Employer Identification Number
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The employer identification number or EIN, also often called the federal tax identification number, is the number used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify a business. It is basically a Social Security Number for a business, and it must be included on all tax filings a business makes.
If you operated your business as a sole proprietorship or general partnership, your EIN was your Social Security Number. When you incorporate or form a limited liability company (LLC), you must apply to receive a new number from the IRS.
In order to obtain an EIN, Form SS-4 must be completed and filed with the IRS. Certain states also require corporations and LLCs to obtain a state tax identification number. To learn if your state requires this, you should contact your state taxation authority.