IRS Errors and Rejections
What each reference number means and how to fix a refused application.
Last updated November 5, 2026
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 Error 101 (EIN Reference Number 101): How to Fix It
Error 101 is a business name conflict the online application cannot resolve. What it means and the two ways past it.
IRS EIN Reference Numbers 102 and 103: Responsible Party Mismatch
Codes 102 and 103 mean the name and SSN or ITIN you entered for the responsible party do not match IRS or SSA records. The usual causes, and the one retry that is worth making.
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.
EIN Reference Number 105: Locked Out? Here Is the Fix
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.
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.
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 114: 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.
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.
IRS EIN Online Application Not Working? Every Cause and Fix
Closed hours, session timeouts, the one per day rule, browser traps and the reference numbers, in the order to check them. Plus the method that does not depend on the website at all.
Made a Mistake on Your EIN Application? How to Fix Each One
A misspelled name, the wrong entity type, the wrong responsible party, an old address, or a second EIN by accident. For each: whether the IRS corrects the record or you need a new EIN, and the form, letter or call that does it.
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.
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