EIN - Employer Identification Number

Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number is an identity of business entity. This 9-digit number assigned by the IRS is used to identify your business on important forms of the government and documents. It establishes credibility with your business customers.

Who Needs EIN?

The employers, corporations, sole proprietors, trusts, partnership firms, government agencies, non-profit associations, certain individuals and business entities obtain EINs. In the trucking industry, the truck owners are more connected with the EIN and it is an inevitability to file your IRS 2290 Form online or by paper.

How to Apply for EIN?

Applying for EIN is simple as filing Form 2290 and the Internal Revenue Service offers this service free. You can apply for EIN through online, fax, mail or by a phone call.

Apply Online :

To apply for a EIN online, log on to IRS and provide the required information during the online session. Once you provide the answers to the IRS online questions, you can get the EIN immediately after completing all the validations. You can save, download and print your confirmation notice.

Apply by Fax :

If you are applying by Fax, you can fax the completed Form SS-4 application to the proper fax number(Refer below table). Make sure that the Form SS-4 contains all the information. If you provide the fax number while applying the EIN, the IRS will send back the EIN within 4 business days.

In case of an individual, when the principal business, agency or office or legal residence is located :	Fax or Mail Form SS-4 to
One among the 50 states or the District of Columbia	Internal Revenue Service Attn : EIN Operation Cincinnati, OH 45999 Fax : 855-641-6935
When you have no principal place of business, legal residence or principal office or agency in any state	Internal Revenue Service Attn : EIN International Operation Cincinnati, OH 45999 Fax : 855-215-1627 (within U.S.) 304-707-9471 (outside U.S.)

Apply by Mail :

You can also apply for a EIN through the mail, but the processing time for an EIN application is 4 weeks if applied by mail. Ensure the correctness of the entered information in the Form SS-4 and mail it to the appropriate address (Refer above table).

Apply by Phone Call :

International Applicants can acquire their EINs through a call to 267-941-1099 (not a toll-free number) 6.00 A.M. - 11.00 P.M. (Eastern Time) through 5 days a week. The caller must be authorized to receive the EIN and need to answer the questions related to the Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number.

You need to complete the Third Party Designee if you want to authorize an individual to receive the entity’s EIN and provide the answers about the completion of the Form SS-4. The authority to the designee terminates when the designee is assigned with the EIN. Complete the signature area for the authorization to be valid.

EIN Daily Limitation :

Effective from May 21st, 2012 to maintain an equitable treatment for all the taxpaying individuals, the IRS has limited the Employer Identification Number (EIN) issuance to 1 per party per day. This daily limitation is applicable to all the EIN requests whether online or by fax, phone or mail.

Eligibility for EIN

Apply for an EIN online if your business is in the United States or U.S. Territories.
You need a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (SSN, ITIN, EIN) while applying online.

Important Note :

If you have applied for a new EIN and have received a confirmation from the IRS, don’t forget that it takes about 15 days to get in the E-file System. In such case, the IRS will reject Form 2290.
While applying for a EIN online, you will need to complete a EIN Application in a one session. You cannot save and return.
Online EIN Application Session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity and you must start over.

After IRS completing all the validations, you will get EIN immediately. You can save, download and print your EIN confirmation notice.