Does an EIN Expire?
Last updated November 5, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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A business that stopped operating but never closed its account usually still has its EIN, and the same number applies if it starts up again. What matters is whether the same legal entity is still the one using it. Before you use an old number, find it on a CP 575 letter or past return, or ask the IRS for a 147C letter, and ask about any unfiled returns while you are on the call. Your state is a separate matter: an LLC can be dissolved by the state for missing reports while its EIN sits unchanged at the IRS.
If the business closes
Closing does not make the number go away. To deactivate it, the IRS asks for a letter with the entity’s EIN, legal name and address, the EIN assignment notice if you have it, and your reason. You must file all outstanding returns and pay any taxes owed first. Our guide to closing an EIN account has the steps and addresses.
When you do need a new EIN
A new number comes from a change in who the taxpayer is, not from time passing. The common cases are a sole proprietor forming an LLC or corporation, a partnership that incorporates, a revocable trust that becomes irrevocable, and an estate that runs a sole proprietor’s business after the owner dies. Changing your name or address does not need one. Do I need a new EIN? goes through the list.
Quick answers
Why does a bank or the IRS say my EIN is not active?
Usually because the number is new and has not reached the systems that check it yet. See new EIN not active.
Can I use an old EIN for a new business?
Only if it is the same entity carrying on. A new LLC or corporation is a new taxpayer and gets its own number, even with the same owner and the same name.
Do I have to do anything each year to keep my EIN?
Nothing for the number itself. You do still have to file whatever returns the business owes, and your state may want an annual report for the company.
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Related guides
- How to Cancel or Close an EIN An EIN is never reused or deleted, but the IRS will close the business account tied to it. When that is worth doing, what to write in the letter, and why a wrong EIN is a different fix.
- Do I Need a New EIN? The Full Scenario Table A new EIN is needed when the taxpayer changes, not when its details do. Name changes, new partners, and S-corp elections keep it; incorporating, sole prop to partnership, and a trust turning irrevocable need a new one.
- New EIN Not Active Yet? Why It Gets Rejected for Up to Two Weeks A new EIN can open a bank account the day it is issued, but the IRS says to wait up to two weeks before it passes TIN Matching, e-files a return or pays electronically. Where that wait shows up, what to send instead, and when a rejection means something else.
- 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.
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.