How long does it take to get an EIN?
An EIN takes 15 minutes online, one call by phone, 4 business days by fax, and 4 weeks by mail. The IRS charges $0 on all four. ein-number.com runs 2–3 weeks at $69 or 7 business days at $99.
| Route | Time to the EIN | SSN required | Accuracy guarantee | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRS online EIN Assistant | 15 minutes | Yes, SSN or ITIN | Not stated | $0 |
| IRS phone, 267-941-1099 | During the call | No | Not stated | $0 |
| Fax Form SS-4 | 4 business days | No | Not stated | $0 |
| Mail Form SS-4 | 4 weeks | No | Not stated | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Standard | 2–3 weeks | No | Yes, full refund on our error | $69 |
| ein-number.com, Fast | 7 business days | No | Yes, plus filed within 24 hours | $99 |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
Route 1: The IRS online EIN Assistant
The IRS assigns the EIN at the end of the session and prints it on screen. The tool runs Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time.
The responsible party enters an SSN, an ITIN, or an existing EIN. A responsible party without one of those three numbers uses fax instead.
Route 2: The IRS international phone line
The IRS assigns the EIN on the call and reads it back. The line is 267-941-1099, Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Applicants whose business address sits outside the United States. Domestic applicants use the online tool, fax, or mail.
Route 3: Fax Form SS-4 to the IRS
The IRS returns the EIN by fax within 4 business days when the application carries a return fax number. No return fax number means no fax reply.
Every applicant, with or without an SSN. Line 7b accepts the entry Foreign for a responsible party who holds no SSN and no ITIN.
Route 4: Mail Form SS-4 to the IRS
The IRS processes a mailed Form SS-4 in 4 weeks and mails the EIN back. Postal transit sits on top of that processing window in both directions.
Every applicant. It is the slowest route by a factor of 5 against fax, and it carries no tracking of its own.
Route 5: ein-number.com prepares and files it
We prepare Form SS-4 and double-check it before submission. Standard is $69, filed by fax within 8 business days, 2–3 weeks total. Fast is $99, filed within 24 hours with the IRS call included, 7 business days total.
Every applicant. The accuracy of the filing is the product: if we make an error, full refund, no conditions. The IRS checks nothing on your behalf on any of its own four routes.
Read the four IRS routes step by step on the how to apply for an ein page, and check whether your entity needs one at all on the do i need an ein page.
How long does the IRS online EIN application take?
Fifteen minutes. The IRS online EIN Assistant assigns the number at the end of the session and displays it on screen. The tool runs Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time.
The 15-minute figure is a session length, not a queue. The IRS validates the entries as you type and assigns the number the moment the last screen submits. No clerk keys the application, which is the whole reason 15 minutes replaces 4 weeks.
Two rules shorten that session in practice. The session ends after 15 minutes of inactivity, and an ended session restarts from the first screen with nothing saved. The IRS also issues 1 EIN per responsible party per day, so a second application on the same day stops before it starts.
| Rule | The number | What it does to your timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Tool hours | Mon–Fri, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET | A Saturday application waits until Monday |
| Session length | 15 minutes | The EIN prints at the end of one sitting |
| Inactivity timeout | 15 minutes | The session ends and restarts from screen 1 |
| EINs per responsible party | 1 per day | A second entity waits until the next day |
| Identity number needed | SSN, ITIN, or existing EIN | No SSN and no ITIN routes you to fax |
| IRS fee | $0 | The IRS sells no expedited option |
Source: IRS online EIN Assistant and Form SS-4 instructions, verified July 2026.
How long does an EIN by fax take?
Four business days. The IRS returns the EIN by fax within 4 business days when Form SS-4 carries a return fax number. Fax 855-641-6935 for a US-state entity and 855-215-1627 from outside the US.
The return fax number is the whole mechanism. An IRS clerk keys the application, assigns the number, and faxes the completed Form SS-4 back to the number printed on the form. A blank return fax number removes the reply channel, and the answer then follows the mail timetable of 4 weeks instead.
Fax runs 16 business days faster than mail on the identical form. Nothing about the paperwork changes between the two routes. The only difference is the transport, which is why the fax route is the default for every applicant who holds no SSN.
| Where your entity is based | IRS fax number | Reply time |
|---|---|---|
| In a US state | 855-641-6935 | 4 business days |
| Outside the US | 855-215-1627 | 4 business days |
| No return fax number given | Either line | No fax reply, 4 weeks by mail |
Source: IRS Where to File Form SS-4, verified July 2026.
How long does an EIN by mail take?
Four weeks. The IRS processes a mailed Form SS-4 in 4 weeks, which is 28 calendar days, then mails the EIN back. Postal transit adds to that window in both directions.
Mail is the only route with three separate waits: outbound post, IRS processing, and return post. The 4 weeks the IRS publishes covers the middle wait alone. A rejected application restarts all three, so a single error on a mailed Form SS-4 costs a second 4-week cycle.
Mail also removes every checkpoint. The online tool validates as you type. The phone line validates during the call. Fax returns an answer inside 4 business days. Mail returns nothing for 28 days, which is why a bank appointment and a mailed Form SS-4 do not belong in the same month.
The same 9 digits arrive on every route. What the IRS assigns is one federal tax id number in the format XX-XXXXXXX, identical whether it took 15 minutes or 28 days.
How long does an EIN by phone take?
One call. The IRS assigns the EIN during the call and reads the 9 digits back. The international line is 267-941-1099, open Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
The phone route serves applicants whose business address sits outside the United States. An IRS assistor works through Form SS-4 line by line on the call, so the completed form belongs in front of you before you dial. The assistor releases the number to the responsible party or to a person named on a filed Form 2848.
The published call window runs 17 hours a day, 5 days a week, which is 85 hours a week. That window covers the working day in every time zone. Hold time sits outside IRS publication, and it is the one variable no page can quote honestly.
Read every IRS EIN line and its hours on the irs ein phone number page.
How long does it take to get an EIN without an SSN?
Four business days by fax. Form SS-4 line 7b accepts the entry Foreign, so the IRS assigns EINs to responsible parties holding no SSN and no ITIN. The IRS fee stays $0.
One rule closes the online tool and one rule opens the fax line. The online EIN Assistant asks the responsible party for an SSN, an ITIN, or an existing EIN, and it stops without one. Line 7b of the paper form takes the word Foreign in place of that number, and the paper form travels by fax.
No identity document is filed with Form SS-4. The IRS asks for no passport, no visa, and no US address for the responsible party. The entity needs a US mailing address on line 4, and a non-resident founder supplies a registered agent address or a business address.
Have an SSN? irs.gov is free and issues the EIN in 15 minutes. No SSN? The fax route runs 4 business days, or we prepare and double-check it for you at $69 Standard or $99 Fast. Read the full chapter on the ein without ssn page.
When does the EIN clock actually start?
At filing, not at payment. Business days run Monday to Friday, excluding the 11 US federal holidays. A 4-business-day fax reply lands 4 to 6 calendar days after filing, depending on the start day.
Every published EIN timeline counts business days, and a business day is not a calendar day. A count that starts on a Thursday crosses a weekend before it reaches day 3. The table below converts both business-day counts into the day of the week your answer arrives.
| Filed on | Fax reply, 4 business days | Fast tier total, 7 business days | Calendar days to day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Friday | Wednesday, week 2 | 9 days |
| Tuesday | Monday, week 2 | Thursday, week 2 | 9 days |
| Wednesday | Tuesday, week 2 | Friday, week 2 | 9 days |
| Thursday | Wednesday, week 2 | Monday, week 3 | 11 days |
| Friday | Thursday, week 2 | Tuesday, week 3 | 11 days |
Counting starts the business day after filing. The US Office of Personnel Management lists 11 federal holidays a year, and each one inside the window adds 1 day. Verified July 2026.
Our own clock has two segments, and both are written down. Standard files by fax within 8 business days of your completed details and runs 2–3 weeks total. Fast files within 24 hours, with the IRS call included, and runs 7 business days total. Both tiers carry the same accuracy guarantee: every Form SS-4 is double-checked before submission, and if we make an error, full refund, no conditions.
What makes an EIN application take longer?
Six causes stretch an EIN timeline: a name conflict rejection, a blank line 7b, a missing return fax number, a second application on the same day, a federal holiday, and an expired online session.
| Cause | Time it adds | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Reference number 101, a name conflict | One full cycle, 4 business days by fax | Match the legal name to the formation document, then refile |
| Line 7b left blank with no SSN | One full cycle, 4 business days by fax | Enter the word Foreign on line 7b |
| No return fax number on Form SS-4 | 4 weeks, the reply switches to mail | Print a reachable fax number on the form |
| A second EIN for the same responsible party | 1 day, the IRS issues 1 per day | File the second entity on the next business day |
| A US federal holiday inside the window | One business day for each of the 11 a year | Count the holiday when you set the expected date |
| The online session times out | The full 15-minute session, nothing saves | Complete the session in one sitting with the form ready |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions and IRS EIN reference numbers, verified July 2026.
Reference number 101 is the delay that costs the most, because it arrives after the wait rather than during it. The IRS raises it when the legal name on Form SS-4 conflicts with a record it already holds. Work through it on the ein reference number 101 page.
A delay is not a lost EIN. An entity that already received an EIN and lost the paperwork recovers the number rather than reapplying, and reapplying restarts a wait for a number the IRS already assigned. Start at the ein number lookup page.
How long does the CP-575 confirmation letter take?
The IRS mails one CP-575 per EIN after assignment and never reprints it. A replacement arrives as a 147C letter. The IRS charges $0 for both. Our filing delivers the EIN and the CP-575 on both tiers, $69 and $99.
The EIN and the letter are two separate deliveries. The number arrives first, in 15 minutes online or 4 business days by fax. The CP-575 travels by post afterwards, which is why a bank appointment set 3 days out needs the number rather than the letter.
The single-print rule is what makes the CP-575 valuable. The IRS issues exactly 1 per EIN, so a lost letter has no reprint route. The IRS reissues the assignment as a 147C verification letter, and banks accept it in place of the original.
Read the anatomy of the document on the CP-575 page, the replacement procedure on the 147C letter page, and what banks check on the EIN confirmation letter page. Our filing delivers the 9-digit EIN and the official IRS CP-575 at $69 and at $99 alike.
How soon can you use a new EIN?
Immediately for a bank account and a paper return. The IRS states an EIN takes up to 2 weeks to enter its permanent records, and electronic returns, electronic payments, and TIN matching wait for that.
Two clocks run after assignment. The first ends the moment the IRS issues the number, and the number works from that second for opening a bank account, signing a W-9, and filing on paper. The second runs up to 2 weeks while the number propagates into IRS systems.
| What you want to do | Wait after assignment |
|---|---|
| Open a business bank account | None |
| Give the EIN on a Form W-9 | None |
| File a paper federal return | None |
| Apply for a marketplace or payment account | None |
| File an electronic federal return | Up to 2 weeks |
| Make an electronic federal payment | Up to 2 weeks |
| Pass an IRS TIN matching check | Up to 2 weeks |
Source: IRS guidance on EIN issuance and permanent records, verified July 2026.
An EIN never expires and never renews, so the year 2 cost is $0 and the year 10 cost is $0. The 15 minutes or 4 business days you spend is the entire lifetime time cost of the number.
How long does ein-number.com take, and what is guaranteed?
Two speeds. Standard is $69, filed by fax within 8 business days, 2–3 weeks total. Fast is $99, filed within 24 hours with the IRS call, 7 business days total. Both are double-checked before submission.
The IRS charges $0 for an EIN on every route it runs, and it checks nothing on your behalf before the form is keyed. The 4-business-day fax figure is a processing time, not a review. The $69 buys the review: a specialist prepares Form SS-4 and a second reviewer double-checks it before submission. If we make an error, full refund, no conditions. The $99 Fast tier adds the IRS phone follow-up and moves the filing inside 24 hours.
The 4 tracked stages
Received. Your details land with a filing specialist. Live specialist chat runs 24/7 through every stage.
Verified and filed. A second reviewer checks Form SS-4 against your formation document. Standard goes by fax within 8 business days, Fast within 24 hours.
Monitoring. We track the IRS response and re-file at $0 extra if a reference number comes back. Fast adds the IRS phone follow-up.
Delivered. The 9-digit EIN and the official IRS CP-575 reach you by email: 2–3 weeks total at $69, 7 business days total at $99.
| Filed by | Price | Turnaround | Accuracy guarantee | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | 15 minutes to 4 weeks | Not stated | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Standard | $69 | 2–3 weeks total | Yes, full refund on our error | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Fast | $99 | 7 business days total | Yes, plus filed within 24 hours | $0 |
| Northwest | $200 | Not stated | Not stated | $0 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | Not stated | Not stated | $0 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $59.99 | Not stated | Not stated | $0 |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. Northwest reflects the no-SSN rate. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
Have an SSN? Go to irs.gov, pay $0, and finish in 15 minutes. No SSN? Fax Form SS-4 with line 7b reading Foreign and wait 4 business days, or use the accuracy-guaranteed EIN filing service and have the form double-checked before it reaches the IRS. Compare what every route costs on the ein cost page.