Getting an EIN for
your California LLC

What the EIN actually is

An Employer Identification Number — EIN — is a nine-digit federal tax ID assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. It's to your LLC what a Social Security number is to an individual: a unique identifier that the federal government, banks, payment processors, and payroll systems use to track the entity.

Every California LLC that plans to open a business bank account, hire employees, or file federal taxes as a partnership or corporation will need an EIN. The only LLCs that can technically operate without one are disregarded single-member LLCs that never hire anyone and use the owner's Social Security number for everything — which is rarely practical once you're actually in business.

How we obtain your California LLC's EIN

1. I.

   We wait for California approval

   The EIN application requires a formed entity. We don't submit the SS-4 until the California Secretary of State returns your stamped Articles of Organization — usually 5–10 business days (online) after filing.

2. II.

   We prepare Form SS-4

   A formation specialist completes the SS-4 with your LLC's name, California formation date, principal business activity, and member information — the classification you've elected (disregarded, partnership, S-corp, C-corp).

3. III.

   We submit to the IRS

   For most founders (U.S. person as responsible party, valid SSN or ITIN) the online IRS system issues the EIN the same day. For non-U.S. responsible parties we submit by fax, which takes roughly four business days.

4. IV.

   We deliver the EIN letter

   You receive the official IRS confirmation letter (CP 575 or equivalent) — the document every U.S. bank requires to open the business account in your California LLC's name.

What the EIN is used for

• Opening a business bank account. Every major U.S. bank requires the EIN confirmation letter and the stamped California Articles of Organization before opening a business checking account in the LLC's name.
• Filing federal tax returns. A multi-member LLC files Form 1065 under the EIN. A single-member LLC defaults to disregarded entity but still benefits from a separate EIN for tax and liability purposes.
• Payroll and contractor payments. Required for W-2 payroll, 1099 contractor payments, and state withholding registrations in California.
• Merchant accounts and payment processors. Stripe, Square, PayPal, and most credit-card processors require the EIN to tie the account to the business entity.

What an EIN is not

An EIN is a federal identifier. It is not a business license, a California state tax ID, a seller's permit, or a DBA registration. If your business collects California sales tax or has employees in California, you'll also need to register with the state's tax authority — that is separate from the EIN and is not part of the $299 formation package.

What's included in the $299 flat fee