Quick answer
The best way to get an EIN for an existing LLC is to apply directly with the IRS: it is free, takes minutes online, and the number is issued immediately if approved. You need the LLC formed with the state first, plus the SSN or ITIN of the person who owns or controls it. If you are still forming and want the EIN handled for you, ZenBusiness Pro ($199 a year) includes it with state-required annual report filing. If you have no SSN or ITIN, Northwest Registered Agent's $200 service (as of 2026) is built for that.
Key takeaways
- The IRS charges $0 for an EIN and states you never have to pay a fee for one.
- Form your LLC with the state first; the IRS says applying earlier may delay your EIN.
- The responsible party on Form SS-4 must be a person who owns or controls the LLC; a nominee cannot apply.
- As of 2026, standalone EIN filing costs $50 to $99 with an SSN; ZenBusiness Pro ($199/yr) and Bizee Standard ($199 one-time) include it.
- A name or location change keeps your EIN; terminating the LLC to form a corporation or partnership requires a new one.
What is an EIN?
An Employer Identification Number is the federal tax ID the IRS assigns to a business, its counterpart to a Social Security number. The IRS says you generally need one to hire employees, operate a partnership or corporation, or pay sales and excise taxes. Many single-member LLC owners get one anyway, because banks and clients ask for it and it keeps their SSN off business paperwork.
At a glance
Listed alphabetically. Not ranked.
| Option | Best fit for | Standout attribute | Cost (as of 2026) |
| Bizee | Forming now, paying once | EIN in Standard and Premium, one-time price | Standard $199 + state fee; EIN alone $70 |
| IRS (direct) | LLC already formed, have SSN or ITIN | Free, online, in minutes | $0 |
| LegalZoom | Wanting attorney access during setup | 30 days of attorney plan in Pro and Premium | Pro $249 + state fees; EIN alone $79 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | No SSN, or formed elsewhere | EIN service for applicants without an SSN | EIN $50 with SSN, $200 without |
| Rocket Lawyer | Members with ongoing legal needs | EIN as a membership add-on | EIN $70; requires Plus ($20.75/mo) or Pro ($29.08/mo), billed yearly |
| Tailor Brands | Branding plus formation | Logo, website and domain tools | EIN $99 add-on; plans $0 to $249/yr + state fees |
| ZenBusiness | First-time owners forming now | EIN plus annual report filing in one plan | Pro $199/yr, Premium $299/yr + state fees |
The options, profiled
Bizee: When you want the EIN in a formation package you pay for once
Best for: You are forming your LLC now, want the EIN filed for you, and would rather pay once than subscribe.
Bizee's Standard package, listed on its site at $199 plus the state fee as of 2026, includes the EIN application along with formation, and Premium ($299 plus the state fee) includes it too. Bizee describes all three of its packages as one-time payments with no monthly fee, which makes Standard the clearest pay-once bundle on this list.
If you chose the $0 Basic package or formed elsewhere, Bizee sells EIN filing on its own for $70 as of 2026 and says it delivers the number electronically within one business day. That is not faster than the IRS, which issues the number as soon as an online application is approved, so the standalone service is a paperwork convenience rather than a speed upgrade.
The value is in the bundle: if you were buying Standard anyway for the other formation documents, the EIN simply comes with it. Some optional add-ons, such as Bizee's virtual address, carry recurring fees, so read the checkout screens carefully before paying.
The honest trade-off: The $70 standalone filing buys help with something the IRS does free in minutes.
Learn more at Bizee
IRS (direct): When your LLC already exists and you only need the number
Best for: Your LLC has been approved by the state, you have an SSN or ITIN, and the EIN is all you need.
The IRS's "Get an employer identification number" page says the online tool takes minutes and, if the application is approved, issues your EIN immediately, at no charge. It also warns against websites that charge for an EIN, because you never have to pay a fee for one.
To apply online, the IRS says your entity must be formed in the United States, your principal place of business must be in the US or a US territory, and you need the responsible party's SSN or ITIN. You must finish in one session, during the hours the tool is open. If you can't apply online, the IRS lists phone, fax and mail routes.
Form the LLC with your state first, because the IRS says applying early can delay your EIN. And the responsible party must be a real person who owns, controls or exercises effective control over the business.
The honest trade-off: Nobody reviews your answers before you submit, so a wrong entity type or responsible party is yours to sort out.
Learn more at the IRS page "Get an employer identification number" (full address in Sources below).
LegalZoom: When you want an attorney on call while you set up
Best for: You expect real legal questions in your first weeks of business and want the EIN handled in the same package.
LegalZoom's Pro package ($249 plus state fees) and Premium package ($299 plus state fees) both include EIN filing and an operating agreement, according to LegalZoom's own LLC pages as of 2026, plus 30 days of its Business Attorney Plan with consultations on new business topics. On the $0 Basic package, LegalZoom lists EIN filing separately at $79 as of 2026.
The attorney access is the reason to choose LegalZoom over a cheaper bundle. If you have questions worth a lawyer's time, such as how to split ownership in a multi-member LLC or whether a client contract protects you, a month of consultations has real value. If you don't, you are paying more than other bundles charge for the same EIN.
Watch the renewal. LegalZoom's disclosures say the attorney plan is charged monthly after the 30 days ($49 a month at the time of writing) unless you cancel, so set a calendar reminder the day you buy.
The honest trade-off: The attorney plan bundled with Pro and Premium renews automatically after 30 days unless you cancel it.
Learn more at LegalZoom
Northwest Registered Agent: When you have no SSN, or want only the filing
Best for: You have no Social Security number, or you formed elsewhere and want someone to deal with the IRS.
Northwest Registered Agent publishes two EIN prices on its own site as of 2026: $50 if the responsible party has a Social Security number, and $200 for applicants without one. The second service is the most distinctive on this list. The IRS online tool requires an SSN or ITIN, so founders without either must use the IRS's phone, fax or mail routes, and paying a firm that handles those applications routinely is reasonable.
For applicants with an SSN, $50 is the lowest standalone EIN price among these providers. Northwest says its staff submits your information and works with the IRS if problems come up, and its own FAQ says you can apply free with the IRS.
Northwest sells LLC formation separately at $39 plus state fees as of 2026, and the EIN is not part of that price, so a full setup is formation plus the EIN fee. Its pitch is privacy and in-house support rather than bundling.
The honest trade-off: Nothing is bundled, so the EIN is always an extra line item on top of formation.
Learn more at Northwest Registered Agent
Rocket Lawyer: When you already pay for ongoing legal help
Best for: You have, or plan to keep, a legal membership for contracts, document review and attorney questions.
Rocket Lawyer is a legal membership first and a filing service second. Its EIN page lists the service at $70 as of 2026, and the fine print says it requires a Plus or Pro membership and excludes government and third-party fees. Its homepage lists Plus at $20.75 a month and Pro at $29.08 a month, both billed yearly after a free 7-day trial, with monthly billing costing more.
That makes the math straightforward. If you will use the membership through the year for client contracts, contractor agreements or a lease review, the EIN filing is a small add-on to something you were buying anyway. If you only want an EIN, this is the most expensive route on the page, because the membership is the real price.
For a first-time owner expecting a steady stream of agreements, the legal tools are the point and the EIN is a convenience at checkout. For everyone else, the IRS form costs nothing and needs no subscription.
The honest trade-off: You cannot buy the $70 EIN filing without holding a paid Plus or Pro membership.
Learn more at Rocket Lawyer
Tailor Brands: When branding matters as much as the paperwork
Best for: You want your logo, website, domain and new LLC managed in one account.
Tailor Brands began as a branding platform and now offers formation. Its own published comparison, updated September 16, 2026, lists three LLC plans: Lite at $0, Essential at $199 a year and Elite at $249 a year, each plus state fees. Essential adds expedited processing and compliance filings, and Elite adds website, domain and logo tools. The same page lists EIN registration at $99 as a separate service, and the EIN does not appear among any plan's inclusions.
So even on the top plan, expect to buy the EIN separately or file it yourself. Note also that Essential and Elite are annual prices that renew, unlike Bizee's one-time packages.
Where Tailor Brands earns its place is the rest of the launch. Logo, website, domain and business cards sit in the same dashboard as the LLC, and if you were going to buy those tools anyway, consolidating them has real value. For the EIN itself, the free IRS route is the obvious pairing.
The honest trade-off: The $99 EIN add-on (as of 2026) is not included in any of its LLC plans.
Learn more at Tailor Brands
ZenBusiness: When you want the EIN and annual filings handled as you form
Best for: You are a first-time owner forming your LLC now and want the EIN and annual report filing taken care of.
ZenBusiness Pro costs $199 a year plus state fees. It includes EIN filing, an operating agreement template, 1-business-day processing of your formation documents, and state-required annual report filing with up to two amendments a year. Premium, at $299 a year plus state fees, adds a domain, business email and broader compliance monitoring. The $0 Starter plan does not include the EIN; it is an extra-cost add-on there.
The case for Pro rests on what happens after the EIN arrives. The annual report is a recurring state obligation, and on Pro it is filed for you each year while you keep the plan.
Registered agent service is a separate $199 a year on every tier, Premium included, discounted to $99 for the first year when you form with ZenBusiness. Pro and Premium renew annually. If your LLC already exists and you only need the number, Pro is not worth buying for the EIN; use the IRS.
The honest trade-off: Registered agent service is not included on any tier, so budget for it on top of the plan price.
Learn more at ZenBusiness
Which one fits your situation
Your LLC is already formed and you have an SSN or ITIN. Apply with the IRS; it is free and nothing is faster.
You have not formed yet and want everything handled. ZenBusiness Pro fits best: the EIN comes with formation and your annual report is filed each year.
You want a bundle but dislike subscriptions. Bizee Standard includes the EIN in a one-time payment.
You have no SSN or ITIN. Northwest Registered Agent's no-SSN service is built for this, since the IRS online tool won't accept your application.
You expect legal questions early. LegalZoom Pro adds 30 days of attorney access; Rocket Lawyer suits year-round membership users.
How we compared these
We read each provider's own pricing and EIN pages on October 2, 2026, taking every price from the provider's site. Tailor Brands' prices come from a comparison page on its own site, and LegalZoom's renewal charge from its disclosures. We also read the four IRS pages in Sources.
We checked whether the EIN is included, its cost, what else the price covers, and whether it renews.
We did not buy any package, file any application, contact any provider, or score anything.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EIN, and do I need one?
It's the federal tax ID the IRS assigns to a business. The IRS says you generally need one to hire employees, operate a partnership or corporation, or pay sales and excise taxes; many single-member LLC owners get one anyway for banking.
How much does an EIN cost in 2026?
Nothing from the IRS, which says you never have to pay a fee for one. Formation services charge for filing it, $50 to $99 on its own as of 2026, or include it in packages like ZenBusiness Pro and Bizee Standard.
Can I get an EIN before my LLC is approved?
You should wait. The IRS says to form your LLC with the state first, because applying before the entity exists can delay your EIN.
Is it safe to let a formation service get my EIN?
The IRS allows a third-party designee to apply with your signed authorization. The responsible party must still be a person who owns or controls the business, and a nominee cannot be listed on Form SS-4. You can also skip the question by applying with the IRS yourself.
How long does an EIN take?
Minutes, if you apply online with the IRS after the state approves your LLC: the IRS issues the EIN immediately once the application is approved. Finish in one sitting, because the application cannot be saved.
Does changing my LLC's name or state need a new EIN?
No. The IRS lists a name or location change among cases that don't need a new EIN. You do need one if you terminate the LLC and form a corporation or partnership, or if a single-member LLC must file excise or employment taxes.
What happens to my EIN if I close my LLC?
Closing the LLC does not cancel the EIN by itself. To close the IRS business account, you send a letter with the business name, EIN, address and reason for closing. The IRS cannot close the account until all returns are filed and all tax owed is paid.
The bottom line
An EIN is free from the IRS, and if your LLC already exists, applying yourself is the right call. Paid help is worth it when it comes bundled with formation work you were buying anyway, or when having no SSN rules out the online tool.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice; requirements vary by state and change over time.