SS-4Application for Employer Identification Number
“Recent developments: Reinstatement of Form SS-4’s line 14 election to file Form 944 annually -- 28-MAR-2024 Certain forms, instructions, and publications used by taxpayers in Puerto Rico have been replaced -- 14-MAR-2024”irs.gov, About Form SS-4 · checked 2026-11-02
- Source
- irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf
- Size
- 122,921 bytes
- SHA-256
- Revision (page)
- Dec 2025
- Revision (footer)
- Form SS-4 (Rev. 12-2025) ✓ match
- Fetched
- 2026-11-02 07:30 UTC
Form SS-4 applies for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the nine-digit number a business, partnership, estate, trust, nonprofit or household employer uses on tax returns and payroll filings. The IRS recommends applying online at IRS.gov/EIN, which is free and gives the number immediately, if the entity has a legal residence, principal place of business or office in the United States or a U.S. territory. The paper form is for fax (generally about 4 business days) or mail (allow 4 to 5 weeks), and international applicants without a U.S. presence can also apply by phone. EINs are limited to one per responsible party per day, whatever the method. The current revision is December 2025.
The official PDF opens here.
- 1Fill
- 2Print or download
- 3Sign by hand
Online is free and instant.
Apply online and you can view, print and save the EIN notice at the end of the session. The responsible party needs a valid SSN, ITIN or EIN to use it.
“The IRS recommends that you apply for your EIN electronically, if possible.”
Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025), How To Apply for an EINA person, not a company.
Unless the applicant is a government entity, the responsible party on line 7a must be an individual. Later changes go on Form 8822-B within 60 days.
“Unless the applicant is a government entity, the responsible party must be an individual (that is, a natural person), not an entity.”
Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025), Lines 7a–7bOne EIN per day, one method per entity.
Use only one application method per entity so you do not end up with two EINs.
“EIN issuances are limited to one per responsible party, per day.”
Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025)Revision history
We check the IRS forms list every day and hash the PDF bytes every week. irs.gov’s last-modified header is not reliable, so we compare the bytes. This list starts when our crawler first saw the form.
| Edition | Status | Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. December 2025 | Current | baseline |
Related forms
8832
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8822-B
Is there a 2026 Form 8822-B? No. The current revision is December 2019.
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Is there a 2026 W-9? No. The current revision is March 2024.
56
Is there a 2026 Form 56? Yes. The current revision is June 2026.
Sources
- About Form SS-4 (irs.gov) · checked 2026-10-05
- Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) · checked 2026-10-05
- Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) · checked 2026-10-05
- Apply for an EIN online · checked 2026-10-05
- IRS page for Form SS-4 · crawled 2026-11-02
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