EIN for LLC: What It Is and How to Get One

Your side hustle may already have a bank account, a few invoices, and a first paying customer, but it likely lacks a tax identity of its own.

That’s where an Employer Identification Number (EIN) comes in: a federal tax ID issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), much like a Social Security number does for you personally.

Whether you need a limited liability company (LLC), an EIN, or both right now depends on how you’re set up and what you plan to do next.

Here we’ll cover what an EIN is, when an LLC needs one, how to apply through the IRS for free, and what to handle once it arrives.

What an EIN for an LLC Is

A limited liability company (LLC) often gets an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for taxes and paperwork. Here’s what that number is and what it does.

What the nine-digit number is for

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns the EIN, and it’s a nine-digit number written as two digits, a dash, then seven more. The IRS also calls it a federal tax identification number. Its job is to identify your business for tax filing and reporting.

It points to the business, not the owner.

Think of it as a Social Security number for your business. Picture a side hustler who sells handmade candles from a spare room and opens a bank account in her LLC’s name.

Using the EIN instead of her own Social Security number keeps her candle money separate from her grocery money, which makes tax time a lot less tangled.

Are FEIN and EIN the same? They are. FEIN stands for Federal Employer Identification Number, and EIN is the shorter name for the same nine-digit number.

You’ll see both on IRS materials and in online guides, but they point to one number. Same number, two names.

Who Needs an EIN and When

Many side hustles, including one-person limited liability companies (LLCs), can wait on an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Everyday reasons to get one

• Hiring employees and payroll. Paying anyone requires one for payroll.
• Opening a business bank account. Banks typically ask for one to keep business money separate.
• Filing federal taxes. Federal business returns run under the EIN.
• Building business credit. A separate business identity helps build credit in its own name.
• Licenses and permits. Some applications ask for one.

Which business types must get one

These need one regardless of size:

• Corporations and partnerships must have one.
• Multi-member LLCs have more than one owner, so they need one.
• S-corp or C-corp elections, tax choices made with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), require one.
• Retirement plans can trigger the requirement too.

Solo owners and single-member LLCs

If you run a single-member LLC with no employees, you can technically use your Social Security number (SSN) instead of an EIN. That’s the no-employees exception.

Your SSN then lands on every W-9 (the tax form clients use to collect your details), so use your EIN there instead.

Take Maya, who sells candles from her spare room. When a boutique asks for a W-9 before its first order, she applies for an EIN and uses that. Her SSN stays private.

Fewer copies of your SSN in circulation means less identity theft risk. An EIN also helps keep business and personal money apart.

Is a DBA the same as an EIN? No. A DBA (doing business as) is a name you operate under, while an EIN is a tax number.

Does my side hustle need an LLC? Not automatically. Many run as a sole proprietorship, a one-owner business with no separate legal structure.

Is it better to start a DBA or an LLC? A DBA may be enough if you only need a name. An LLC is a separate legal structure for owners who want more separation.

Is there a downside to having an EIN? It’s free to get, but it can add filings and recordkeeping. If you’re still testing, that’s one more thing to manage.

Getting a new EIN after a change

A change in ownership or structure can require a new EIN. The clearest case is moving from a sole proprietorship to a corporation, since the IRS treats that as a new entity.

Applying for an EIN Step by Step

Form your limited liability company (LLC) with your state before you apply for an employer identification number (EIN), since the application asks for your legal name and address. Then pick from four free routes, which don’t all move at the same speed.

Ways to apply, all free of charge

Every route below is free:

• Online: the fastest route, through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website.
• Mail: send a completed Form SS-4, the IRS’s application for an EIN.
• Fax: send the same form by fax.
• Phone: the route for international applicants.

What you need for the online form

Have these ready before you open the form:

• Entity type: select LLC.
• Number of members: how many people own the business.
• Responsible party: the person who controls the business, plus their Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).
• Legal name and address: the ones your LLC is registered under with your state.
• Principal business activity: the main thing the business does.
• Online hours: the form isn’t open around the clock, so check the IRS website first.

Take Maya, a freelance designer who runs her LLC from a spare room. She’s the only member, so she enters one, and her principal business activity is graphic design. Her EIN appears on screen right away.

How long each method takes

• Online: immediate, so you have your EIN as soon as you finish.
• Fax: about four business days, according to the IRS instructions for Form SS-4.
• Mail: weeks, since it includes delivery and processing.
• Possible IRS delays: treat these timelines as estimates, not promises.

Avoid paid middlemen and common mistakes

• The IRS never charges. You never owe it a fee for an EIN, so skip any site that asks for one.
• Third parties mark up fees. The IRS charges nothing, but some sites will charge you for the same free form.
• Wrong entity type. Selecting the wrong type means your EIN won’t match how your business is set up.
• Duplicate applications. Applying twice for the same business creates confusion, so note when you applied.
• Inaccurate information. A typo in your name, address, or SSN can hold up your application. Check every field. Then submit.

What to Do After You Get Your EIN

Getting the number is the easy part. Next, keep your side hustle money separate from your personal money and know where your EIN lives.

Set up your accounts and keep records

Once your EIN arrives, open a business bank account in your LLC’s name. Think of a weekend baker who sells cakes from her kitchen and pays for flour from her personal checking account.

At tax time, she’s sorting mixed statements to figure out which charges were for the business. A dedicated account would have kept those charges together, not mixed in with groceries. Clean records start there.

• Separate your side hustle money. Run business income and expenses through that account only, so personal spending never mixes in.
• Keep your CP 575 confirmation letter. It’s the IRS notice that shows your EIN, so store it with your business papers.
• Use your EIN on tax filings. Put it on your business returns and on any form that asks for a federal tax ID.
• Update state registrations. Where your state asks for a tax ID, enter your EIN so the records match.

Finding your EIN if you lost it

Lost the number? Start with the easy places before you call anyone.

• Check old tax returns. If you’ve filed a business return since you got your EIN, the number is printed on it.
• Contact your bank. If you used the EIN to open a business account, the bank may have it on file.
• Call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line. The line can help you recover it over the phone.
• Authorized persons only. The IRS will only share your EIN with the responsible party named on your application or someone they’ve formally authorized.

An EIN is a small step with a big job: it gives your side hustle its own identity with the IRS. Whether you need one now or can wait depends on how your business is set up, whether you plan to hire, and how close you are to real income.

Measure those against your plan, not the pressure to act fast. Once the number arrives, handle your next steps in order so the paperwork never crowds out the work. Get your EIN when your business is ready for it, and the paperwork will be the easy part.

References

1. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025) — irs.gov (2026)