Which Form SS-4 lines does the helper cover?
All 18. The helper writes the 6 lines your answers set and lists the other 12 so nothing is skipped. Lines 1, 7a, 7b, 8a, 9a, and 10 are the ones that decide the EIN, and the helper fills each one.
Form SS-4 is 1 page with 18 numbered lines. Most take a name, a date, or an address. Three carry the weight: line 7b sets identity, line 9a sets the tax return, and line 1 sets the name control. The table names every line and what it captures.
| Line | What it captures |
|---|---|
| 1 | Legal name of the entity, exactly as the formation document reads |
| 2 | Trade name, if it differs from line 1 |
| 3 | Executor, administrator, or trustee name, for an estate or trust |
| 4a / 4b | Mailing address, city, state, and ZIP |
| 5a / 5b | Street address, when it differs from the mailing address |
| 6 | County and state where the principal business sits |
| 7a | Name of the responsible party |
| 7b | SSN, ITIN, or the word Foreign for the responsible party |
| 8a | Whether the entity is an LLC, plus the member count on 8b |
| 9a | Type of entity, which sets the return the EIN files under |
| 10 | Reason for applying, from started a business to banking |
| 11 | Date the business started or was acquired |
| 12 | Closing month of the accounting year |
| 13 | Highest number of employees expected in 12 months |
| 14 | Whether employment-tax liability stays at or under 1,000 dollars |
| 15 | First date wages were or will be paid |
| 16 | Principal activity of the business |
| 17 / 18 | Principal product, and whether a prior EIN was ever issued |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 and its line instructions, verified July 2026.
How does the helper build your name control?
From line 1. The IRS builds a 4-character control from the legal name: it uppercases the text, keeps an ampersand and a hyphen, drops a leading The when 2 or more words follow, and takes the first 4 characters.
The name control is the field that fails first. The IRS matches it on every electronic return, and a filing rejects when the derived value and the IRS record differ by a single character. A corporation named The Blue Harbor Group derives BLUE, while a 2-word name like The Firm keeps THE because only 1 word follows.
A sole proprietor and an estate build the control from an individual last name rather than a business name, which is why the helper switches its rule by entity type. Read how the IRS constructs and matches it on the IRS name control page, and confirm the assigned value on your CP-575 notice.
What goes on line 7b without an SSN?
The word Foreign. Line 7b accepts Foreign in place of an identity number, so the IRS assigns an EIN to a responsible party who holds no SSN and no ITIN. The IRS fee stays 0 dollars.
Only 1 of the 5 routes closes without an SSN. The online EIN Assistant asks the responsible party for an SSN, an ITIN, or an existing EIN and ends the session without one. The other 4 routes stay open, and the helper sends a no-SSN application to fax on the same 4-business-day window.
No identity document is filed with Form SS-4, and no passport upload is requested at any step. The full no-SSN chapter, including what line 7b changes downstream, sits on the EIN without an SSN page.
Which entity type belongs on line 9a?
The one that sets your tax return. Line 9a offers Sole proprietor, Partnership, Corporation with 1120 or 1120-S, Estate, Trust, and Other. A single-member LLC checks 8a Yes with 1 on line 8b.
Line 9a is where an entity type becomes a tax classification. A multi-member LLC defaults to Partnership unless Form 8832 or Form 2553 elects otherwise. A corporation writes 1120 as the return it files, and an S corporation writes 1120-S, then files Form 2553 within 75 days to hold the S election.
The entity choice does not change the processing window: a Wyoming LLC and a Delaware corporation faxed the same morning both return in 4 business days. It changes only the paperwork. See the LLC-specific walkthrough on the EIN for LLC page.
Which route does a completed SS-4 take?
One of 5, set by your SSN answer and address. Online and phone finish on day zero. Fax lands 4 business days out, mail 28 calendar days out, and our Fast filing 7 business days out.
The helper reads the same 2 inputs the IRS routes on. An SSN with a US address opens the 15-minute online tool. An address outside the United States opens the phone line at 267-941-1099, which issues the number on the call. Everyone else faxes or mails the form.
To turn a route into a calendar date that removes weekends and the 11 federal holidays, run the EIN timeline estimator, and read the full method-by-method breakdown on the how to apply for an EIN page.
Where do you send Form SS-4?
By fax or mail, based on the address. An entity in a US state faxes 855-641-6935; an international applicant faxes 855-215-1627. A fax with a return fax number returns the EIN in 4 business days.
The fax number follows the address, not the applicant. A fax sent without a return fax number on the form produces no fax reply, and the EIN travels back by mail on the 4-week window instead. Mail adds postal transit at both ends on top of the 28-day processing time.
| Address | Fax number | Return window |
|---|---|---|
| In a US state | 855-641-6935 | 4 business days |
| Outside the United States | 855-215-1627 | 4 business days, or phone 267-941-1099 |
Source: IRS Where to File and Fax Form SS-4, verified July 2026.
Which SS-4 mistakes cause a rejection?
Five recur: a line 1 name that differs from the formation document, a blank line 7b, a fax with no return number, a wrong entity on line 9a, and a second EIN under 1 responsible party in 1 day.
Line 1 differs from the formation document. A legal name off by a comma or an abbreviation derives a different name control and rejects the return. Copy line 1 character for character from the state filing.
Line 7b is left blank. The responsible party field takes an SSN, an ITIN, or the word Foreign. A blank line 7b stops processing before day zero begins.
The fax carries no return number. The IRS returns a faxed EIN in 4 business days only when the form lists a fax number to reply to. Without one, the reply goes by mail on the 4-week window.
Line 9a names the wrong entity. An S corporation that writes S election on 9a rather than Corporation with 1120-S mismatches its return. The 2553 election is separate and follows within 75 days.
A second EIN stacks on 1 responsible party. The 1-per-day limit pushes the second application to the next business day. Three entities under 1 responsible party finish 2 business days apart.
A rejection returns the form and resets day zero to the day the correction is complete. That is the value of checking all 18 lines before the form is sent: 4 of the 5 causes are decided in advance.
Which SS-4 filing is checked before the IRS sees it?
Ours. The IRS accepts a self-filed Form SS-4 with no review and no refund. We prepare all 18 lines against your formation document, run a senior error check, and refund in full on our error: 69 or 99 dollars.
The helper prepares a form you file yourself for 0 dollars, and that path works for a clean, low-risk application. The paid path exists for the lines that reject: a name control that has to match, a line 7b that has to read Foreign, and a 9a that has to name the right return.
| Filed by | Price | Line check | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | None | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Standard | $69 | All 18 lines, senior review | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Fast | $99 | All 18 lines, filed within 24 hours | $0 |
The IRS fee is 0 dollars on all 4 of its routes, and stays 0 dollars in year 2 because an EIN never renews.
Compare what each route costs on the EIN cost page, or begin an application with every line checked before it goes.