How Much Does an EIN Cost?
$0. The IRS has charged nothing for an Employer Identification Number since 1974, for every entity type and on all 4 filing channels. Any amount above $0 is a service fee paid to somebody other than the government.
That answer does not vary by who is asking. A sole proprietor pays $0. A corporation pays $0. A non-profit pays $0. A trust or estate pays $0. The number is a tax account identifier issued under 26 U.S.C. § 6109, and Congress funds its issuance, so the IRS collects no fee for it from anyone.
What does an EIN cost for an LLC specifically?
The same $0 at the IRS, with 1 practical difference that pushes some LLC owners toward a paid route. An LLC is the only common entity type that has to answer 3 classification questions on Form SS-4— lines 8a, 8b and 9a — and the answer on 9a locks federal tax treatment for 60 months. A sole proprietor has no equivalent decision to get wrong.
The second difference is access rather than price. The IRS online assistant requires the responsible party to hold an SSN or ITIN, and a large share of LLC owners — specifically foreign owners of US LLCs — hold neither. For them the free route is the fax route at 4 to 7 business days rather than 15 minutes online. Both still cost $0 at the IRS.
So what is the cost of an EIN, all in?
For a US owner with an SSN who knows their line 9a answer: $0 and about 15minutes. For everyone else the cost is either time on the paper route or a service fee, and the range for that fee across the named providers below runs $59.99 to $200. There is no third thing anyone is selling — nobody issues the number except the IRS.
Source: IRS — Employer ID Numbers, verified July 2026.
What Does Each EIN Filing Route Cost?
Every IRS route costs $0. The online assistant issues the EIN in 15 minutes, fax runs 4 to 8 weeks, mail runs 4 to 6 weeks, and the international phone line runs 1 to 2 weeks.
| Route | Cost | Time to EIN | SSN or ITIN | Written deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRS online assistant | $0 | 15 minutes | Required | None |
| IRS fax, Form SS-4 | $0 | 4 to 8 weeks | Not required | None |
| IRS mail, Form SS-4 | $0 | 4 to 6 weeks | Not required | None |
| IRS international phone line | $0 | 1 to 2 weeks | Not required | None |
| einforllc.co Standard | $97 | 16–19 business days | Not required | Yes, faxed in 7 business days |
| einforllc.co Fast | $127 | 6 to 8 business days | Not required | Yes, filed in 24 hours |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, verified July 2026.
Price is not the variable that separates these 5 rows. Certainty is. The online assistant runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, times out after 15 minutes of inactivity, and issues the 9-digit number on screen the moment it accepts the application. The paper routes hand back nothing: no tracking number, no status page, and no email. An applicant who faxes Form SS-4 on a Monday learns the outcome when a letter arrives 4 to 8 weeks later.
The IRS also limits every responsible party to 1 EIN per day across all methods. That limit costs $0 and still shapes the calendar for anyone opening 2 LLCs in the same week. Start with how to get an EIN for an LLC if the route itself is still open, or does my llc need an ein if the threshold question comes first.
Why Does the IRS Charge $0 for an EIN?
An EIN is a tax account number, not a license or a permit. Internal Revenue Code section 6109 makes issuing taxpayer identifying numbers a government function, and Congress funds it, so the IRS collects no fee.
This single mechanism explains every price on this page. The IRS wants the LLC identified, because the number is how it matches Form 1065, Form 1120 and Form 5472 filings to the right entity. Charging for identification would reduce the number of identified taxpayers. So the fee stays at $0 forever, on every route, in every one of the 50 states.
Two charges get confused with the EIN fee and belong to different governments. The state charges its own formation fee when it files the Articles of Organization, and that payment creates the LLC. The IRS charges $0 for the EIN afterwards, and the EIN attaches to an LLC the state has already approved. State approval runs 1 business day in Wyoming and up to 4 weeks in New York, and Form SS-4 filed before that approval gets rejected.
Every dollar anyone charges for an EIN, including our $97, buys labor, review, and a deadline. Nobody sells the number itself, because nobody except the IRS issues it.
Is a Free EIN Number Really Free for an LLC?
Yes at the IRS, on all 4 channels, with no asterisk. The number itself costs $0whether it comes from the online assistant, a fax, the mail, or the international phone line. What is not free is the time, and 3 specific traps convert “free” into days of it.
Trap 1 is the SSN wall, and it is the largest. The IRS online EIN Assistant refuses line 7b without an SSN or ITIN, so a founder without either drops to the paper route and waits 4 to 7 business days by fax or 6 to 11 weeks by mail. That wait blocks bank onboarding and Stripe activation for the whole period. Full route on getting an LLC EIN without an SSN.
Trap 2 is the session clock. The assistant ends any screen idle for 15 minutes with 0 recovery and no resume link, so Form SS-4 restarts at line 1. 3 restarts consume half a working day. Trap 3 is the classification lock: a corporation pick on line 9a without a Form 8832 election already on file burns a 60-month lock under 26 CFR § 301.7701-3 and roughly 60 days at the IRS to unwind. See LLC tax classification and Form 8832 for an LLC.
The free route is the right route for a US founder who holds an SSN or ITIN, has the Articles of Organization approved, and knows the answer to line 9a. That covers a large share of single-member LLCs, and the honest advice for them is to spend 15 minutes and $0. The paid route earns its fee only where 1 of the 3 traps is live.
Source: IRS — Apply for an EIN Online and 26 U.S.C. § 6109, verified July 2026.
Should You Pay Anyone for an LLC EIN?
No, if you hold a Social Security Number or an ITIN. The IRS online assistant issues the EIN in 15 minutes for $0. Paying makes sense only when that tool refuses the application.
Go to irs.gov. The EIN is free, the session takes 15 minutes, and the number appears on screen before you close the tab. Spending $97 on a 15-minute job is a waste, and we say so on every page.
IRS: Get an EIN ↗The online tool blocks you at the responsible-party screen. Two routes remain: fax Form SS-4 yourself for $0 and wait 4 to 8 weeks, or pay $97 and have it faxed within 7 business days with the classification checked, or $127 to have it filed within 24 hours with the IRS call included.
LLC EIN Without SSNRead this before paying anyone, including us. The $97 exists for one situation: an applicant the IRS online assistant will not serve, facing a paper filing, a 4-to-8-week wait, and 3 classification fields that set federal tax treatment for the life of the company. Outside that situation, irs.gov is the correct answer, and get started on our side is the wrong one.
What Does the einforllc.co Fee Pay For?
The $97 pays for 5 things: the Articles of Organization review, the classification check on lines 8a, 8b and 9a, the Form SS-4 preparation, the fax filing within 7 business days, and that deadline in writing. The $127 Fast tier adds filing within 24 hours and the IRS phone follow-up.
| Item | What it covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| IRS fee for the EIN | The 9-digit number itself, issued by the IRS | $0 |
| CP-575 confirmation letter | The government document banks verify, mailed once | $0 |
| Articles of Organization review | Legal name matched to state records character for character | Included |
| Classification check, lines 8a, 8b, 9a | Entity type, member count, and federal tax treatment | Included |
| Form SS-4 preparation and filing | Filed within 1 business day of completed details | Included |
| IRS phone follow-up | Included on Fast only; Standard is fax with no IRS calls | Fast only |
| Filing deadline in writing | Faxed within 7 business days on Standard, filed within 24 hours on Fast, Mon–Fri excluding US federal holidays | Included |
| Support while the filing is open | Live chat 24/7, a post-purchase support chat, and email | Included |
| EIN: Standard | One-time. Faxed within 7 business days, no IRS calls | $97 |
| EIN: Fast | One-time. Filed within 24 hours, IRS call included | $127 |
| LLC formation, optional add-on | Only if you have not formed yet. State filing, first-year registered agent, and operating agreement, plus state fees at cost. Agent renews at $99/year | +$197 |
| Year 2 and every year after | An EIN never renews. Only the registered agent does, and only if you took the add-on | $0 |
einforllc.co pricing, July 2026. The EIN is priced on its own; the formation add-on is a separate line and never folded into the EIN price.
Why Is the Line 9a Classification Check Worth Paying For?
Lines 8a, 8b and 9a of Form SS-4 set an LLC's federal tax treatment, and the IRS applies whatever is written. A wrong entry is undone by Form 8832, which then locks the classification for 60 months. That correction costs more in accountant time than the filing fee.
Three fields on Form SS-4 set federal tax treatment, and the IRS applies whatever you write. Line 8a marks the entity as an LLC. Line 8b states the member count. Line 9a sets the classification. A single-member LLC defaults to a disregarded entity. A multi-member LLC defaults to a partnership that files Form 1065 every year. Changing the answer later means Form 8832, or Form 2553 filed within 75 days of the start of the tax year the election takes effect. A classification chosen on Form 8832 locks the LLC for 60 months before it can change again. Getting line 8b wrong on a $0 filing costs far more than $97 in accountant time.
The election decides the tax rate the LLC lives with. A default disregarded or partnership treatment pushes profit onto the members, who pay self-employment tax at 15.3 percent, composed of 12.4 percent Social Security and 2.9 percent Medicare, plus personal income tax on top. A corporate election under Form 8832 moves the LLC to the 21 percent corporate rate on Form 1120, and Form 2553 moves it to pass-through S corporation treatment on Form 1120-S. The EIN survives every election, because the IRS assigns the number to the entity and not to the classification.
The EIN is priced on its own, and if your LLC already exists that is the whole invoice. Formation is one optional line for people who have not filed with a state yet, and we will tell you to leave it unchecked when you do not need it. State filing fees vary by charter: California charges $70, Delaware $90, Wyoming $100, Florida $125, and Texas $300 for the Articles of Organization. The IRS charges $0 on top of every one of those, and Form 5472 carries a $25,000 annual penalty under Internal Revenue Code section 6038A for a foreign-owned single-member LLC that misses the filing.
No SSN. No passport upload.
What Do EIN Filing Services Charge for an LLC in 2026?
Verified July 2026: Rocket Lawyer charges $59.99, einforllc.co charges $97, ZenBusiness charges $99, and Northwest charges $200 at its no-SSN rate. The IRS charges $0 on every route.
| Feature | einforllc.co | DIY at IRS | Rocket Lawyer | ZenBusiness | Northwest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price | $97 | $0 | $59.99 | $99 | $200 |
| Filing deadline in writing | 7 business days | None | None | None | None |
| Refund if the filing deadline is missed | That fee refunded | Not applicable | None | None | None |
| Lines 8a, 8b, 9a reviewed | Yes, every order | You decide | No | No | No |
| Articles name match | Yes | You verify | No | No | No |
| Files without an SSN | Yes | Yes, by fax | Check at checkout | Check at checkout | Yes |
| Buy the EIN on its own | Yes, priced alone | Yes, free | Bundled | Add-on to a package | Add-on to a package |
| Year 2 and beyond, the EIN | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Prices verified July 2026 from each provider’s public pricing page.
The $140 spread between the cheapest and the most expensive paid option buys nothing extra in the number itself, because all 5 columns deliver the same 9-digit EIN and the same CP-575 letter. The spread pays for what surrounds the filing. Read the rows below the price row before comparing on price alone: a written deadline and a review of lines 8a, 8b and 9a change the outcome, and a $59.99 filing with the wrong member count costs a tax year to unwind.
What Does a Rejected LLC EIN Application Cost?
A rejection costs $0 in fees and 4 to 8 weeks in time. The IRS reports rejections by mail, so a legal name that misses state records by one character restarts the entire paper wait.
| What goes wrong | IRS fee | What it actually costs |
|---|---|---|
| Name misses state records by 1 character | $0 | 4 to 8 weeks, refiled from day one |
| Form SS-4 filed before state approval | $0 | 4 to 8 weeks, plus the state wait again |
| A company listed on line 7a | $0 | Rejection; the IRS requires a human being |
| Wrong member count on line 8b | $0 | A wrong classification for the whole tax year |
| CP-575 lost | $0 | A 147C letter, mailed on request, never a reprint |
| Form 5472 missed by a foreign-owned SMLLC | $0 | $25,000 per year under IRC section 6038A |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions and Internal Revenue Code section 6038A, July 2026.
Read that table as a time sheet rather than a price list. The fee column stays at $0 in every row, which is exactly why the EIN feels free and then costs a quarter of a year. The last row is the one that dwarfs everything else on this page: a foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 annually, even on $0 of income, and missing it triggers a $25,000 penalty per year. Read Form 5472 and cp 575 for llc before the first filing season arrives.
What Does an LLC EIN Cost in Year 2?
$0. An EIN never renews and never expires, so no second-year fee exists. The IRS keeps the same 9-digit number assigned to the LLC for the life of the company and never reassigns it.
No renewal notice arrives, because no renewal exists. Any message demanding a fee to keep an EIN active is not from the IRS. The number survives a name change, a move to a new state, and a change of registered agent. A new EIN becomes necessary only when the structure changes, such as a single-member LLC adding a second member and becoming a partnership.
What recurs on the EIN is filing, not fees. A multi-member LLC files Form 1065 each year under that same EIN. A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120. A US-owned single-member LLC reports on Schedule C. The state charges its own annual report separately from anything the IRS does. See benefits of ein for llc for what the permanent number unlocks, or new EIN for an LLC for the events that force a fresh one.
The 1 recurring cost founders confuse with an EIN renewal is the registered agent. That is a state-level service running about $99 to $300 a year, and it exists whether or not the LLC holds an EIN. The state annual report is a second recurring item, ranging from $0 in Texas to $300 in Delaware for the franchise tax. Neither is an IRS charge.
Replacing lost paperwork is also $0 in year 2 and every year after. The CP-575 prints 1 time, and the 147C verification letter replaces it free on a call to 800-829-4933. Over 10 years an LLC pays the IRS $0 for the number, $0 for the confirmation letter, and $0 for every replacement.
What Does an EIN Cost for an LLC Without an SSN?
$0 from the IRS, the same as every other applicant. Form SS-4 line 7b accepts the entry Foreign. The cost is time: the paper route runs 4 to 8 weeks with no tracking number.
No SSN and no ITIN is required, and no passport upload is requested at any point. Line 7a takes the responsible party’s legal name, and line 7b takes the entry Foreign. That single word is what the online assistant refuses to accept and what the paper form handles without comment.
Fax, entities based in a US state. 855-641-6935. Cost $0. The IRS returns the EIN by fax or by mail in 4 to 8 weeks.
Fax, international applicants. 855-215-1627. Cost $0, and the same 4-to-8-week window applies.
IRS international phone line. 267-941-1099, open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. Cost $0 beyond the call itself, and 1 to 2 weeks to the EIN.
einforllc.co. $97 to fax within 7 business days, or $127 to file within 24 hours with the IRS call included. Miss the deadline and that fee is refunded.
Foreign-owned single-member LLCs make up the largest share of einforllc.co orders, filed from 150+ countries into LLCs formed in any of the 50 states. Full detail sits on LLC EIN without SSN and EIN for a foreign-owned LLC.
This page states prices and federal tax rules current as of July 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. Confirm your LLC’s position with a licensed CPA or attorney before filing.
No SSN. No passport upload.