EIN Guides
Everything about getting and using an Employer Identification Number, written by the team that prepares and files EIN applications every business day, including the failure modes the IRS’s own pages never explain.
Skip the paperwork. Our specialists prepare and file your EIN application and get your EIN to you, typically within 2 to 4 business days (7 to 10 if it has to go by fax).
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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.
IRS EIN Reference Number 104: Designee Conflict
104 means the third-party designee's address or phone is the same as the applicant's. Leave the section blank or give the designee's own details.
IRS EIN Reference Numbers 110, 112 and 113
Technical failures on the IRS side, not your answers. When to retry, when retrying causes a lockout, and how to get the number by fax.
IRS EIN Reference Number 115: Deceased Person Flag
The responsible party's SSN matches a Social Security death record. For an estate it means the deceased person went on Line 7 instead of the executor.
EIN for an Estate Bank Account
The account is opened in the estate's name under the estate's EIN, never the deceased person's SSN. What the bank asks for and how the account is titled.
Form SS-4 for an Estate: Every Line, Filled In
There is no separate IRS form for an estate tax ID number. Every line of Form SS-4 answered for an estate, and the two mistakes that produce a wrong EIN.
EIN for a Household Employer: Nanny, Caregiver, Housekeeper
Paying a nanny or in-home caregiver makes you a household employer. You need an EIN in your own name for Schedule H, the W-2, and state unemployment registration. What goes on the SS-4.
EIN for a Partnership or Multi-Member LLC
Mandatory, because a partnership files Form 1065 and issues K-1s. When to apply, which partner is the responsible party, and how the SS-4 differs from a single-owner application.
EIN for a Corporation or S-Corp
A corporation needs an EIN from the day it is chartered. There is no separate S-corp EIN: the election rides on the number you already have. What the SS-4 asks and who signs.
IRS EIN Error Code 109: What It Means and What to Do
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.
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 7 to 10 when the IRS requires the application by fax. One flat $197 service fee. No upsells, no subscriptions.
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EIN Registration is an independent document preparation and filing service and is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.