# Get an employer identification number (EIN)

Apply for an EIN directly from the IRS online, in one session, for free; the IRS issues it immediately if the application is approved.

## At a glance

| Detail | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Kind | Application |
| Authority | [Internal Revenue Service](https://www.irs.gov/) |
| Where it applies | us |
| Fees | EIN: $0 |
| How it is filed | Apply online with the IRS EIN tool, in one session (it expires after 15 minutes of inactivity) |
| Last verified against its sources | 2026-10-04 |
| Version | 1 |

## Where this sits

**Level 1.** [Business formation](/a/vertical-business-formation) › **Get an employer identification number (EIN)**

**Beside it:** Corporation formation, DBA filing, LLC formation, Registered agent change

**Needs first:** LLC formation, Corporation formation

**Starts from:** [Form a limited liability company in California](/a/california-llc-formation)

**Related:** [Form a limited liability company in California](/a/california-llc-formation)

The IRS says it plainly: an EIN costs nothing, and it warns about websites that charge for one.

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## Rules

**Requirement:** You are a domestic organization, formed or created in the United States or U.S. territories. *(checked as: whether the organization was formed in the United States or a U.S. territory = true)*

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**Requirement:** Your principal place of business is in the U.S. or U.S. territories. *(checked as: whether the principal place of business is in the United States or a U.S. territory = true)*

**Requirement:** You are the responsible party in control of the entity, or its authorized representative. *(checked as: whether you are the responsible party in control of the entity or its authorized representative = true)*

**Requirement:** You have the responsible party’s Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN). *(checked as: Social Security or taxpayer identification number is given)*

**Requirement:** You can apply for only 1 EIN per responsible party per day.

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**Requirement:** If you are creating a corporation or LLC, form the entity with the secretary of state first; otherwise the EIN application may be delayed.

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**Not eligible if:** Your principal place of business is outside the U.S.: apply by phone, fax or mail instead. *(checked as: whether the principal place of business is in the United States or a U.S. territory = false)*

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## Fees

| Fee | Amount | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EIN | $0 | Free: “You never have to pay a fee for an EIN.” |

## How it is filed

- **Apply online with the IRS EIN tool, in one session (it expires after 15 minutes of inactivity)**: [https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp](https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp)

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**What an agent may do:** authorized representative. A third-party designee must have signed authorization to apply.

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## What this page does not know

- Applying by phone, fax or mail (Form SS-4) is not read here.
- The business-name formatting rules the page links to are not read here.