Free SS-4 Generator Apply for an EIN by fax or mail

Fill out IRS Form SS-4 to apply for an employer identification number and watch each answer appear on the official form as you go. Download a signed PDF ready to fax or mail, or print it.

View the form on IRS.gov

How to fill it out: IRS instructions for Form SS-4

Who the EIN is for

Legal name of entity (or individual) *

Line 1. Exactly as on the charter, partnership agreement, trust instrument, or Social Security card, including any suffix like Inc. or LLC. Sole proprietors enter their own name.

Trade name (DBA) (optional)

Line 2. Only if different from line 1.

Executor, administrator, trustee, or “care of” name (optional)

Line 3. The trustee of a trust, the executor of an estate, or a designated person who receives tax information.

Addresses

Lines 4a–4b are where the IRS sends mail. Outside the U.S.? Include the state or province, postal code, and full country name.

Mailing street address or P.O. box *

Room, apt, suite (optional)

City *

State, province (optional)

ZIP, postal code (optional)

Country (optional)

Leave the country blank for a U.S. address.

Street address (lines 5a–5b) If different

The entity’s physical location, if it isn’t the mailing address. Don’t enter a P.O. box.

Street address (optional)

Suite (optional)

City (optional)

State, province (optional)

ZIP, postal code (optional)

Country (optional)

County and state where principal business is located *

Line 6. The entity’s primary physical location. Foreign applicants enter where the entity is mainly located.

Responsible party

The individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity, such as a principal officer, general partner, grantor, or owner. It must be a person, not a company, unless the applicant is a government entity.

Name of responsible party *

Line 7a. First name, middle initial, and last name.

Responsible party’s SSN, ITIN, or EIN *

SSN or ITIN EIN None

Line 7b. Use an EIN only if the applicant is a government entity. If the responsible party doesn’t have and can’t get an SSN or ITIN, choose None and the form shows “Foreign.”

The number stays on this device. The PDF is created in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded or saved.

LLC and type of entity

Is this application for a limited liability company (or a foreign equivalent)? *

Yes No

Number of LLC members *

Line 8b. A spouse-owned LLC in a community property state treated as a disregarded entity enters 1.

Was the LLC organized in the United States? *

Yes No

Type of entity (line 9a) *

Sole proprietor Partnership Corporation Personal service corporation Church or church-controlled organization Other nonprofit organization Estate Plan administrator Trust Military/National Guard State/local government Farmers’ cooperative Federal government REMIC Indian tribal governments/enterprises Other

Check the box that best describes the applicant. This isn’t a tax classification election. A single-member LLC that’s a disregarded entity chooses Other.

Your SSN or ITIN

I’m a nonresident alien with no effectively connected U.S. income Then you don’t need an SSN or ITIN here, and the form shows N/A.

SSN or ITIN of the decedent *

Plan administrator’s TIN (optional)

If the plan administrator is an individual.

TIN of grantor (optional)

Income tax form number to be filed *

An LLC electing to be taxed as a corporation or S corporation also chooses Corporation and enters 1120 or 1120-S.

Type of nonprofit organization *

Group exemption number (GEN) (optional)

Only if the organization is covered by a group exemption letter; ask the parent organization. Not the same as an EIN.

Type of entity and return to be filed *

Specify the entity and the return, if any, for example “Household employer,” “Withholding agent,” or “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472.” Don’t enter N/A.

Where the corporation is incorporated (line 9b) *

State (optional)

Foreign country (optional)

Enter a U.S. state or a foreign country.

Reason for applying

Reason for applying (line 10) *

Started new business Hired employees Compliance with IRS withholding regulations Banking purpose Changed type of organization Purchased going business Created a trust Created a pension plan Other

Check only one. Don’t apply for a new EIN if you already have one and are only adding a location or hiring.

Type of business *

Banking purpose *

New type of organization *

Type of trust *

Type of pension plan *

The instructions also ask you to check Other on line 9a and write “Created a pension plan.”

Reason *

Date business started or acquired *

Line 11. Trusts: the date funded. Estates: the date of death. Foreign applicants: the date you began or acquired a business in the U.S.

Closing month of accounting year *

Line 12. Most individuals and many entities use a calendar year, which closes in December.

Employees

No employees expected in the next 12 months Line 13 shows -0-, line 14 is skipped, and line 15 shows N/A unless you enter a date below.

Highest number of employees expected in the next 12 months (line 13)

Agricultural

Household

Other

A blank box is printed as -0-.

File Form 944 once a year instead of Form 941 every quarter (line 14) Only if you expect $1,000 or less in employment tax for the year, which generally means $5,000 or less in wages ($6,536 or less in a U.S. territory). Once you check it, you file Form 944 until the IRS tells you otherwise.

First date wages or annuities were or will be paid

Line 15. Foreign applicants: the date you began paying wages in the U.S. Withholding agents: the date income is first paid to a nonresident alien.

Business activity

Principal activity of your business (line 16) *

Construction Real estate Rental & leasing Manufacturing Transportation & warehousing Finance & insurance Health care & social assistance Accommodation & food service Wholesale—agent/broker Wholesale—other Retail Other

Principal activity *

Principal line of merchandise, construction work, products, or services *

Line 17. Describe the main line of business in more detail. An entry is required.

Has the applicant entity ever applied for and received an EIN? *

Yes No

Previous EIN *

Sign and date

By signing, you declare under penalties of perjury that the application is true, correct, and complete.

Third party designee Optional

Only if you want to authorize someone to receive the EIN and answer questions about this form. Their authority ends once the EIN is assigned, and it’s only valid if you sign below.

Designee’s name

Address and ZIP code

Telephone number

Fax number

Name and title *

The individual (sole proprietor), a principal officer (corporation), an authorized member or partner (partnership or other unincorporated organization), or the fiduciary (trust or estate). Foreign applicants may have any duly authorized person sign.

Applicant’s telephone (optional)

Applicant’s fax (optional)

Applying by fax? Include your fax number so the IRS can fax the EIN back.

I’ll print the form and sign it by hand Leaves the signature and date blank.

Signature *

Draw Type

Sign here

Date *

Write “N/A” on lines that don’t apply The instructions ask for N/A on lines that don’t apply. Fills blank lines 2, 3, 5a–5b, and 9b.

0 of 14 required

Preview

0 of 14 required

Complete the required fields to download or print your SS-4.

Still needed:

Downloaded. Fax or mail it to the IRS number or address listed in the instructions for your location. There’s no fee for an EIN. Setting up entities for clients? Build an intake form

View the form on IRS.gov

How to fill it out: IRS instructions for Form SS-4

Disclaimer: forms.app provides this SS-4 generator and the IRS form it fills free of charge, as a convenience. forms.app isn’t affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service, doesn’t apply for an EIN or fax the form on your behalf, and doesn’t give tax, legal, or business-formation advice. You’re responsible for choosing the right entity type and reason, for the accuracy of everything you enter, and for sending the form to the correct fax number or address. The IRS never charges for an EIN. Form SS-4 is published by the IRS; find the current version and instructions at irs.gov/FormSS4. If you’re unsure how your entity should be classified, talk to a tax professional or attorney. Found something on this page that’s wrong or out of date? Let us know.

Setting up entities for clients?

Gather everything an SS-4 needs, from the responsible party to the business activity, with one intake form, free with unlimited responses.

Create your form

Who uses Form SS-4?

Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, is the IRS application for an EIN: the nine-digit number that identifies a business, trust, estate, nonprofit, or other entity for federal tax filing and reporting.

Corporations, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, trusts, estates, and sole proprietors who hire employees or file excise or employment tax returns all apply with it. If the entity is based in the United States or a U.S. territory, the IRS recommends applying online, where the EIN is issued right away at no cost. Applicants with no principal place of business, office, or legal residence in the U.S. can’t use the online tool, so they fax or mail an SS-4 or call the IRS. By fax an EIN generally comes back within 4 business days; by mail it takes about 4 weeks.

How the SS-4 generator works

Start with the entity’s legal name and addresses, then name the responsible party, the individual who ultimately owns or controls it. Answer the LLC questions, choose the type of entity and your reason for applying, and only the follow-up boxes your answers need appear, such as the return a corporation will file. Then add the start date, the employees you expect, and the principal activity.

Each line fills in on the official form as you go. The instructions ask for N/A on lines that don’t apply, so the generator adds it to blank optional lines unless you turn that off. When the required lines are complete, sign and download a PDF ready to fax, or print it. Need another form? Browse all tax form generators.

Common questions about Form SS-4

Should I file Form SS-4 or apply for an EIN online?

If the entity’s principal business, office, or legal residence is in the United States or a U.S. territory and the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN, the online application on IRS.gov is the fastest route: the EIN is issued at the end of the session. The paper SS-4 is for applying by fax or mail, and it’s the usual route for foreign applicants, who can’t use the online tool.

Where do I send Form SS-4?

If the entity has its legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, fax it to 855-641-6935 or mail it to Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999. Otherwise fax 855-215-1627 from within the United States or 304-707-9471 from outside it, or mail it to Attn: EIN International Operation at the same Cincinnati address. The IRS says the fax numbers can change without notice, so check the current instructions first.

How long does it take to get an EIN?

Online, immediately. By fax, generally within 4 business days, sent back to the fax number on the form. By mail, about 4 weeks, so mail it at least 4 to 5 weeks before you need the number. International applicants can also call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free), 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Who is the responsible party on line 7a?

The individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity, or who has effective control over its funds and assets, for example a principal officer, general partner, grantor, or owner. Unless the applicant is a government entity, it must be a person, not another company. Line 7b takes their SSN or ITIN, or “Foreign” if they don’t have and can’t get one.

Which entity type does an LLC choose on line 9a?

A single-member LLC that’s a disregarded entity checks Other and writes “Disregarded entity,” or “Foreign-owned U.S. disregarded entity-Form 5472” if that applies. A multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership checks Partnership. An LLC electing to be taxed as a corporation or S corporation checks Corporation and enters Form 1120 or 1120-S. Line 9a isn’t itself a tax election.

Who signs Form SS-4?

The individual for a sole proprietorship, the president, vice president, or another principal officer for a corporation, a responsible and authorized member or officer for a partnership or other unincorporated organization, and the fiduciary for a trust or estate. Foreign applicants may have any duly authorized person sign. A third party designee is only authorized when the signature area is completed.

Is my information safe?

Yes. The form is filled and the PDF is built entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter, including the responsible party’s SSN or ITIN, is uploaded to or stored by forms.app, and it’s gone when you close the page, so download your SS-4 first.

Is this SS-4 generator free?

Yes, with no account needed, and the IRS doesn’t charge for an EIN either. Be wary of websites that ask for a fee to get you one.

Your SS-4 isn’t ready to print yet

Fill in the required fields on the page (legal name, mailing address, county and state, responsible party, LLC questions, entity type, reason, start date, employees, principal activity, previous EIN, name and title, signature, and date), then print again.

Form SS-4 preview Click any box to edit it