Do I Need an EIN?

If you’re operating a business, I highly suggest obtaining an EIN (Employee Identification Number). This becomes your business’s identifier and is in lieu of using your Social Security Number (which I personally wouldn’t want floating around on W-9s).

So how do you get one? You can obtain one for free at the IRS’s website in about 5 minutes. It’s important to note - if you also plan to incorporate or set up an LLC, do that first since you’ll need to provide the name of your company when you register for the EIN.

After applying, you’ll get an immediate EIN confirmation, which you’ll need to save in your records.

What happens if you lose your EIN? No worries! Just call the IRS at 1-800-829-4933 during their regular business hours, and after verifying some business information, you’ll be able to obtain the number again.