An EIN is required by IRS for you to hire employees or offer benefits. You can track expenses separately and may receive tax benefits or deductions. An EIN is required by banks and credit unions to open a bank account. Once an EIN is secured, you can open an account with the bank of your choice.
A federal tax ID (officially known as an Employer Identification Number or EIN) is a unique number assigned to a business or organization by the IRS. A business uses its federal tax ID much like a person uses a Social Security number. If your business will have employees or file taxes, you probably need a federal tax ID from the IRS.
The EIN is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number. For more details on business entities and EIN requirements, check out this overview from the IRS. An Employer Identification Number (EIN) also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is used to identify a business and is required for a business to file taxes. The first step in starting your business is deciding which entity type best describes your business.
The IRS requires most business entities to use a federal tax ID (EIN)—corporations, partnerships, most LLCs, and some sole proprietorships. A federal tax ID offers other benefits, even when it isn’t required by the IRS. For instance, it can help protect against identity theft, and it’s often a prerequisite for opening a business bank account. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Employer Identification Number (EIN) are defined as a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to organizations.
How does an EIN protect my personal asset?
So you’ve started a business and keep seeing references to EIN, but aren’t sure what it is. Here’s an overview of what an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is, what it’s used for, and how you can get one of your own. Millions of companies use Square to take payments, manage staff, and conduct business in-store and online. Once you’ve received your EIN from the IRS, you can register your business with MassTaxConnect.
EINs are commonly used by employers for the purpose of reporting taxes. The number is made up of nine digits and is formatted as XX-XXXXXXX. Businesses can apply for EINs directly through the IRS, which usually issues them immediately.
The only kind of business that does not require getting an EIN is a sole proprietorship with no employees. NIST is implementing a new financial management system and will be consolidating customer records from many different sources. In an effort to keep the central database manageable we are trying to limit the number of duplicate entries in our customer database. TIN/EIN will serve as a way to uniquely identify a business entity when the precise name of a business entity is unknown or when it is difficult to distinguish it from other businesses with similar names.
If you don’t want to apply for your EIN online, you can download Form SS-4 and send it to the IRS by mail or fax. There are also private companies that help businesses apply for an EIN for a fee. Note that businesses operating in more than one state may need a state employer identification number in each state where they do business. This data will be stored in our financial management system as sensitive information. Our labs will be able to query on TIN number but will not be able to pull up a list of all TIN numbers in our database.
Business Structure
A social security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number assigned to US citizens and permanent residents. It is used by the US government to track your earnings, taxes, and employment, as well as eligibility for certain social benefits after retirement. SSNs are considered sensitive information and can be used to perpetrate identity theft, thus they are only shared in limited situations, for example, with employers, government entities, insurance agencies, and banks. SSNs can be validated as to origin and state/year of issuance.
Now that you have an SDAT Identification Number, most businesses will also need a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A FEIN is used to identify a business and is required for a business to file federal taxes. Some banks may require the official letter from the IRS, which is sent to the address provided in the online Tax ID application. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov.
A business must be located in the U.S. or U.S. territories to apply for an EIN online. Once the online information is validated, an EIN is assigned immediately. Applications can be made by phone (for those who aren’t in the United States but will do business in the country), fax, mail, or online. The EIN is not considered to be sensitive information the same way a Social Security number is and is freely distributed by businesses online and in print publications. This means even those with only one employee are just as eligible for an EIN as multinational corporations. Employer Identification Numbers are issued by the IRS on a federal level.
Employee Identification Number vs. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
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. Additionally, businesses use their EIN to open business bank accounts, apply for business licenses, and establish accounts with vendors. A business may need one or more state employer identification numbers (also referred to as a state tax ID number).
The numbers never expire, and the same number set is never reissued to another business, even if the original employer goes out of business. The Employer Identification Number form on the IRS website must be completed in one sitting because the session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity for security reasons. So make sure you have all the required information about your business before you start.
- SSNs are considered sensitive information and can be used to perpetrate identity theft, thus they are only shared in limited situations, for example, with employers, government entities, insurance agencies, and banks.
- The IRS also accepts paper mail applications, though it quotes an expected turnaround time between four and five weeks.
- The second step is to submit an application for a Tax ID number from the IRS.
- Additionally, businesses use their EIN to open business bank accounts, apply for business licenses, and establish accounts with vendors.
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.
The second step is to submit an application for a Tax ID number from the IRS. Going through the IRS directly to get your EIN can be complicated, confusing and frustrating. GovDocFiling alleviates the angst and aggravation of filing government documents. GovDocFiling is committed to removing the angst and aggravation of filing government documents, helping you avoid common mistakes to get things done right the first time and move forward with your business needs.
We can provide a formal request letter and W9 form to you if you would like. We would also be happy to record your information over the phone. As of February, 2003, SRM Domestic Customers are required to submit their Tax Identification (TIN) number. Please see the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for information.
As noted above, EINs are unique nine-digit numbers that are formatted as XX-XXXXXXX. EINs are issued by the IRS and include information about the state in which the corporation is registered. The agency uses EINs to identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns. TIN/EIN numbers are used by domestic employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofit associations, trusts, estates of decedents, government agencies, certain individuals and other business entities. If your company falls into one of these categories you should have a TIN/EIN number. Easy Doc Filing, LLC, and its employees, agents, and representatives, are not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or any other governmental or regulatory body or agency.
State of Georgia government websites and email systems use “georgia.gov” or “ga.gov” at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you’re on an official state website. Some types of business that do not need an EIN, such as sole proprietors, choose to get the ID from the IRS anyway. Some independent contractors (a type of sole proprietor) use an Employer Identification Number rather than their Social Security number to safeguard against identity theft. Sole proprietors also sometimes use an EIN to show their status as an independent contractor rather than an employee. A federal tax ID, also known as an Employer Identification Number, is a unique number assigned to your business by the IRS.