Employee Identification Number (EIN)

The EIN is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities. Generally, you need one to operate legally.

When Do You Need an EIN?

You need an EIN if you:

  • Have employees
  • Pay employment, excise or alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes
  • Withhold taxes on income, other than wages, paid to a non-resident alien

If you don’t need an EIN for federal tax purposes, you can still request one for banking or state tax purposes. EINs are not intended for other activities, such as state tax lien auctions, sales or lotteries.

Required for These Entities:

You also need an EIN to operate any of these entities:

  • Partnership
  • Limited liability company (LLC)
  • Corporation
  • Tax-exempt organization
  • Estate
  • Trust
  • Retirement plan or individual retirement account (IRA)
  • Real estate mortgage investment conduit
  • Farmers' cooperative

If you need help obtaining your EIN or other tax-related forms, we can help you here.