An EIN is your business's federal tax ID — the number your bank, the IRS, and the State of Florida use to recognize your LLC. You can get one in minutes, at no cost, straight from the IRS. Here's exactly how, and how to avoid the sites that charge you for something the government gives away free.
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) — sometimes called a Federal Tax ID Number or FEIN — is a nine-digit number (formatted XX-XXXXXXX) the Internal Revenue Service assigns to your business. It functions for your LLC the way a Social Security number functions for an individual: it identifies the entity on tax filings, bank records, and payroll.IRC § 6109
Two clarifications that save confusion:
Form your LLC with the State of Florida first, then apply for the EIN. Applying for an EIN before your entity legally exists can create mismatched records that complicate banking and tax filings later. See How to Form a Florida LLC for steps 1–4.
It depends on how many members your LLC has — but in practice, nearly every Florida LLC should get one.
If your LLC has two or more members, the IRS treats it as a partnership by default, and a partnership must have an EIN to file its returns. There is no way around it.
A single-member LLC is a "disregarded entity" for federal tax purposes — its income flows onto the owner's personal return. The IRS does not strictly require an EIN for a single-member LLC that has no employees and owes no excise taxes; in theory the owner could use their Social Security number. But you should still get one, for three reasons:
Bottom line: whether you have one member or ten, get an EIN. It is free, fast, and removes friction from everything that follows.
The IRS issues EINs at no charge through its official site. There is no expedite fee, no "processing" fee, and no legitimate reason to pay a third party for the number itself. Apply only at irs.gov — a .gov address. Sites with names like "irs-ein-filing" or "ein-number.org" are private services that charge $50–$300 to fill in a free government form for you.
This is where JusticeXpress Florida draws a clear line many competitors won't: we will never charge you for your EIN. Our Florida LLC Formation Package walks you through getting it free, in your own name, with the IRS — because the value we add is in the documents the State of Florida actually requires, not in re-selling something the federal government hands out for nothing.
For LLCs whose responsible party has a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN and whose business is located in the U.S., the online application is the fastest route. It issues your EIN immediately on approval.
Your Articles of Organization must be filed and accepted by the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) before you apply. Have your exact, approved LLC name in front of you — it must match Sunbiz character-for-character.
The IRS requires you to name one responsible party: a natural person who owns or controls the LLC and manages its funds. For most Florida LLCs this is a member/owner. The responsible party must be an individual with a valid SSN or ITIN — it cannot be another company, and a nominee or registered-agent service may not apply on your behalf.
Have ready: the legal LLC name and Florida principal address; the responsible party's name and SSN/ITIN; your entity type (LLC) and number of members; the reason for applying ("started a new business"); and your best estimate of employees in the next 12 months (zero is a valid answer).
Go to irs.gov → Apply for an EIN Online during the tool's operating hours. Confirm the address ends in .gov before entering any information.
The application cannot be saved — it must be finished in a single session and times out after 15 minutes of inactivity. Work through the questions without leaving the page. If it times out, you simply start over.
On approval, the IRS displays your EIN instantly and offers a confirmation letter (Form CP 575). Download and save it now — the IRS does not re-issue this letter, and your bank will likely ask for it. Store a copy with your Operating Agreement and Articles of Organization.
One EIN per responsible party, per day. The IRS limits each responsible party to a single EIN per day. Plan accordingly if you are forming more than one entity.
The online tool is not available to you, but you can still get an EIN. Complete IRS Form SS-4 and submit it by fax or mail; international applicants without an SSN/ITIN may apply by phone. These routes take longer — roughly four business days by fax and four to five weeks by mail — so plan ahead.
If you ever change your LLC's responsible party, the IRS asks that you report it using Form 8822-B within 60 days. Keep your IRS records current.
Nothing. The IRS issues EINs free of charge nationwide. Florida does not impose any separate fee for an EIN. Any company charging you for the number itself is charging for a free government service.
Online, it's immediate — you receive the number the moment your application is approved. By fax it typically takes about four business days; by mail, four to five weeks.
Not strictly, if you have no employees and owe no excise tax — but you should get one anyway. Banks require it to open a business account, it keeps your SSN private, and you'll need it for an S-corp election or to hire employees.
The responsible party named to the IRS must be a real person who controls the LLC, with an SSN or ITIN — not a nominee or agent acting in your place. You can authorize a third-party designee to submit the application, but the responsible party is still you (or another controlling member).
The IRS won't reissue the original CP 575, but you can request a confirmation of your EIN (a Letter 147C) by calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line. Your bank can usually also confirm the EIN on file. This is exactly why you should save the PDF when it first appears.
No. A name change, a move, or adding a fictitious name (DBA) does not require a new EIN. A new EIN is generally needed only for a genuine change in entity structure — for example, converting to a corporation.
The EIN is free — and we'll never charge you for it. What we do is prepare the documents Florida actually requires and give you a clean, step-by-step path so nothing falls through the cracks.
ⓘ This information is provided for general educational purposes about obtaining a federal EIN and forming a Florida LLC. It is not legal or tax advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. JusticeXpressFlorida.com is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. EIN rules are set by the IRS and may change; always confirm current requirements and hours at irs.gov. For advice specific to your situation, consult a Florida-licensed attorney or a CPA.