Should You Ever Pay for an EIN?
An EIN is always free at IRS.gov. Here is why paid services exist and how to spot them.
By the Easy Guides Editorial Team
Important fact: an EIN is always free from the IRS
The IRS does not, and never has, charged anyone for an EIN. The application is free, the number is free, the confirmation PDF is. Anyone telling you otherwise is misleading you, on purpose.
Why "EIN services" exist
Open a Google search for "apply for EIN" and the top results are usually paid services that look almost identical to the IRS website. They charge anywhere from $79 to $300+ for an EIN that the IRS will give you for.
What do these services actually do? In most cases, they fill out the same online form you would fill out yourself, then hand you the same EIN. Some add a little hand-holding. Some add nothing.
How to spot them
The one place a paid service might actually help
If you are a non-US founder applying for an EIN for a US business, and you do not have an SSN or ITIN, you cannot use the IRS online application. You must apply by fax or mail using Form SS-4.
Some paid services specialize in this exact case. They will fill out the SS-4 correctly, fax it to the IRS, follow up if needed, and forward you the result. For non-US founders who do not want to navigate the IRS process directly, a few hundred dollars for a service that does this competently is reasonable.
For everyone else (US-based applicants with an SSN or ITIN), there is no value-add. The IRS online application is the right path.
What to do if you already paid
If you used a paid service and got an EIN, the EIN is real and valid. The IRS issued it. You did not get scammed in the sense that you got nothing. You overpaid for a free service. Going forward, use IRS.gov directly.
If you paid but never received an EIN, that is a different story. Contact the service for a refund, dispute the charge with your credit card if needed, and apply directly at IRS.gov.
The actual IRS URL
The IRS EIN application lives at irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. Bookmark that. Type the URL directly. Do not Google "apply for EIN" and click the first ad.
See the step-by-step IRS.gov walkthrough →Common questions
Should I ever pay for an EIN?
No. The IRS issues EINs free in about fifteen minutes at irs.gov. Paid services simply fill in the same form and charge you for it, without making the number arrive any faster.
Are EIN filing services a scam?
Not illegal, but misleading. Many use official-sounding names and government-style designs so people assume they are the IRS. What you pay for is data entry on a free form.
I already paid a service. What should I do?
If they delivered a real EIN, the number is valid and yours to keep. If nothing arrived, request a refund, dispute the charge with your card issuer, and then apply directly at irs.gov.