How Long Does It Take to Get an EIN Number?

The IRS hands out an EIN in minutes, for free, if you are ready. The wait is all in the prep work before you apply.

Record

Filed 2026-10-18

The IRS says its online tool hands you an EIN within minutes, at no cost. That is the whole answer to the timing question. The real delay is not IRS processing speed. It is whether you have formed your company and have your details ready before you sit down to apply. This page covers the prep work, plus the backup routes when the online tool is closed to you. For the wider picture, see our page on how to get an EIN number.

The short answer on timing

Minutes. The IRS says to answer the questions in its online tool and submit the application. If it is approved, the IRS issues your EIN immediately online. The SBA's guide says the same. The SBA's guide says the IRS assistance tool issues your number on the spot when you apply. Once the IRS checks your details, your nine-digit federal tax ID is there for you to use.

So the same-day answer is yes. There is no waiting period built into the process. The IRS also tells applicants to print the confirmation letter and keep it. Do that before you close the window.

Why forming your business first affects your EIN timeline

Here is the part that actually slows people down. Before you ask the IRS for an EIN, the IRS wants your corporation or LLC formed through the secretary of state. Leave that step out and, per the IRS, your application can run late.

So if you have not formed anything yet, that is your timeline. Form the entity first, then apply. The SBA's guide matches this advice: once your business is registered, get your EIN next. Wondering how long the formation step takes?

Details to gather before opening the online application

Gather these before you open the tool:

The Social Security number or taxpayer ID number of the responsible party in control of your business. The IRS requires this.
Your principal place of business, which must be in the U.S. for the online tool to work for you.

Per the IRS, the tool is open to the responsible party who controls the entity, and to that party's authorized representative. If someone else is applying for you as a third-party designee, the IRS says they must have signed authorization. The IRS says you can't use the online tool if your principal place of business is outside the U.S. The IRS says to apply by phone, fax or mail instead.

There is a daily cap too. The IRS allows each responsible party one EIN application per day. The IRS says you can apply for only one EIN per responsible party per day.

Why the online application expires if you stop for 15 minutes

The online application has one trap. Per the IRS, the whole form must be finished in a single sitting, with no saving partway through. The IRS says the application expires after 15 minutes of inactivity, and you'll need to start over.

That is why the prep work matters. The IRS says you must complete the application in one session and you can't save it for later. Have every answer in front of you first. Then the tool takes minutes, which is what the IRS promises. Our guide on applying for an EIN for an LLC walks through the application step by step.

Other ways to apply: phone, fax and mail

The online tool is the fast route, but not everyone can use it. When the online route is not open to you, the IRS offers phone, fax and mail as alternatives. That includes businesses with a principal place of business outside the U.S.

For fax and mail, the IRS says an EIN can be applied for by faxing or mailing Form SS-4. If speed matters and you are eligible for the online tool, use it. If you are not eligible, Form SS-4 by fax or mail is the path the IRS gives you.

Why you should never pay for an EIN

Some websites charge a fee to get you an EIN. Do not use them. The IRS cautions against sites that charge for an EIN and states that an EIN always comes free of fees. The SBA's guide says the same: it is free to apply, and you should not apply on websites that charge a fee.

The IRS says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN. Go straight to the source at IRS EIN, or read how to form an LLC and get a free EIN.

When you might need a new EIN, and why you can't cancel one

Two things to know after you have your number.

First, the SBA's guide says that in general you need a new EIN when your business's ownership or structure changes. It also says you should check with the IRS to find out whether you need to change or replace your EIN. So if your company changes hands or changes form, ask before you assume the old number still works.

Second, you cannot give an EIN back. The SBA's guide says an EIN cannot be canceled because it is an assigned, permanent federal ID number. That is one more reason to form your entity first and apply only when you are ready to run the business. For what an EIN means for your company's taxes, see our page on LLCs and the IRS.