How to Get an EIN for Your LLC: Free from the IRS, With or Without an SSN

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the 9-digit tax number the IRS gives a business. An LLC needs one to open a bank account, hire employees and file taxes. The IRS issues EINs for free. If the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN and the business is in the U.S., you apply online at IRS.gov and get the number immediately. If the business or its owner is abroad, you apply by phone at 267-941-1099 or by faxing Form SS-4.

Figures are from the IRS EIN page (updated October 16, 2026) and the Form SS-4 instructions (12/2025), checked October 19, 2026.

Key takeaways

• The EIN is free from the IRS; never pay a website for the number itself.
• With an SSN or ITIN and a U.S. business, apply online and get it immediately.
• From abroad, call 267-941-1099 or fax Form SS-4; no ITIN is needed.

Before you apply

• Form the LLC with the state first. The IRS says applying before the state accepts the company may delay your EIN. In Texas, see How to Form an LLC in Texas.
• Identify the "responsible party": it must be an individual, usually the owner or the person who runs the LLC, not another company.
• Know how many members the LLC has. Form SS-4 asks, and the IRS treats single-member and multi-member LLCs differently for tax.

Option 1: Apply online (SSN or ITIN, U.S. business)

IRS requirements:

• The business is formed in the U.S. (or a U.S. territory) and has its principal place of business there.
• You are the responsible party or their authorized representative, and you have the responsible party's SSN or ITIN.

Online tool hours (Eastern time):

Online tips:

• Finish in one session; you can't save and come back. After 15 minutes of inactivity the session expires and you start over.
• Each responsible party can get one EIN per day.
• If approved, the number appears at once. Print the EIN confirmation letter; banks usually ask for it.

Option 2: No SSN or ITIN, or based abroad

According to the Form SS-4 instructions:

• Phone: international applicants call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. The IRS issues EINs by phone only to international applicants.
• Fax: send Form SS-4 to 304-707-9471 from outside the U.S., or 855-215-1627 from inside the U.S.
• Mail: send Form SS-4 to the address in the instructions. This is the slowest option.
• No ITIN required: foreign individuals don't need an ITIN to receive an EIN. On line 7b, enter "Foreign" or N/A if the responsible party doesn't have and isn't eligible for an SSN or ITIN.

Living in Vietnam? See Forming a U.S. LLC from Vietnam.

Don't pay a website to "get your EIN"

The IRS warns about websites that charge to get an EIN and says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. The official site is IRS.gov. If you already paid a fake site, the IRS suggests disputing the charge with your bank or card company and reporting it to the FTC.

A document preparation service (such as Manna One Solution) may charge for its work preparing and submitting your paperwork, but the EIN itself is still free from the IRS. Know which part of the work you are paying for.

After you have an EIN

1. Keep the EIN confirmation letter with your Certificate of Formation.
2. Open a business bank account: Opening a Business Bank Account for Your LLC.
3. Put tax and report deadlines on your calendar: What to Do After Forming a Texas LLC.

Want it done for you?

Manna One Solution prepares Form SS-4 and requests EINs for LLCs, including for clients in Vietnam without an SSN, online, in English or Vietnamese. We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice.

Sources

• IRS: Get an employer identification number (updated October 16, 2026; checked October 19, 2026)
• IRS: Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025) (checked October 19, 2026)
• IRS: Report fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related emails and messages (checked October 19, 2026)