What Do I Do After EIN Reference Number 101?
Last updated November 10, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
Hit a 101? We prepare the SS-4 in your registered name and fax it to the IRS for you.
Start Now →The steps, in order
- Stop applying online. The same name returns 101 every time, and repeated attempts end in a lockout for the day.
- Do not change the name. The EIN must be issued in the name on your Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation, character for character.
- Check that the company has no EIN already. The match can be your own company, if a partner or a formation service applied before you. See how to find an LLC's EIN.
- Fill in every line of Form SS-4 and sign it. Use the name exactly as the state approved it. See the line-by-line instructions.
- Attach your formation document. It shows the examiner the name the state accepted.
- Fax it to 855-641-6935 with a return fax number on the form. That is the number for a business in a U.S. state. How applying by fax works has the others.
- Wait about 11 business days. Do not send it twice. A second copy can produce a second EIN.
What a 101 is not
It is not a rejection of your business, and it does not mean your state filing is invalid or that you are losing the name. State registries check names within one state; the IRS matches across the country. The full explanation is in what reference number 101 means.
What the IRS manual says
The IRS's own procedures for EIN applications are in Internal Revenue Manual section 21.7.13. These passages are quoted word for word.
“Reference numbers 101 or 115 are directed to a CSR for assistance. All other reference numbers are routed to an automated message which provides instructions to correct invalid information and resubmit the application or submit Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, by mail or fax.”
IRM 21.7.13.3.4.1, Modernized Internet EIN (10-01-2026)
“Only applicants who pass the validation receive an EIN during the online session.”
IRM 21.7.13.3.4.1, Modernized Internet EIN (10-01-2026)
“The online message does not provide a definition of the three-digit reference number (reject code).”
IRM 21.7.13.3.4.1, Modernized Internet EIN (10-01-2026)
The manual does not publish what each reference number means: the tables that list them are withheld from the public copy. The meanings on this page are what each number has meant on the applications we file. Source: IRM 21.7.13, Assigning Employer Identification Numbers, read November 10, 2026.
Quick answers
What do I do after reference number 101?
Stop applying online, because the same name returns 101 every time. Keep the name exactly as the state approved it, fill in Form SS-4 completely, attach your formation document, and fax it to the IRS so a person reviews the name match.
Do I have to change my business name after a 101?
No. The name on the EIN has to match your state formation documents. An examiner who reviews a faxed Form SS-4 can approve the exact name the state accepted, and a changed name creates a mismatch that surfaces later at the bank and at tax time.
How long does the fax take after a 101?
About 11 business days when you give a return fax number. Without one the answer comes by mail, which takes weeks.
Get Your EIN the Easy Way
Answer a few questions in about 5 minutes. Our specialists prepare your IRS Form SS-4, file it, personally handle any rejection or name conflict along the way, and get your EIN to you. We file within 30 minutes of your order during IRS hours, and your EIN typically arrives the same day.
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Related guides
- IRS Error 101 (EIN Reference Number 101): How to Fix It Error 101 is a business name conflict the online application cannot resolve. What it means and the two ways past it.
- How to Apply for an EIN by Fax: SS-4 Fax Numbers and What Comes Back 855-641-6935 for the 50 states and DC, two other numbers for everyone else. What to send, how long the IRS takes, the cover sheet it faxes back, the designee signature rule, and what to do when nothing comes back.
- Form SS-4 Instructions, Line by Line Every line on the EIN application and what actually goes in it, with the entity-specific traps: Line 9a, Line 10, the responsible party, and the date the IRS wants.
- How to Find Your LLC's EIN Number The six places an LLC's EIN is already written down, the state filing number that is not it, the case where the LLC never had one, and the 147C call that always works.
- Can Someone Else File My EIN After an IRS Error? Yes, as your third party designee on Form SS-4, by fax when the online application refuses. Who can do it and what they need.
- IRS EIN Reference Numbers 101 to 115, Explained Every code the IRS online application can return, what it means in practice, and the fix. Which ones are your answers, which are the IRS, and which two you must not retry.
Sources
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.