to end.
How much does an EIN cost without an SSN?
$0 from the IRS. Enter the word Foreign on line 7b of Form SS-4 and fax it to 855-641-6935 with a US address, or 855-215-1627 from outside the United States. No passport and no ITIN is required.
| 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.
Line 7b is the field that sets your price. An SSN or ITIN on line 7b opens the online assistant, and the EIN arrives inside one 15-minute session. The word Foreign on line 7b closes that door and routes the application to a fax line with no tracking number and no status page.
That gap is the entire reason a $67 price exists. The form still costs $0, and you can send it yourself. What $67 buys is a specialist who fills all 18 fields and gets the fax out within 5 business days. What the $97 Fast tier buys is the same work inside 24 hours, with the IRS phone call made in that window.
Read the complete no-SSN procedure on the apply for EIN without SSN page.
How much does an EIN cost per year?
An EIN costs $0 per year. It never renews and never expires, so year 2, year 5, and year 10 each cost $0. One entity holds one EIN for life, with no annual IRS fee.
| Period | IRS fee | Renewal fee | Running total to the IRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Year 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Year 5 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Year 10 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Every year after | $0 | $0 | $0 |
An EIN is issued once and stays with the entity. Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
No renewal notice exists, because no renewal exists. An EIN carries no expiry date and no maintenance fee. An entity that filed decades ago uses the same 9-digit number today, having paid $0 to the IRS in every one of those years.
Two situations produce a second EIN, and neither is a renewal. Forming a second legal entity means a second application and a second $0 IRS fee. Changing entity type, such as a sole proprietorship incorporating, also triggers a new application. A name change, an address change, and a new bank account each cost $0 and keep the existing EIN.
When is paying for an EIN worth it?
Paying is worth it when the IRS online assistant refuses you. Applicants with an SSN finish at irs.gov in 15 minutes for $0. Applicants entering Foreign on line 7b face a fax line with no tracking and no deadline.
The online assistant validates the responsible party against SSN and ITIN records. Applicants who hold neither stop at that screen, every time, and the application moves to paper. Paper has no status page, no confirmation email, and no service-level deadline from the IRS.
A $67 filing replaces that uncertainty with a date. einnumber.co files by fax within 5 business days of receiving your completed details, landing at 12–14 business days total. Fast, at $97, moves the fax out within 24 hours and adds the IRS phone call in that same window, which lands the EIN under a week. Miss either window and the filing is free. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
The reverse holds just as firmly. Holding an SSN makes $67, $99, and $200 equally poor value, because the IRS hands you the same number in 15 minutes for nothing. This site says so on every page that mentions a price.
What do the $67 and $97 EIN filings include?
$67 covers all 18 fields of Form SS-4 prepared, your legal name verified, and IRS fax filing within 5 business days. Fast, at $97, covers the same work filed within 24 hours, with the IRS phone call included.
| What you get | Standard, $67 | Fast, $97 |
|---|---|---|
| All 18 fields of Form SS-4 prepared | Yes | Yes |
| Legal name checked against your formation document | Yes | Yes |
| Line 7b completed for applicants with no SSN | Yes | Yes |
| Form SS-4 filed with the IRS by fax | Within 5 business days | Within 24 hours |
| IRS phone follow-up on your application | No | Yes, within 24 hours |
| 9-digit EIN delivered by email | Yes | Yes |
| Official IRS CP-575 letter delivered | Yes | Yes |
| Total time to the EIN | 12–14 business days | Under a week |
| Filing guarantee, or the filing is free | Yes | Yes |
| Live chat 24/7 and post-purchase support | Yes | Yes |
| Year 2 and every year after | $0 | $0 |
$67 or $97 is charged one time. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
Read this before paying anyone, including us. Holding an SSN means the IRS issues your 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.
Ready to hand it over? Pick your filing speed and the guarantee behind it.