Getting an EIN for Your New York Limited Partnership

An Employer Identification Number is a nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to businesses. Think of it as a Social Security number for your entity — the identifier the IRS, banks, and other institutions use to recognize your LP.

Unlike a single-member LLC, which can sometimes get by on the owner's Social Security number, a limited partnership always needs its own EIN. The reason is structural: an LP has multiple partners by definition (at least one general and one limited), so for tax purposes it's a partnership, and partnerships must file their own return. That return — Form 1065 — and the Schedule K-1s the LP issues to each partner both require the LP's EIN. There's no version of a functioning LP that skips this.

What you'll use the EIN for

• Filing the partnership return (Form 1065) and issuing K-1s to the partners.
• Opening a business bank account — every bank requires the EIN for a partnership.
• Hiring employees and handling payroll tax, if the LP has any.
• Applying for licenses, permits, and business credit in the LP's name.
• Registering with New York State tax authorities where required.

Because it touches banking and taxes, the EIN is one of the first things to get once your Certificate of Limited Partnership is filed.

The IRS issues EINs at no cost. Be wary of any site that charges a fee just to "get" an EIN — the number itself is always free directly from the IRS. A filing service may include EIN handling as part of a formation package for convenience, but the government fee is zero.

Applying online

The fastest route is the IRS EIN Assistant at IRS.gov. If the responsible party has a US Social Security number or ITIN, the online application takes about ten to fifteen minutes and issues the EIN immediately at the end — you can download the confirmation letter (CP 575 equivalent) and use the number the same day. The online tool is available during posted IRS hours, and you must complete the session in one sitting; it doesn't save partway through.

Applying by fax or mail

If you can't use the online tool — for example, if the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN — you apply using Form SS-4. Fax applications typically return an EIN within a few business days; mailed applications take longer. International applicants without a US taxpayer ID often use the phone option the IRS provides for foreign applicants, or fax Form SS-4.

Do it after the Certificate is accepted

It's cleanest to get the EIN after your Certificate of Limited Partnership is filed and accepted, so the LP legally exists and its name is settled. Applying for an EIN under a name the state later rejects just creates cleanup work.

The EIN application asks for a responsible party — the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity, or exercises effective control over it. For a limited partnership, this is generally a general partner, because general partners are the ones who manage and control the LP. The responsible party must be a natural person (not another entity) and must provide their SSN or ITIN, unless they're a foreign applicant using the alternative process.

If your general partner is an entity

Many LPs have an LLC or corporation as the general partner. Even then, the EIN application's responsible party must be an individual — typically a person who controls that general-partner entity, such as its managing member or an officer. The IRS wants a real human behind the number, not a chain of entities.

What else the application asks

• The legal name of the LP exactly as filed, and any trade name.
• The type of entity — you'll indicate partnership.
• The reason for applying (started a new business, banking purposes, hiring, etc.).
• The number of partners and the LP's principal activity.
• The date the business started and its accounting/tax year.

Have your filed Certificate of Limited Partnership in front of you so the name and details match exactly. Mismatches between your EIN record and your state record cause friction later at banks and with tax filings.

A few predictable errors cause the most trouble for new LPs.

Paying a third party for the number itself

The EIN is free from the IRS. Sites that present themselves as official and charge for the number alone are selling you something the government gives away. A legitimate service fee covers the work of preparing and submitting the application on your behalf — the EIN portion is still zero.

Applying before the LP exists

If you request an EIN before the Certificate of Limited Partnership is accepted and the state later kicks back your name, you're left with an EIN tied to a name you can't use. File first, then apply, so the LP and its EIN carry the same settled name.

Name mismatches

The name on your EIN confirmation should match the name on your Certificate. Even small differences — an abbreviation here, a missing "L.P." there — can trip up bank account opening and tax filing. Copy the name exactly.

Losing the confirmation letter

The IRS issues a confirmation when you get the EIN, and it's the document banks and others often want to see. Save a digital copy and a printout. If you lose it, you can request confirmation from the IRS, but it's far easier to keep the original. Once you have the EIN, you're ready to open the LP's bank account and move forward.