Explainer
Can you really get an EIN in 1 business day?
Yes. We issue the EIN in 1 business day, Monday to Friday. If we are forming your company too, the company and the EIN together are guaranteed inside 72 hours or you get your money back. If your company already exists and you only need the EIN, you pay nothing until it is issued.
Here is what the IRS normally takes, why it takes that long for people living outside the US, and what our timing does and does not cover.
How long an EIN normally takes
| How you apply | Who can use it | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Online, on the IRS website | Only if you already have an SSN or ITIN | Minutes |
| Fax, Form SS-4 | Anyone | Commonly 4 to 7 business days. The IRS has at times quoted 30 business days |
| Post, Form SS-4 | Anyone | About 4 weeks, often longer |
| Telephone, IRS international line | Foreign entities only | On the call, but the number issued begins 98 |
| Through 1 Day EIN | Anyone, no SSN or ITIN needed | 1 business day, guaranteed inside 72 hours |
IRS processing times move around. They have been slower than usual recently. The figures above are what the IRS and its own guidance describe, not a promise about any individual application you make yourself.
Two ways to get your EIN from us
Which one you need depends on whether your company already exists.
| Complete LLC Registration + EIN | EIN only | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | You are forming a new US company | You already have a US LLC, formed by anyone |
| Price | $399 | $100 |
| When you pay | Upfront, at checkout | After your EIN is issued |
| Time to receive the EIN | 1 business day once the company is formed | 1 business day |
| How the risk is removed | 72-hour money-back guarantee on the company and EIN together | You pay nothing until it is issued. No card details taken |
If we do not get your EIN on the standalone service, you do not pay.
Why it takes weeks for most non-residents
The IRS online application is the fast route, and it is closed to you unless you already hold an SSN or an ITIN.
Most founders living outside the US hold neither. That leaves fax or post, and both mean waiting. Fax is the common choice and is usually quoted in business days, though it has stretched to several weeks when the IRS is behind. Post is measured in weeks from the start.
This is the single reason most providers quote four to six weeks. They are not being slow. They are quoting the honest speed of the route their customers can access.
What 1 business day actually means
One business day, Monday to Friday, starting once your company is formed at the state.
It does not mean same day. It does not include weekends. It does not include US public holidays. We do not offer a same-day or weekend service and we will not tell you otherwise to win the sale.
On the Complete LLC Registration service, the 72 hour guarantee covers both halves together, the company formed and the EIN issued. It starts when we have everything we need from you, which means a complete application, three company name choices, full details for every owner, and cleared payment. If we come back to you with a question, the clock starts again when you answer.
If we miss 72 hours, you get all your money back.
If the IRS or the state is closed or their systems are down, the guarantee does not apply. We will tell you immediately and you choose: wait, or take a full refund.
What you receive
Your EIN arrives as part of a set, not on its own.
- Articles of Organization, filed with Wyoming or Colorado
- The IRS CP 575, which is the official confirmation letter for your EIN
- An operating agreement written for your company
- Your US business address and registered agent, both provided by us
- Access to your document portal, where your scanned US mail arrives from then on
You are the responsible party on the EIN application. We do not put ourselves there, and we are not an owner of your company.
Three questions worth asking any provider
Including us. Anyone selling a fast EIN should be able to answer all three without hesitating.
Will you send me the CP 575? This is the IRS confirmation letter issued with a new EIN. You should receive a copy. If a provider will not give you one, ask why.
Who is named as the responsible party? It should be you. If the provider names themselves, your company IRS record points at a business you do not control.
Will my EIN begin with 98? For a Wyoming or Colorado LLC it should not. The next section explains why.
The one shortcut worth knowing about
An EIN beginning with 98 is issued to entities located outside the United States. Foreign trusts, foreign corporations, non-US partnerships. The IRS handles those through its international units, usually by telephone, and it is quick.
Your Wyoming or Colorado LLC is a US company. Applying for it as though it were a foreign entity is fast, and it puts a number on your company that does not describe what your company is. You are the one who explains that later, most likely to a bank that has noticed.
Your LLC receives a standard EIN, issued to it as the domestic US company it is.
We are not going to publish the operational detail of how we achieve our timing, for the same reason a competitor would not publish theirs. What we will tell you is what you receive, because that is the part that affects you.
Questions