Colorado EIN Number and Your Colorado Account Number (CAN)

Last updated November 1, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team

There is no Colorado EIN. The IRS issues it on Form SS-4. What Colorado adds comes after it: a Colorado Account Number (CAN) from the Colorado Department of Revenue once you pay wages, an unemployment insurance account with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and a sales tax license from the Colorado Department of Revenue if you sell taxable goods or services.

Get the EIN for your Colorado business

We file the SS-4 for you. EIN typically emailed in 2 to 4 business days (about 11 by fax).

LLC →Corporation →Sole Proprietor →Partnership →Trust →Estate →

After your EIN in Colorado

Account	Agency	Number you get	Register
State income tax withholding	Colorado Department of Revenue	Colorado Account Number (CAN), 8 digits	MyBizColorado
Unemployment insurance	Colorado Department of Labor and Employment	Account number issued at registration	MyBizColorado
Sales tax	Colorado Department of Revenue	Sales tax license	MyBizColorado

MyBizColorado applies for both the Colorado sales tax license and the wage withholding account with the Department of Revenue, and connects you to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment if you need an unemployment insurance account.

Colorado's state sales tax license covers only state tax and the local taxes the Department of Revenue collects. Some home-rule cities collect their own sales tax, so if you sell in one, contact that city for its own license requirements.

Also on the Colorado list

Register with the Colorado Department of Revenue through MyBizColorado for sales tax and wage withholding. The EIN is required on the registration.
File the Periodic Report with the Secretary of State every year, inside the filing window around the anniversary month of formation.

Agency sites checked November 1, 2026 · All 50 states

What is different about Colorado

Colorado business filings are online only. There is no paper Articles of Organization to mail, which is unusual, and it means the state record exists the moment the filing is accepted rather than after a clerk processes it.
Colorado calls its yearly filing a Periodic Report and opens a window around the anniversary month for it rather than fixing one statewide date. Missing the window puts the company into noncompliant status, which is a state problem the EIN does not touch.
The Secretary of State issues an eleven-digit Colorado entity ID that begins with the filing year. It is how the state indexes the company and it is not a tax number of any kind.

Before you apply

The SS-4 must match the Colorado Secretary of State filing; its Colorado entity ID is a state index, not a tax ID.

Colorado EIN questions

How do I get an EIN number in Colorado?

File IRS Form SS-4 after the Colorado Secretary of State approves any formation filing; there is no Colorado EIN application. MyBizColorado applies for both the Colorado sales tax license and the wage withholding account with the Department of Revenue, and connects you to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment if you need an unemployment insurance account.

Is the Colorado Account Number (CAN) the same as my EIN?

No. The Colorado Department of Revenue assigns it when you register as an employer in MyBizColorado, and it is 8 digits. It goes in W-2 box 15; the EIN goes in box b.

Where do I register for Colorado unemployment insurance?

With the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, online through MyBizColorado. The account is separate from the federal EIN, which the registration asks for.

Do I need a Colorado sales tax license?

Only if you sell what Colorado taxes. The Colorado Department of Revenue issues it through MyBizColorado, and your returns are filed under its number, not the EIN.

Is there a Colorado EIN or state tax ID number?

No. The EIN is federal and comes from the IRS. Colorado's own numbers are the eleven-digit entity ID the Secretary of State assigns at filing and the Colorado Account Number (CAN), the first eight digits of the sales tax or withholding account the Department of Revenue opens when you register through MyBizColorado. That registration asks for the federal EIN, so it comes first.

Can I apply for the EIN the same day Colorado approves my LLC?

Yes. Colorado filings are online only, so the state record exists the moment the Secretary of State accepts the filing rather than days later. Apply as soon as you have the filed articles, using the legal name and formation date exactly as they appear on them, since the IRS checks the SS-4 against what the state recorded.

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, typically within 2 to 4 business days, or about 11 when the IRS requires the application by fax. One flat $197 service fee. No upsells, no subscriptions.

✓ Prepared and filed by specialists
✓ Error 101 and rejection handling included
✓ Data encrypted (AES-256)
✓ Order tracking and email updates

Start My EIN Application

Related guides

Neighboring states

Most-searched states

All 50 states →

Sources

You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.