To get an EIN for your Maryland business for free, apply directly through the IRS online portal at IRS.gov/EIN. The application takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and the IRS issues your nine-digit number on the spot.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number You’ll need one before you can open a business bank account, hire employees, or register for state tax accounts with the Comptroller of Maryland.
The EIN Is Always Free From the IRS
The IRS does not charge for an EIN. If a site asks you to pay, you’re not on the IRS site.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number Third-party services often buy top ad placement and charge $50 to $300 for a form you can submit yourself. Check the URL before you enter anything. If it doesn’t start with irs.gov, close the tab.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
The online session times out after 15 minutes of inactivity and there is no way to save your progress, so gather everything first.2Taxpayer Advocate Service. When Taxpayers Struggle to Obtain an EIN, Everyone Loses
You’ll need to identify a responsible party, which the IRS defines as the individual who owns, controls, or manages the entity and its funds. It has to be a person, not another business, and that person needs a valid Social Security Number or ITIN.3Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees For an LLC, that’s typically a managing member; for a corporation, a principal officer; for a partnership, a general partner.
You’ll also need:
- Your legal business name, matching the formation documents you filed with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation.4Maryland Business Express. Register Your Business in Maryland
- A physical business address of 35 characters or fewer that matches USPS records. A P.O. Box alone won’t work as your principal place of business.5Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
- Your entity type (LLC, corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship) and the reason you’re applying.
- The business start or acquisition date and the closing month of your accounting year.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4
- Your best estimate of agricultural, household, and other employees you expect over the next 12 months.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4
One quirk for Maryland LLC owners: a single-member LLC with no employees and no excise tax obligations can technically use the owner’s SSN for federal taxes instead of an EIN.7Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies In practice, most Maryland banks won’t open a business account without one, so nearly every LLC applies anyway.
Four Ways to Apply
Online
This is the fastest route and the one most Maryland business owners should use. The tool walks you through a series of questions and issues the EIN immediately on screen.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number Your principal place of business must be in the United States or a U.S. territory to qualify.
The portal runs Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight.2Taxpayer Advocate Service. When Taxpayers Struggle to Obtain an EIN, Everyone Loses The IRS limits each responsible party to one EIN per day, so if you’re forming more than one entity, space the applications out.
By Phone
Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.8Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers The caller must be the responsible party or an authorized designee. This works well as a backup if the online tool rejects your application.
By Fax
Complete Form SS-4 and fax it to 855-641-6935.9Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4 The fillable form is on the IRS site.10Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN) Include a return fax number so the IRS can fax your EIN back. Processing runs about six business days as of early 2026.11Internal Revenue Service. Processing Status for Tax Forms
By Mail
Mail a signed Form SS-4 to:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: EIN Operation
Cincinnati, OH 459999Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4
Mail takes about 30 days as of early 2026.11Internal Revenue Service. Processing Status for Tax Forms Use it only if the other options are unavailable.
What You Get After Approval
Online applicants can download their EIN confirmation immediately. Phone applicants receive the number during the call. Everyone also gets a formal confirmation letter from the IRS called a CP 575, which lists your EIN, official business name, filing address, the federal tax forms you’ll need to file, and the due dates for each.12Internal Revenue Service. Tax Topic 654 – Understanding Your CP 575 Keep it with your permanent business records. Some banks and state agencies ask for it specifically.
The CP 575 is issued only once. If you lose it, call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 and request a 147C letter, which serves as a replacement.8Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers After verifying your identity, the representative can fax it to you on the call or mail it if you don’t have a fax line.
Next Step: Register With the Maryland Comptroller
Your federal EIN is the gateway to Maryland state tax accounts. The Comptroller’s Combined Registration Application covers employer withholding, sales and use tax, admissions and amusement tax, unemployment insurance, and several other account types, and it requires your EIN up front.13Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury. Maryland Combined Registration Online Application The only exception is a sole proprietor applying for a sales and use tax license alone.
You can file the Combined Registration online through Maryland Tax Connect. Only an authorized person can submit it: an officer for a corporation, either partner for a partnership, the owner for a sole proprietorship. Alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel tax accounts require separate paper applications.
When a Maryland Business Needs a New EIN
An EIN stays with your business permanently. Changing your name or address doesn’t require a new one. Changing your ownership or legal structure often does.14Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
The situation that catches Maryland owners off guard is the sole proprietor who later forms an LLC or corporation. Same person, same business, new entity — and the new entity needs its own EIN. On the other hand, an LLC that simply elects to be taxed as an S corporation keeps the EIN it already has.14Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN If you’re restructuring, check the IRS rules for your specific entity type before you assume the old number carries over.