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Vendor setup · EIN

What an EIN is and how to get one

An EIN is your company’s tax ID. This page covers who needs one and the steps to get one.

What it is, and who needs one

  • An EIN is a federal tax ID number the IRS issues to businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities. IRS, as of
  • The IRS says a business needs an EIN if it has employees, or will pay employment or excise taxes (or alcohol, tobacco and firearms taxes). IRS, as of
  • Partnerships, LLCs and corporations all need an EIN to operate. IRS, as of
  • A sole proprietor with an EIN may enter either the SSN or the EIN on Form W-9. IRS, as of
  • Even a business that needs no EIN for federal tax purposes can still request one, for example for banking or state tax purposes. IRS, as of

How to get one

The steps below run in order. Each links to the page it came from.

  1. If you are creating an LLC, partnership or corporation, register it with your state before you apply for an EIN. IRS, as of
  2. You can apply for an EIN online, directly with the IRS, for free. IRS, as of
  3. The online tool requires the responsible party's SSN or ITIN, and a principal place of business in the U.S. or U.S. territories. IRS, as of
  4. The online application must be completed in one session; it cannot be saved and expires after 15 minutes of inactivity. IRS, as of
  5. When the online application is approved, the IRS issues the EIN immediately online. IRS, as of
  6. You can fax Form SS-4 to the IRS; if you give a fax number the IRS faxes back a cover sheet with the EIN in about 4 business days. IRS, as of
  7. You can mail Form SS-4 to the IRS EIN Operation in Cincinnati, Ohio; the EIN arrives in about 4 weeks. IRS, as of

Apply with the IRSIRS: EIN overview

What it costs

  • The IRS charges no fee for an EIN. IRS, as of
  • An EIN is free when obtained directly from the IRS, and online it takes minutes. IRS, as of
  • The IRS warns that some websites charge for an EIN, which is never required. IRS, as of

After you have it

  • You can use a new EIN immediately for most business needs, such as opening a bank account or applying for business licenses. IRS, as of
  • For some uses (e-filing a return, EFTPS payments, TIN Matching) the IRS says to wait up to 2 weeks after getting the EIN. IRS, as of
  • The responsible party is the person in charge of the entity and its assets and must be named on the EIN application. IRS, as of
  • Nominees are not authorized to apply for an EIN on an entity's behalf. IRS, as of
  • A business entity should have only one EIN. IRS, as of
  • A new EIN is not needed to change the business name, address or responsible party; one is generally needed when ownership or structure changes. IRS, as of

How your EIN fits your W-9

VendoRFP never asks you to type your EIN. It lives only on the W-9 you upload, so you can see exactly where it goes.

  • For entities other than individuals the TIN to enter is the EIN. IRS, as of
  • For individuals the TIN is generally the SSN; resident aliens, sole proprietors and disregarded entities have special rules in the instructions. IRS, as of
  • The TIN goes in Part I of the form, in the SSN box or the EIN box. IRS, as of

See an example W-9

Sources

  1. Employer identification number Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  2. Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024) Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  3. Get an employer identification number Internal Revenue Service. As of .

Official pages change. Each line shows the day we last read it.