Internal Revenue Service (IRS) · United States

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Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Upload your blank Form SS-4 from Internal Revenue Service (IRS), let AI auto-detect every field, type or dictate your data, and download the completed PDF in seconds. Your first clean download has no watermark, and there is nothing to install.

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JustFill helps prepare an SS-4 PDF. It does not apply for you, submit the form, or issue an EIN; the IRS is the only issuer, and eligible applicants can use its online EIN assistant free of charge.JustFill is not affiliated with Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This is an independent third-party tool to help you complete Form SS-4. Always download the current blank form from the official source and verify your completed copy before signing or submitting. Official Form SS-4 from Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Quick answer

Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN), is the IRS form a business or other entity uses to request a nine-digit federal EIN for tax filing and reporting. The owner or responsible party completes it. JustFill helps prepare the PDF and includes the first clean completed download; it does not submit the application or issue an EIN. Eligible US applicants can instead apply directly through the free IRS online EIN assistant.

Form
Form SS-4
Issued by
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Country
United States
Free allowance
First clean download
Official edition
Rev. December 2025
Source checked

What is Form SS-4?

Form SS-4 is the IRS Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN), the document used to request the nine-digit number (formatted like 12-3456789) that the IRS assigns to businesses and other entities for tax filing and reporting. Sole proprietors, LLCs, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, churches, nonprofits, and certain individuals use its questions when applying by mail, fax, or another IRS-supported method. JustFill detects the lines and checkboxes in an SS-4 PDF so you can prepare and review the entity name, responsible party, entity type, and reason for applying before submitting through an IRS channel.

Download the Form SS-4 form PDF — free

Download Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) and its separate instructions from the IRS. Then upload that PDF to JustFill to prepare and print a completed copy without Adobe Acrobat. JustFill does not preload this form and does not submit it to the IRS; eligible US applicants can apply directly through the free IRS online EIN assistant.

Get the official Form SS-4 PDF from Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Who fills out Form SS-4?

  • A new small-business owner or sole proprietor who needs an EIN to open a business bank account or hire their first employee
  • An LLC founder or startup organizer applying for the company's federal tax ID
  • A corporation or partnership's responsible party (owner, officer, or general partner) requesting an EIN for tax filing
  • An executor, administrator, or trustee obtaining an EIN to administer an estate or trust
  • A nonprofit, church, or farmers' cooperative organizer applying for an entity EIN even without employees

Field-by-field breakdown

What each section of Form SS-4 asks for. JustFill’s AI will detect these fields automatically when you upload the PDF — review the breakdown below so you know what to enter.

Line 1 — Legal name of entity (or individual)

The exact legal name of the business, estate, trust, or individual for whom the EIN is being requested.

Lines 2 & 3 — Trade name / Executor, administrator, trustee, 'care of' name

Line 2 is a doing-business-as (DBA) name if different from line 1; line 3 names the executor, administrator, trustee, or 'care of' contact for estates and trusts.

Lines 4a–4b / 5a–5b — Mailing address and street address

Line 4a–4b is the mailing address (a P.O. box is allowed); line 5a–5b is the physical street address if different (no P.O. box permitted here).

Lines 7a & 7b — Name of responsible party / SSN, ITIN, or EIN

The individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity, plus that person's SSN, ITIN, or EIN. Nominees are not allowed as the responsible party.

Lines 8a–8c — Limited liability company (LLC) questions

Whether the application is for an LLC (or foreign equivalent), the number of LLC members (8b), and whether the LLC was organized in the United States (8c).

Line 9a — Type of entity (check only one box)

Identifies the entity type: sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, S corporation/personal service corporation, estate, trust, church, nonprofit, government, and others.

Line 10 — Reason for applying (check only one box)

Why you need the EIN: started a new business, hired employees, banking purpose, changed type of organization, purchased a going business, created a trust, or created a pension plan.

Lines 11–18 — Dates, employees, activity, and prior EIN

Date business started (11), accounting year closing month (12), highest number of employees expected (13), Form 944 election (14), first wages paid (15), principal business activity (16), line of merchandise/services (17), and whether the entity previously received an EIN (18). The Third Party Designee and signature sections close the form.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • 1Listing a nominee or accountant as the line 7a responsible party instead of the true individual who owns or controls the entity — the IRS requires the actual responsible party with their SSN, ITIN, or EIN.
  • 2Checking more than one box on line 9a (type of entity) or line 10 (reason for applying). The form instructs you to check only one box on each; multiple selections cause processing delays.
  • 3Entering a P.O. box on line 5a (physical street address). A P.O. box is only allowed on the line 4a mailing address — line 5a must be a real street location.

Form SS-4 example — what a filled-out form looks like

A fictional sole proprietor is preparing an SS-4 after starting a design business. The example gathers the answers but does not contain a usable taxpayer number and is not an IRS submission.

Line 1 — Legal name

ALEX EXAMPLE

A sole proprietor uses the individual's legal name here.

Line 2 — Trade name

EXAMPLE DESIGN STUDIO

The fictional business operates under a different trade name.

Lines 4–5 — Addresses

100 SAMPLE STREET — AUSTIN, TX 78701

Lines 7a–7b — Responsible party

ALEX EXAMPLE — XXX-XX-6789

The real application requires the responsible party's actual identifying number; it is masked here.

Line 9a — Type of entity

Sole proprietor

Line 10 — Reason for applying

Started new business — graphic design services

Select only the single reason that actually applies.

Lines 11–13 — Start, year end, employees

August 2026 — December — 0 / 0 / 0

This fictional business has no employees; the real filer uses its actual dates and expected employee counts.

These values are made up. They are here to show what belongs on each line, not to be copied — every name, number, and address on your own Form SS-4 has to be your own. LLCs, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, nonprofits, and applicants hiring employees complete several lines differently. Use the current IRS instructions rather than copying this sole-proprietor example.

Where to send Form SS-4 — fax numbers and mailing addresses

Use the destination that matches where the entity has its legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency. The IRS recommends applying online when the applicant is eligible.

United States or District of Columbia

Use this if the address is in: Entities with a legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia

Fax
855-641-6935
Mail to
Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999

No US state or District of Columbia location

Use this if the address is in: Entities without a legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in any state or the District of Columbia

Fax
855-215-1627 from within the US; 304-707-9471 from outside the US
Mail to
Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999

JustFill prepares the PDF only. Submit it through the IRS method appropriate to you and re-check these destinations immediately before sending because the IRS can change them without notice.

Checked against the official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) instructions on 2026-08-31. Destinations change — confirm on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) page before you send anything.

How JustFill helps you complete Form SS-4

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Frequently asked questions

The IRS form and the IRS online EIN application are free. JustFill is free to start and includes the first clean completed PDF download; further clean exports use a one-time pack or monthly plan. JustFill charges for document tooling, not for issuing an EIN.
Download the current Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) as a PDF from the IRS at irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-4, along with its separate instructions. You can also upload that PDF into JustFill to complete it on screen and download a finished copy.
Yes. Upload the current IRS PDF to JustFill to prepare and print it, or use the IRS online EIN assistant if eligible. JustFill detects the PDF fields but does not transmit the application to the IRS.
Form SS-4 is the application used to request an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to businesses, estates, trusts, nonprofits, and certain individuals. You need an EIN to hire employees, open a business bank account, and file employment, excise, or entity tax returns.
The responsible party (line 7a) is the individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity or exercises effective control over it — typically the owner, principal officer, or general partner. You must list a real person with their SSN, ITIN, or EIN; a nominee or paid preparer is not allowed.
You complete Form SS-4 to apply for an EIN, but you can submit the information online, by fax, or by mail. Many U.S. applicants use the IRS online EIN assistant, which walks through the same SS-4 questions. Filling out the SS-4 first — for example in JustFill — helps you gather every answer before you apply.

Official source: Form SS-4 on Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s website

Edition checked: Rev. December 2025. Verified against the official source on .

JustFill is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or any government agency. Always verify your completed form on the official version before signing or submitting.