Federal Tax ID (EIN) Filing Service for Ohio Businesses

What is an EIN, and why does an Ohio business need one?

An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to a business. People call it a federal tax ID, a tax ID number, or a FEIN. It does for the company what a Social Security number does for a person: it identifies the business on tax returns, payroll filings, and information returns.

The IRS issues EINs. The State of Ohio does not. Forming your LLC or corporation with the Ohio Secretary of State gives you an Ohio entity number, but that is a state record number, not a tax ID. The EIN is a separate step you take after the entity exists.

In practice, the EIN is the number everyone asks for first. A bank wants it before opening a business account. A payroll company needs it before it can run the first check. Many licensing offices, suppliers, and customers ask for it on their forms. Getting it early keeps the rest of your setup moving. Waiting until the bank appointment to think about it is how a one-day errand turns into a two-week delay.

The IRS does not charge for an EIN. You never have to pay the government to get one, and the IRS warns on its own website that some sites charge for the number without saying that it is free.

This page is where you order it from us. If you would rather apply yourself, our free guide on how to get an EIN in Ohio walks through the IRS online application step by step and compares the EIN with Ohio's withholding, CAT, and sales tax accounts.

Do you need an EIN for a single-member LLC?

Sometimes, and most owners end up getting one anyway. Here is how the IRS puts it.

By default, a single-member LLC is a "disregarded entity" for federal income tax. Its income goes on the owner's own return, and the LLC can use the owner's name and taxpayer number for income tax reporting. For employment taxes and certain excise taxes, though, the IRS treats the LLC as a separate entity.

A single-member LLC needs its own EIN if it:

• Has any employees, since employment taxes must be reported under the LLC's own name and EIN
• Must file certain federal excise tax returns, such as Forms 720, 730, 2290, 11-C, or 637
• Elects to be taxed as a corporation or an S corporation

A disregarded LLC with no employees and no excise tax liability does not need an EIN for federal tax purposes. The IRS also says the LLC can get one if a bank requires it to open an account, or if state tax law calls for a federal EIN. Most banks do ask, which is why most single-member LLCs apply.

One detail trips people up. When a customer sends your single-member LLC a Form W-9, the IRS says the form should show the owner's SSN or EIN, not the LLC's EIN, as long as the LLC is disregarded. Your accountant can confirm what goes on yours.

Which Ohio businesses need a federal tax ID?

The IRS lists the situations that require an EIN. You need one if any of these apply:

• You have employees
• You operate as a corporation or a partnership
• You file employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco, and firearms returns
• You withhold tax on income, other than wages, paid to a nonresident alien
• You have a Keogh plan
• You are involved with a trust, estate, nonprofit organization, farmers' cooperative, or certain other organizations the IRS names

That covers most Ohio entities. A multi-member LLC is classified as a partnership for federal income tax unless it elects otherwise, so it needs an EIN. Every Ohio corporation, for-profit or nonprofit, needs one. Out-of-state companies registering in Ohio usually already have one from when they formed.

If your situation is unusual, such as an LLC owned by another company, or a trust, ask your accountant which classification and EIN setup applies before you apply. Applying with the wrong entity type on the form causes headaches later.

A sole proprietor with no employees can often operate under a Social Security number alone, but a sole proprietor is not an LLC. Once you form an Ohio LLC or corporation, the entity is the business, and its tax ID setup follows the rules above. The IRS says a sole proprietorship that incorporates or forms a partnership needs a new EIN, so an old sole proprietor EIN generally does not carry over to the new company.

How to get an EIN for an Ohio LLC online

The fastest route is the IRS online application. If the IRS approves it, the EIN is issued immediately at the end of the session. To use it, the IRS requires:

• A business formed in the United States or a U.S. territory
• A principal place of business in the United States or a U.S. territory
• The responsible party, or their authorized representative, completing the application
• The responsible party's Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN)

The "responsible party" is a real person. Unless the applicant is a government entity, the IRS says the responsible party must be an individual, generally the person who ultimately owns or controls the business. It cannot be another company.

Hours and limits

The IRS allows one EIN per responsible party per day. The application must be completed in one session and expires after 15 minutes of inactivity. If you own several Ohio LLCs and need numbers for all of them, plan on one per day.

Getting an EIN without an SSN or ITIN

The online route is closed to some owners. If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, or the business's principal place of business is outside the United States, the application goes to the IRS on paper Form SS-4 instead.

Paper applications from businesses with a location in the 50 states or D.C. go to the IRS EIN Operation in Cincinnati, Ohio, by mail, or to the fax number the IRS lists in the Form SS-4 instructions. Applicants without a U.S. location use a separate international fax line or mailing address.

Paper applications can also name a third-party designee, someone the owner authorizes to answer the IRS's questions about the form and receive the EIN. The owner still signs the SS-4, and the IRS says the designee's authority ends once the EIN is assigned and released. The EIN notice still goes to the business.

These timelines belong to the IRS, not to us, and they can stretch. If you are opening a bank account or starting payroll on a deadline, start the paper route as early as you can.

When to apply for your EIN

Apply after the Ohio Secretary of State has filed your articles. The SS-4 asks for the entity's exact legal name and the date it started, and the IRS record should match the state record. If you apply for "Medina Valley Roofing LLC" and the state filed "Medina Valley Roofing, LLC", that small mismatch can follow you through bank forms and tax notices.

1. Form the entity and get the filed articles
2. Apply for the EIN using the legal name exactly as filed
3. Open the business bank account with the filed articles and the IRS confirmation letter
4. Register for Ohio tax accounts and payroll as your business requires

When the IRS issues the EIN, it sends a confirmation letter, the CP 575. Banks often ask to see it. Keep it with your formation documents.

When an Ohio business needs a new EIN, and when it does not

Owners sometimes apply for a second EIN they do not need. The IRS rule is that you generally need a new EIN when the ownership or structure changes, not when the name or address does.

Changes to the responsible party, mailing address, or business location are reported to the IRS on Form 8822-B. The IRS requires responsible party changes to be reported within 60 days. If your situation does not fit the table, ask your accountant before applying again.

Common mistakes on an EIN application

The SS-4 is short, but a few answers on it shape how the IRS treats your business for years. These are the errors we see most.

• Choosing the wrong entity type, such as checking "sole proprietor" for an LLC, or "partnership" for a single-member LLC that should be marked as a disregarded entity
• Typing the legal name differently from the filed articles, including commas, periods, and the LLC ending
• Listing a company, or an outside helper, as the responsible party instead of the individual who owns or controls the business
• Applying for a second EIN after a name change or an S corporation election, when the IRS says neither requires one
• Guessing at the employee questions; answer with what you actually expect, and ask your accountant if you are unsure

For a single-member LLC that keeps its default classification, the IRS Form SS-4 instructions say to check "Other" on line 9a and write "disregarded entity." You do not need Form 8832 to keep the default. If you want the LLC taxed as a corporation or an S corporation, that is a separate election and a conversation with your accountant.

How our EIN service works

You can get an EIN from the IRS yourself. We do it for owners who would rather not, and for owners who have to file on paper. Online applications are $50. Paper applications, required when the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, are $200. There is no IRS fee either way.

We prepare Form SS-4 from your filed articles. The responsible party's SSN or ITIN is collected securely after you order, never through the website form. We tell you which route applies, email a secure card link, and file. Online applications usually return the EIN the same business day. The IRS confirmation letter goes in your portal.

Need the entity first? Our formation service files your Ohio articles, and our Ohio statutory agent service is $49 a year, with our Litchfield office on the public record instead of your home address. Questions before you order? Call (877) 908-6122, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET. We do not give tax advice.