To apply for an EIN number in Florida, go to the IRS online application at sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp, complete a short interview, and the IRS issues your nine-digit number on screen. It is free, it takes about 15 minutes, and because the EIN is a federal tax ID the process is the same wherever in Florida you are located.
Do You Actually Need One
Every corporation, partnership, and multi-member LLC in Florida needs an EIN to operate. A single-member LLC needs one once it hires employees or elects to be taxed as a corporation. A sole proprietor without employees can often skip the EIN for tax purposes, but most banks will ask for one before opening a business checking account, so many Florida owners get one anyway to keep their Social Security number off invoices and filings.
Certain activities trigger the requirement on their own: hiring even one employee, administering a retirement plan, operating certain trusts, or managing a real estate mortgage investment conduit. The IRS keeps a checklist you can walk through if your situation is unusual.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
The online form is short, but it times out after 15 minutes of inactivity and makes you start over. Pull these together first:
- Your entity type (corporation, LLC, partnership, sole proprietor, trust, estate), matching how you registered with the Florida Division of Corporations.
- The reason you are applying, such as starting a new business, hiring employees, or opening a bank account.
- Your legal business name, exactly as it appears on your Florida formation documents.
- Your Florida street address and mailing address.
- The month, day, and year the entity was formed or acquired.
- The responsible party’s full legal name and Social Security number or ITIN.
The responsible party is the individual who controls the entity’s funds and decisions: usually the principal officer of a corporation, a general partner of a partnership, or the grantor of a trust. It has to be a real person with an SSN or ITIN. A business entity cannot serve in that role, and the only exception is a government agency.
Applying Online Step by Step
The online application is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the following day, Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, all Eastern time. The IRS limits each responsible party to one EIN per day, so if you are setting up more than one entity, space the applications out.
Click “Begin Application” and pick your entity type. The next screen asks why you need the EIN; choose the option that fits, such as “Started a New Business” or “Hired Employees.” Then enter the legal name, address, formation date, and the Florida county where the business operates.
The following screen asks for the responsible party’s name and taxpayer ID. The system validates that information against federal records in real time, and the most common stumble is entering a name that does not exactly match the Social Security card. If it does not match, the application stops.
After the last field, a summary screen shows everything you entered. Review it carefully, because this is your last chance to catch a typo. Submit, and the IRS generates your EIN and displays it immediately. Download and print the confirmation notice right then. The IRS also mails a formal confirmation letter (Notice CP 575) to your business address, but it can take several weeks to arrive, so save the on-screen version to your records straight away.
If You Cannot Apply Online
The online portal will not accept your application if the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, or if the entity has no legal residence or principal office in the United States. In those situations you use Form SS-4.
Fax
Faxing a completed Form SS-4 to the IRS is the fastest alternative. The IRS faxes the assigned EIN back in about four business days. This is the practical choice when you have a bank account or payroll deadline looming and the online portal is not available.
You can mail Form SS-4 to the IRS processing center in Cincinnati, Ohio 45999. The IRS advises completing the form at least four to five weeks before you actually need the EIN, and real processing times can run longer. Treat mail as a last resort.
Phone (international applicants only)
Applicants with no U.S. address or territory presence can call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free) between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. An IRS representative conducts the interview and issues the EIN during the call, then mails the CP 575 to the foreign address.
The EIN Is Free — Skip the Paid “Filing Services”
The IRS charges nothing for an EIN by any application method. The agency states on its website, “You never have to pay a fee for an EIN.” Even so, many third-party sites charge $50 to $300 to submit the same free application on your behalf.
The Federal Trade Commission has warned about these services. According to the FTC, deceptive sites often copy IRS logos and formatting, put “IRS” in their domain names, or label their forms “EIN Assistant” to echo the IRS’s own free tool. Companies found violating the FTC’s Impersonation Rule face civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation. If the URL does not end in .gov, you are not on the IRS site.
After You Have Your EIN: Florida State Registration
The federal EIN is only the first layer. Florida has no state income tax, but it does impose sales and use tax, reemployment (unemployment) tax, and several industry-specific taxes and fees. If your business will collect sales tax or hire employees, you also need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue through the online Florida Business Tax Application or paper Form DR-1. Common registrations include a sales and use tax dealer permit for anyone selling taxable goods or services, and a reemployment tax account for any business with employees. Complete this state registration before you begin operating or hiring.
On the formation side, your entity should already be registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) before you apply for the EIN. The IRS does not cross-check Sunbiz during the EIN application, but having your formation documents in front of you is how you make sure the legal name, entity type, and formation date you enter at the IRS match the ones on file with the state.
When a Later Change Means a New EIN
An EIN usually stays with a business for life, but some structural changes force you to apply for a new one. The common triggers:
- A sole proprietor incorporating or forming a partnership.
- A corporation changing to a partnership or sole proprietorship.
- A partnership dissolving and reforming, even with the same partners.
- An LLC terminating and re-forming as a different entity type.
- A single-member LLC that begins owing employment or excise taxes.
Changes that do not require a new EIN include renaming the business, changing addresses, electing S corporation status, or surviving a merger as the continuing entity. The IRS keeps a chart organized by entity type on its “When to get a new EIN” page if your situation is not clearly on either list.