Can I Apply for an EIN Again After an Error?
Last updated November 10, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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| Number | Kind | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Fix on your side | The online tool will not resolve it. File Form SS-4 by fax with the name exactly as the state approved it. |
| 102 | Fix on your side | Use the exact legal name on the Social Security card. One careful retry, then fax. |
| 103 | Fix on your side | Check the prior EIN and the legal name against the CP 575 or a 147C letter, then retry once. |
| 104 | Fix on your side | Remove the designee section and apply yourself, or give the designee's own contact details. |
| 105 | Stop, do not retry | Stop retrying. Wait until the next day, or fax the SS-4 instead. |
| 106 | Fix on your side | Call the IRS business line; the tool cannot untangle it. |
| 107 | Fix on your side | Call the IRS business line to close the extras before applying again. |
| 109 | IRS-side | Wait, retry once during open hours, then fax. |
| 110 | IRS-side | Same as 109: wait, retry once, then fax. |
| 112 | IRS-side | Try at a quieter hour, then fax. |
| 113 | IRS-side | Wait, retry once, then fax. |
| 114 | Stop, do not retry | Your earlier attempt probably succeeded. Recover the number with a 147C letter instead of applying again. |
| 115 | Fix on your side | For an estate, put the executor on Line 7, not the person who died. If you are alive and flagged, the SSA record has to be corrected first. |
The IRS does not publish a key to these numbers. The advice in the table is what has worked on the applications we file.
Before any retry
- Start from a blank application. The IRS keeps nothing from the failed attempt.
- Change only what the number points to. Changing the business name to get past an error creates an EIN that does not match your state filing.
- One retry, then fax. Form SS-4 by fax has no attempt limit and is read by a person. See how applying by fax works.
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)
“Taxpayers may believe IRS employees have access to the information that was previously input in the online application. Advise taxpayer IRS does not save this information”
IRM 21.7.13.3.4.1, Modernized Internet EIN (10-01-2026)
“advise the taxpayer to apply online later in the day, or they can submit a Form SS-4 by fax or mail.”
IRM 21.7.13.3.4.1.1, Technical Difficulties with the Online Application (10-01-2022)
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
Can I apply for an EIN again after an error?
It depends on the reference number. After 109, 110, 112 or 113, wait and try once more. After 102, 103 or 104, correct the entry and try once. After 105 or 114, do not try again that day. After 101, do not try online again at all: the form goes by fax.
How many times can I try the IRS EIN application?
The IRS does not publish a count. In practice a few failed attempts in a row end in reference number 105, a lockout for the rest of the day, so make one careful retry and then switch to fax.
Will applying again give me two EINs?
It can, if the first attempt went through without showing you the number. Reference number 114 means an EIN was already issued to that responsible party today. Recover that number with a 147C letter before you apply anywhere else.
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 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.
- What Does EIN Reference Number 105 Mean? Too Many Attempts Reference number 105 is a lockout. Retrying makes it worse. What triggers it, how long it lasts, and how to get the EIN without waiting it out.
- What Does EIN Reference Number 114 Mean? One EIN Per Day Code 114 means an EIN was already issued to this responsible party today. It often means your earlier attempt succeeded. How to recover that number instead of waiting a day to apply again.
- What Does EIN Reference Number 109 Mean? An Error on the IRS Side Reference number 109 is a technical failure on the IRS's side, not a problem with your application. When retrying is safe, when it is not, and the route that skips the online tool entirely.
- Lost EIN? How to Get an IRS 147C Verification Letter The 147C is the letter the IRS sends to confirm an existing EIN when the CP 575 is gone. Who may ask, the exact call, fax or mail delivery, and the five places your EIN is already written down.
- Can a Business Have Multiple EINs? One Entity, One Number One entity gets one EIN, but one owner can have several. How many each setup needs, why a sole proprietor shares one, and what to do with an extra number.
Sources
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.