EIN Guide for a Louisiana Corporation

An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is a nine-digit number the IRS assigns to identify a business for federal tax purposes. Think of it as a Social Security number for your corporation — the identifier that follows the company across its tax returns, bank accounts, payroll filings, and dealings with vendors and lenders.

Why a corporation always needs one

Unlike a single-member LLC, which can sometimes get by on the owner's Social Security number, a corporation is always a separate taxpayer under federal law. That means a Louisiana corporation needs its own EIN from the very beginning, regardless of whether it has employees or how much it earns. You'll use the EIN to:

• File the corporation's federal income tax return (Form 1120 for C corporations, Form 1120-S for S corporations)
• Open a corporate bank account — banks require the EIN
• Hire employees and run payroll
• Register for Louisiana state tax accounts, including sales tax if you sell taxable goods or services
• Apply for business licenses and establish vendor or credit accounts

When to get it

Get the EIN after your Articles of Incorporation are filed and the corporation legally exists, but before you try to open a bank account or start operations. The bank will ask for both your filed formation documents and the EIN confirmation, so having the EIN in hand keeps your setup moving.

Applying for an EIN is free and, for most corporations, fast. The IRS issues EINs directly; you never need to pay a third party for the number itself.

The online application (fastest)

The quickest route is the IRS EIN Assistant at IRS.gov. The application:

• Is free — the IRS charges nothing for an EIN
• Takes roughly ten minutes to complete
• Issues the EIN immediately upon completion, so you can print the confirmation and use the number the same day
• Is available during the IRS's posted hours for the tool

To apply online, the corporation needs a responsible party — an individual who controls or manages the corporation — with a valid U.S. Social Security number or ITIN. The responsible party is generally a principal officer of the corporation.

Information you'll need

• The corporation's exact legal name as filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State
• The corporation's Louisiana address
• The responsible party's name and SSN or ITIN
• The type of entity (corporation) and the reason you're applying (started a new business)
• The number of employees you expect and the date operations began, if applicable

If you can't apply online

Applicants without a U.S. SSN or ITIN — common for international founders — can't use the online tool. Instead, complete Form SS-4 and submit it to the IRS by fax or mail. This route takes longer than the instant online issuance, so plan ahead if it applies to you.

The EIN process is simple, but a few avoidable errors cause headaches. Knowing them in advance saves you a call to the IRS.

Applying before the corporation exists

Apply for the EIN after your Articles of Incorporation are filed and accepted, so the corporate name on the EIN matches the name on the state record. Applying too early — or with a name that doesn't match your filed Articles — creates a mismatch you'll have to untangle later.

Paying a third party for the number

The EIN itself is free from the IRS. Some websites charge a fee to "obtain" it for you; you're paying for convenience, not the number. If you form your corporation with a filing service, EIN assistance is often included, but the underlying number always comes from the IRS at no cost.

Getting the responsible party wrong

The responsible party should be a real individual who controls the corporation — typically a principal officer — not a nominee or an entity. The IRS wants a genuine person accountable for the corporation. Naming the wrong party can complicate future dealings with the IRS.

Losing the confirmation

When your EIN is issued, save the confirmation letter (the CP 575 for new EINs). You'll be asked for it by banks and others. If you lose it, you can request a confirmation of your existing EIN from the IRS, but keeping the original saves time.

The EIN is a gateway, not a finish line. Once you have it, several next steps in setting up your Louisiana corporation depend on it.

Open your corporate bank account

With your filed Articles of Incorporation and your EIN confirmation, you can open a corporate bank account. Keeping corporate and personal finances strictly separate is essential to preserving your liability protection, so this is a priority right after formation.

Register for Louisiana state taxes

Use your EIN to register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for the tax accounts your corporation needs — sales tax if you sell taxable goods or services, and withholding accounts if you have employees. The EIN links your state registrations to your federal identity.

Consider your federal tax election

By default your corporation is taxed as a C corporation. If an S corporation election makes sense — often to avoid the second layer of tax on distributed profits — you'd file Form 2553 with the IRS, using your EIN, generally within a set window after formation. Whether S status fits is a question for your CPA.

Set up payroll if you have employees

If the corporation will pay wages, the EIN is the anchor for federal payroll tax deposits and filings, along with Louisiana withholding. Get your payroll setup right from the first paycheck to avoid penalties.

How Mainstay Filing fits in

When you form your corporation with us, we can help you obtain your EIN as part of getting the company operational, so you're not navigating the IRS process alone. The number itself always comes from the IRS at no cost — what we provide is making sure it's requested correctly and lines up with your filed Louisiana formation documents.