Blog

Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online | Internal Revenue Service

An official website of the United States Government

Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Precautions For Electronic Cigarette Transportation

Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online | Internal Revenue Service

Publication 15PDF provides information on employer tax responsibilities related to taxable wages, employment tax withholding and which tax returns must be filed.  More complex issues are discussed in Publication 15-APDF and tax treatment of many employee benefits can be found in Publication 15. We recommend employers download these publications from IRS.gov.  Copies can be requested online (search “Forms and Publications) or by calling 800-TAX-FORM.

We cannot process your application online if the responsible party is an entity with an EIN previously obtained through the Internet. Please use one of our other methods to apply. See How to Apply for an EIN. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Employer Identification Numbers are issued for the purpose of tax administration and are not intended for participation in any other activities (e.g., tax lien auction or sales, lotteries, etc.)

If you believe your organization qualifies for tax exempt status (whether or not you have a requirement to apply for a formal ruling), be sure your organization is formed legally before you apply for an EIN. Nearly all organizations exempt under IRC 501(a) are subject to automatic revocation of their tax-exempt status if they fail to file a required annual information return or notice for three consecutive years. When you apply for an EIN, we presume you’re legally formed and the clock starts running on this three-year period.

Example: Your organization applies for an EIN in November 2014 and chooses a December accounting period. Your first tax period would end on December 31, 2014, and your first return or notice (if your organization does not meet one of the few exceptions to the annual reporting requirement) would be due May 15, 2015. You would be subject to automatic revocation of your exemption if you fail to file for the three periods that end December 31, 2016 (return/notice due May 15, 2017) or for any consecutive three-year period thereafter.

Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online | Internal Revenue Service

E-Cigarette Delivery Times Five Things to Know about the Employer Identification Number