California EIN Number vs Your EDD Account Number
Last updated November 1, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
Get the EIN for your California business
We file the SS-4 for you. EIN typically emailed in 2 to 4 business days (about 11 by fax).
After your EIN in California
| Account | Agency | Number you get | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| State income tax withholding | California Employment Development Department | Employer payroll tax account number, 8 digits, written 000-0000-0 | e-Services for Business |
| Unemployment insurance | California Employment Development Department | Employer payroll tax account number, 8 digits, written 000-0000-0 | e-Services for Business |
| Sales tax | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | Seller's permit | Register |
California's EDD issues an eight-digit employer payroll tax account number, written like 000-0000-0 and also called a State Employer Identification Number. It is separate from your federal EIN, and EDD asks for the EIN on the registration so your state unemployment payments line up with your federal Form 940.
California employers report state income tax withholding to the EDD, not the Franchise Tax Board. The EDD also collects unemployment insurance and employment training tax paid by the employer, and State Disability Insurance withheld from employee pay.
Also on the California list
- Register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration if you will sell taxable goods, and with the Employment Development Department before your first payroll.
- File a Statement of Information with the Secretary of State shortly after formation, then on the state's ongoing schedule.
Agency sites checked November 1, 2026 · All 50 states
What is different about California
- California is a community property state. A California LLC owned only by a married couple may be treated as a disregarded entity instead of a partnership, which changes the tax classification on the SS-4 and whether a partnership return is due each year.
- California charges LLCs an annual minimum franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board whether or not the business earned anything, so a dormant California LLC still has a state obligation that a dormant LLC in most states does not.
- California splits business tax administration across three agencies: the Franchise Tax Board, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and the Employment Development Department, rather than the single portal most states use. The EIN is asked for at more than one of them.
Before you apply
The SS-4 must match the California Secretary of State (bizfile Online) filing; its entity number is a state index, not a tax ID.
Married couple as the only owners? California is a community property state, so the LLC can be treated as a disregarded entity rather than a partnership that files a return every year. The choice is made on the SS-4, and our application asks about it.
California EIN questions
How do I get an EIN number in California?
File IRS Form SS-4 after the California Secretary of State (bizfile Online) approves any formation filing; there is no California EIN application. Then register with the California Employment Development Department (e-Services for Business) for withholding and unemployment insurance and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for the seller's permit.
Is the California employer payroll tax account number the same as my EIN?
No. The California Employment Development Department assigns it when you register as an employer in e-Services for Business, and it is 8 digits, written 000-0000-0. It goes in W-2 box 15; the EIN goes in box b.
Where do I register for California unemployment insurance?
With the California Employment Development Department, online through e-Services for Business, the same agency that runs withholding. It assigns an employer payroll tax account number, 8 digits, written 000-0000-0, a separate number from the EIN.
Do I need a California seller's permit?
Only if you sell what California taxes. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration issues it, and your returns are filed under its number, not the EIN.
Is there a California EIN or state tax ID number?
No. The EIN is federal and comes from the IRS. California issues its own numbers once you register: the entity number on your Secretary of State filing, a seller's permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration if you sell taxable goods, and an employer payroll tax account number from the Employment Development Department when you hire. Each of those registrations asks for the federal EIN, so it comes first.
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Related guides
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Sources
- California Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- California Franchise Tax Board, LLCs
- California Employment Development Department: Step 3 register for a payroll tax account
- California Employment Development Department: What Are State Payroll Taxes
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: Permits licenses
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: Faqseller
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.