EIN Application Assistance
If you need assistance on your EIN application, use this page as a guide to help you through. This page opened in a new tab, so to return to the application simply select the previous tab at the top of the page.
In applying for an EIN, you must select an entity type. This is also known as the legal structure of the business.
Sole Proprietor: A sole proprietor is one individual who owns a company that is not incorporated or registered with the state as a limited liability company (LLC). Sole proprietors may or may not have employees. In a sole proprietorship, the business does not exist separately from the owner. This is by far the most common business type. Limited Liability Company: A limited liability company (LLC) is a structure allowed by state statute. An LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the individual state's secretary of state. Owners of an LLC are called members. Members may include individuals, corporations, other LLCs, and foreign entities. An LLC can be formed by one or more members, and there is no maximum number of members. Partnership: A partnership is generally referred to an organization where two or more members make up the entity, and the entity is unincorporated. The partners are usually individuals, but can also be corporations,, trusts, etc. Corporations: Like an LLC, a corporation is established through the state. A corporation is it's own entity; rather it is separate from its owners or officers. |
The responsible party is generally referred to as the "human contact" of the business for IRS purposes. The IRS needs contact information for the individual or entity that is responsible for the business. An SSN is also required for this responsible party.
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Business Name:
A business name is required for an LLC and corporation, but not a sole proprietorship. Because the legal name of a sole proprietorship is the individual's legal name, that name is also the business name. DBA, Doing Business As If the business operates under a name other than it's legal name, this is considered the DBA name. State where business is incorporated For an incorporated business (such as an LLC or corporation), the IRS needs to know what state the business is incorporated in. |