EIN Application Service

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to businesses, trusts, estates and other entities. The EIN application is made on IRS Form SS-4.

We prepare Form SS-4 and file it with the IRS for you as your third-party designee, then send you the EIN by e-mail. Our fee is $125. The IRS does not charge for an EIN: if your business is based in the U.S. and its responsible party has an SSN or ITIN, you can get one yourself in minutes with the free IRS online tool.

Most of our clients cannot use that tool. They are founders outside the U.S. with no SSN or ITIN, and the IRS requires them to apply by phone, fax or mail. Ein-itin.com is operated by Cohen Investment LLC, a private company. We are not the IRS and are not affiliated with any government agency.

EIN Application at a Glance

Form	IRS Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number
IRS fee	$0
Our service fee	$125
Who can use the IRS online tool	Applicants whose principal place of business is in the U.S. and whose responsible party has an SSN or ITIN
Who cannot	Applicants whose principal place of business is outside the U.S., or whose responsible party has no SSN or ITIN. They apply by phone, fax or mail
IRS turnaround	Online: immediately. Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 weeks
Limit	One EIN per responsible party per day
How you receive it	By e-mail from us; the IRS also mails Notice CP575 to the business address
Does it expire?	No

Source: IRS, Get an employer identification number and About Form SS-4. Checked October 2026.

Can You Apply for an EIN Yourself?

Yes, and it is free. If your business is located in the U.S. and the person who owns or controls it has an SSN or ITIN, use the IRS online tool and you will have your EIN in one session. A paid service is worth it mainly when you cannot use that tool, do not want to deal with IRS fax and phone queues from abroad, or want the form checked so it is not rejected with a reference number error.

Ways to Apply for an EIN

Method	Who can use it	IRS turnaround
IRS online tool	Entities formed in the U.S. whose principal place of business is in the U.S. and whose responsible party has an SSN or ITIN	Immediately
Fax	Anyone. From the 50 states: 855-641-6935. With no office or place of business in any state: 855-215-1627 from inside the U.S., 304-707-9471 from outside	About 4 business days
Phone	International applicants only: 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time	Usually during the call
Mail	Anyone. Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999, or Attn: EIN International Operation for applicants with no office or place of business in any state	About 4 weeks
Our EIN application service	Anyone; most useful to applicants who cannot use the online tool	We file Form SS-4 by fax or phone, so it depends on the IRS workload

Details of each route are in how to apply for an EIN number, where to send an EIN application and the IRS EIN application phone number.

EIN Application for Non-U.S. Residents

You do not need an SSN, an ITIN or a U.S. address of your own to get an EIN for your U.S. company. A foreign owner is named as the responsible party on Form SS-4 and the form is filed by fax or phone. International applicants can also call the IRS themselves at 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time. Foreign founders usually need the EIN to open a U.S. bank account, to get paid through Stripe, PayPal or Amazon, and to file returns such as Form 5472. Read more on how to get an EIN from outside the USA.

What You Need an EIN For

• A U.S. business bank account. Banks ask for the EIN, usually together with the IRS letter that confirms it. See is an EIN a must to open a bank account.
• Stripe, PayPal and other payment processors. See do I need an EIN for Stripe and PayPal business account requirements.
• Selling on Amazon. See do you need an EIN to sell on Amazon.
• Hiring employees and filing payroll tax returns.
• Federal tax filings. A foreign-owned single-member LLC, for example, needs an EIN to file Form 5472.

The EIN belongs to the company. If you, the owner, also have to file a U.S. tax return in your own name, you need an ITIN application for yourself as well.

Who Can Apply for an EIN?

• Limited liability companies (single-member and multi-member)
• Corporations and S corporations
• Partnerships
• Sole proprietors (required if you have employees or file certain returns)
• Non-profit organizations
• Trusts and estates
• Foreign-owned U.S. entities, and foreign entities with a U.S. filing requirement

Every application names one responsible party: the individual who owns or controls the entity. The IRS does not accept nominees.

What You Need Before You Apply

• The legal name of the entity exactly as registered, and its formation date. Form your LLC or corporation with the state first.
• The entity type and the reason for applying
• The business address and mailing address
• The name of the responsible party, and their SSN or ITIN if they have one
• The number of employees expected in the next 12 months, if any

No passport or other identity document is sent to the IRS for an EIN.

EIN Application Steps

1. Complete our online application form and pay the service fee.
2. We prepare Form SS-4 and send it to you to sign.
3. We file it with the IRS as your third-party designee.
4. The IRS assigns the EIN.
5. We send you the EIN by e-mail. The IRS mails Notice CP575 to the address on the form.

How Long Does an EIN Application Take?

Through the IRS online tool, an EIN is issued immediately. By fax, the IRS says about 4 business days. By mail, about 4 weeks. Applications for owners without an SSN or ITIN go by fax or phone, so the timing depends on how busy the IRS is. More detail in how long it takes to get an EIN.

After You Get Your EIN

• The IRS mails Notice CP575 once. If it is lost, ask the IRS for a 147C verification letter.
• The EIN never expires and is never given to another entity. If the business closes, the IRS can close the tax account, but the number stays yours. See how to cancel an EIN.
• If the business address or the responsible party changes, tell the IRS. See changing your business address.
• If the IRS rejects the application, it gives a reference number. See EIN application denied.

EIN Application by State

An EIN is a federal number: the application is the same in every state, and it follows the formation of the company with that state. State-specific notes are in our guides to the Delaware EIN application, Wyoming EIN application, New Mexico EIN application and Florida EIN application.

What Does an EIN Application Cost?

Nothing, if you apply directly with the IRS. Our $125 fee covers preparing Form SS-4, filing it with the IRS and sending you the EIN.

Our refund policy in short: a full refund if you cancel within 7 days and your forms have not been prepared yet, or if the number cannot be assigned because of an error that cannot be fixed. Once your forms are prepared, or between day 7 and day 30, a $75 processing fee is kept and the rest is refunded. After 30 days, or once the number has been assigned, the fee is not refundable.

EIN Guides

More detail on each step is in our EIN knowledge base.

• How to get an EIN without an SSN: the route for foreign owners
• How to get an EIN from outside the USA: applying from abroad
• EIN application requirements: what Form SS-4 asks for
• Do I need an EIN for my LLC?: when an LLC must have one
• EIN for a sole proprietorship: when a sole proprietor needs one
• EIN number cost: IRS and service fees
• How long it takes to get an EIN: by online tool, fax, phone and mail
• What is an EIN number?: the basics

The IRS does not charge a fee for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). You can apply directly at irs.gov. Ein-itin.com is a private filing service and is not affiliated with the IRS.