Getting an EIN for Your Ohio Corporation

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a nine-digit federal tax identification number issued by the IRS. It functions as the corporation's equivalent of a Social Security number: it identifies the entity to the federal government for tax purposes, appears on returns and payroll filings, and is what banks use to open a business account.

Unlike a single-member LLC, which can sometimes operate on the owner's Social Security number, a corporation always needs its own EIN. A corporation is a separate taxpayer — it files its own federal return — so it must have its own federal identifier from the start. There is no version of a properly run Ohio corporation that skips the EIN.

What you use the EIN for

• Filing the corporation's federal income tax return (Form 1120 for a C-corporation, Form 1120-S if you elect S-corp status).
• Opening a corporate bank account — banks require it.
• Hiring employees and handling payroll tax withholding and deposits.
• Registering for state tax accounts and, where applicable, licenses.

The EIN is tied to the entity, so it stays with the corporation for its life.

Sequence matters. You generally want your corporation to legally exist before you request its EIN, because the EIN is issued to the entity.

Form the corporation first

File your Articles of Incorporation with the Ohio Secretary of State and let them be accepted so the corporation exists. Applying for the EIN before the entity is formed can create mismatches between the IRS record and the state record — the corporation should be real before it gets its federal ID.

Then apply for the EIN

Once the corporation is on file, apply for the EIN right away. You will need it before you can open the corporate bank account, and you cannot issue stock into an account that does not exist yet or run payroll without it. Getting the EIN promptly keeps the rest of your setup — banking, stock issuance, tax elections — moving.

Before an S-corp election

If you plan to elect S-corporation status, you need the EIN first, because Form 2553 (the S-corp election) references it. The election generally must be filed within a defined window early in the tax year you want it to apply, so don't let the EIN be the bottleneck.

The IRS issues EINs directly and for free. Be skeptical of any third-party site that charges a fee just to "get" your EIN — the number itself never costs anything.

Online (fastest)

Apply through the IRS EIN Assistant. The online application:

• Takes roughly ten minutes to complete.
• Issues the EIN immediately at the end, so you can download the confirmation and use the number the same day.
• Is available during the IRS's posted hours for the tool.

What you'll need on hand

• The corporation's exact legal name and Ohio formation details.
• The business address and mailing address.
• The responsible party's name and Social Security number or ITIN. The responsible party is the individual who ultimately controls the corporation — typically a principal officer.
• The reason for applying (started a new business), the type of entity (corporation), and the expected number of employees.

By fax or mail

If you cannot use the online tool, you can file Form SS-4 by fax or mail. Fax turnaround is a few business days; mail takes several weeks. This route is mainly used by applicants who lack an SSN or ITIN.

An Ohio corporation can be owned by people who are not US citizens or residents, and such corporations still need an EIN. The wrinkle is the online application, which requires the responsible party to have an SSN or ITIN.

If the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN

You cannot use the online EIN Assistant, but you can still obtain the EIN. File Form SS-4 by fax or mail, and where the form asks for the responsible party's tax ID, follow the current IRS instructions for foreign applicants (the IRS accommodates responsible parties without a US tax number). Fax is faster than mail if you have a return fax line.

Practical tips for foreign owners

• Fill in the corporation's Ohio details exactly as filed with the Secretary of State.
• Be precise about who the responsible party is — the IRS wants a real individual who controls the entity, not an entity.
• Keep the EIN confirmation safe; you will present it to open a US bank account, which can itself be an involved process for non-resident owners.

A few recurring errors cause delays or headaches after the EIN is issued.

Applying before the corporation exists

Requesting the EIN before the Articles are accepted can create a record that doesn't match the state. Form the corporation first, then apply.

Name mismatches

The name on the EIN application should match the corporation's legal name on file in Ohio. Discrepancies cause friction at the bank and on tax filings. Copy the name exactly.

Wrong responsible party

The responsible party must be a controlling individual, and the IRS limits how many EINs one responsible party can obtain per day online. Choose the right person up front.

Paying for a free service

The EIN is free from the IRS. It is fine to have a formation service handle the application as part of a package for convenience, but you should never pay a standalone fee to the government for the number, because there isn't one.

Losing the confirmation

Store the EIN confirmation letter (CP 575 or the online confirmation) somewhere safe. You will be asked for the EIN repeatedly — banking, payroll, tax filings — and the confirmation is the cleanest proof of the number.