How to Get an EIN for Free From the IRS

An EIN is one of the first numbers a new contracting business collects. Banks ask for it, general contractors ask for it on Form W-9, payroll providers need it, and some licensing applications ask for it. The IRS’s own application is quick and free, yet search results are full of sites that charge to file it for you. This guide walks through the free way, step by step, using the IRS’s instructions checked on October 30, 2026.

What is an EIN?

An Employer Identification Number is a nine-digit number the IRS assigns to identify a business for federal tax purposes. Despite the name, you don’t need employees to have one. The IRS says businesses use the EIN to file required tax returns and information returns.

Does your contracting business need an EIN?

The IRS says that, generally, you need an EIN to:

• hire employees;
• operate a partnership or corporation;
• pay sales and excise taxes;
• change business structures or ownership; or
• administer certain trusts, retirement plans and estates.

A sole proprietor with no employees may not be required to have one, but many get one anyway so they can give customers and general contractors an EIN on Form W-9 instead of their Social Security number. Banks often require one for a business account. If you plan to hire, see our first-employee guide.

How much does an EIN cost?

Nothing. The IRS says so plainly on its application page:

Beware of websites that charge for an EIN. You never have to pay a fee for an EIN.

Sites that charge are filling out the same free IRS form on your behalf. Look for the irs.gov address in your browser before you type any personal information. Our disclosure page explains that we point out free government steps so you don’t pay a middleman by mistake.

Should you form your LLC before getting an EIN?

Yes, if you are forming one. The IRS says that if you’re creating a corporation or LLC, you should form the entity through the secretary of state before you apply for an EIN, and that applying first may delay your application. Sole proprietors don’t have a state formation step. If you’re still deciding on a structure, read our LLC vs. sole proprietor guide first.

Who can use the online application?

The IRS says you can use the online tool if all of these are true:

• your business is formed or created in the United States or a U.S. territory;
• your principal place of business is in the U.S. or a U.S. territory;
• you are the responsible party in control of the entity, or its authorized representative; and
• you have the responsible party’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN).

If you can’t apply online, the IRS also accepts applications by phone (for some applicants), fax or mail. A third-party designee, such as your accountant, can apply for you with your signed authorization.

How do you apply online, step by step?

The steps below follow the IRS instructions. Set aside uninterrupted time, because the IRS says you must finish the application in one session; you can’t save it, and it expires after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Gather what you need first: your business entity type, the legal name exactly as registered (the IRS has formatting rules for names), the business address, the responsible party’s SSN or ITIN, and basic facts such as when the business started and whether you expect to have employees.

When is the IRS online EIN tool available?

The IRS lists these hours, in Eastern Time:

• Monday to Friday: 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (next day)
• Saturday: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

The IRS also limits applications to one EIN per responsible party per day.

When do you need a new EIN?

The IRS says, in general, you need a new EIN when you change your entity’s ownership or structure, and you don’t need one if you only change your business name or address. A few examples from the IRS list:

• Sole proprietor: get a new EIN if you incorporate or form a partnership; you don’t need one to change your business name or location.
• LLC: you don’t need a new EIN to change your name or location, or to change your tax election to a corporation or S corporation.
• Single-member LLC: the IRS lists getting a new EIN if the LLC has to file employment or excise taxes.

Check the IRS page for your entity type before you apply again.

What should you do after you get it?

Print or save the EIN confirmation letter the IRS gives you at the end; the IRS tells applicants to print it for their records. Then use the EIN to open a business bank account, give it on Form W-9 when a customer or general contractor asks, and set up payroll if you hire.

A note on beneficial ownership reports: the IRS EIN page links to FinCEN’s beneficial ownership information (BOI) rules. FinCEN’s current page says it issued a final rule on August 11 making permanent the exemptions that cover all entities created in the United States, so U.S.-formed LLCs and corporations are exempt from BOI reporting under that rule. Check FinCEN’s page if your company was formed outside the U.S.