How to Get an EIN in Utah (2026)

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026

An EIN is free from the IRS. The fastest route is the IRS online application, which issues the number immediately in one session; Form SS-4 covers fax, mail, and international applicants. In Utah, the EIN is a federal step that sits between registering the entity with the Division of Corporations and opening state tax accounts with the Tax Commission.

What an EIN Is

An Employer Identification Number — also called a Federal Employer Identification Number or FEIN — is a nine-digit number in the format 12-3456789 that the IRS assigns to a business. It functions as the business equivalent of a Social Security number: it identifies the entity on federal returns, on payroll filings, on information returns such as Forms 1099, and on the bank and merchant accounts the business opens.

The EIN is federal. Utah does not issue it and cannot change it. What Utah issues is different: the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code assigns an entity number when you register a business, and the Utah State Tax Commission issues account numbers when you open sales tax or withholding accounts. All three coexist, and you will be asked for different ones by different agencies, so record them together in your company file.

Who Needs an EIN

The IRS requires an EIN if any of the following are true. You have employees. Your business operates as a partnership or a corporation. You have a multi-member LLC, which is taxed as a partnership by default. You file returns for employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco and firearms taxes. You withhold taxes on income other than wages paid to a nonresident alien. Or you are involved with certain trusts, estates, nonprofits, farmers' cooperatives, or plan administrators.

A single-member LLC with no employees is the main case where an EIN is not strictly required for tax purposes: the IRS treats it as a disregarded entity, and the owner may report business income on Schedule C using a Social Security number. Even so, most Utah owners get an EIN. Banks generally require one to open a business account in the company's name, clients ask for it on Form W-9, and using it keeps your Social Security number off documents that circulate widely. If you later elect S-corporation treatment or hire your first employee, you will need one anyway.

The EIN Is Always Free

The IRS states it plainly: "Beware of websites that charge for an EIN. You never have to pay a fee for an EIN." Many commercial sites present a form that looks official and charge $50 to $300 to submit the same free application on your behalf. Some are bundled into formation packages where the EIN line item is the only part you could have done yourself in ten minutes. Go directly to irs.gov. There is no expedited tier, no premium processing, and no legitimate reason to pay.

How to Apply

The online application is the fastest and the method the IRS prefers. It is available Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern time, Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. It must be completed in a single session — there is no save-and-return — and it times out after a period of inactivity, so gather your information before you begin. The number is issued at the end of the session and you can download the confirmation notice immediately.

To use the online application you need a valid US taxpayer identification number for the responsible party: a Social Security number or an ITIN. Applicants without one — typically foreign founders of a Utah LLC — use Form SS-4 and apply by fax, by mail, or by phone through the IRS international line. Fax responses generally come back within a few business days; mailed applications take several weeks. Plan accordingly if a bank appointment or a closing depends on having the number.

The Responsible Party and the Daily Limit

Every EIN application must name a responsible party: the individual who ultimately owns or controls the entity, or who exercises effective control over its funds and assets. The IRS requires a natural person here, not another company, unless the applicant is a government entity. If control of the business changes hands, file Form 8822-B to update the responsible party within 60 days — a step that is widely skipped and that leaves IRS notices going to someone no longer involved.

The IRS also limits issuance to one EIN per responsible party per day, across all application methods. That rarely matters for a single business, but it constrains anyone spinning up several entities at once — a real estate investor forming a separate LLC per property, for example. Plan on one per calendar day, or designate different responsible parties where that is genuinely accurate.

Where the EIN Fits in the Utah Sequence

Order matters. If you are forming an entity, register it with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code first, so the exact legal name on the EIN application matches the state record. For an LLC that filing is the Certificate of Organization; see how to form an LLC in Utah and Utah articles of organization. A mismatch between the IRS name and the state name causes friction later with banks and with the Tax Commission, and fixing it means correspondence with the IRS.

Utah entities also owe an annual renewal to the Division of Corporations on the anniversary of registration. The Division publishes the current renewal and filing fees on its fee schedule; confirm the amounts there rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere, because they are adjusted from time to time. See Utah annual renewal for the mechanics, and keep a Utah registered agent in place continuously.

Utah State Tax Registration After the EIN

Once you have the EIN, use it to open state accounts with the Utah State Tax Commission. Registration runs through the Commission's Taxpayer Access Point, and Utah also operates a OneStop business registration service that submits several agency registrations together. The accounts most small businesses need are a sales and use tax license if you sell taxable goods or services, and withholding if you pay wages. Employers additionally register with the Department of Workforce Services for unemployment insurance and must carry workers' compensation coverage.

Keep the federal and state layers straight: the IRS handles the EIN and federal income, employment, and excise taxes; the Tax Commission handles Utah sales, use, withholding, and income tax; and the Division of Corporations handles the entity's existence and good standing. Local business licensing is a fourth layer administered by cities and counties — see Utah business licenses. For how the returns fit together, see the business tax hub.

After You Have the Number

Download and store the CP 575 confirmation notice the IRS provides at the end of the online application. It is the document banks, payroll providers, lenders, and state agencies ask for as proof of the EIN, and the IRS does not reissue it — if you lose it, the substitute is a Letter 147C requested by phone, which takes time. Save a copy with your operating agreement and formation documents.

Then put the EIN to work: open the business bank account, register the state tax accounts, set up payroll if you have employees, and give the EIN rather than your Social Security number on Forms W-9. You generally keep the same EIN for the life of the business. A new one is required only on a genuine change of entity — incorporating a sole proprietorship, converting to a different entity type, or certain ownership changes. Simply changing your business name, moving locations, or adding a Utah DBA does not require a new EIN.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an EIN cost?

Nothing. The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers free of charge through its online application, by fax, by mail, and by phone for international applicants. Any website that charges a fee is a third-party intermediary reselling a free government service. The IRS states plainly that you never have to pay a fee for an EIN.

How long does it take to get an EIN?

The IRS online application issues the number immediately at the end of the session, and you can download the confirmation notice right away. Faxed Forms SS-4 typically come back within a few business days, and mailed applications take several weeks. Apply online whenever you are eligible.

Can I get more than one EIN in a day?

No. The IRS limits issuance to one EIN per responsible party per day, regardless of the application method. If you are forming several entities, plan on one per day. The responsible party must be an individual who controls or manages the entity, not another company, unless a government entity is involved.

Does Utah issue its own EIN?

No. The EIN is federal and comes only from the IRS. Utah issues separate identifiers: an entity number from the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code when you register the business, and account numbers from the Utah State Tax Commission when you open sales tax or withholding accounts. Those are not substitutes for an EIN.

Does a single-member LLC in Utah need an EIN?

Not always for tax purposes. A single-member LLC with no employees and no excise tax liability is a disregarded entity and can use the owner's Social Security number. In practice most owners get one anyway, because Utah banks generally require an EIN to open a business account and it keeps your SSN off Forms W-9.

Do I need an EIN before registering my Utah business?

Register the entity with the Utah Division of Corporations first if you are forming an LLC or corporation, so the legal name on the EIN application matches the state record exactly. Then apply for the EIN, then use it to open Utah State Tax Commission accounts, which is the order that avoids mismatches.

Related

• How to get an EIN (national guide)
• What is an ITIN?
• How to form an LLC in Utah
• How much does a Utah LLC cost?
• Utah registered agent requirements
• Single-member LLC basics
• Business tax overview
• S-corp vs LLC
• How to get an EIN in Nevada (sibling)
• How to get an EIN in Colorado (sibling)

Sources

1. IRS — Get an Employer Identification Number (free EIN; online hours; one EIN per responsible party per day).
2. IRS — About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number.
3. IRS — Do You Need an EIN?
4. IRS — Responsible Parties and Nominees.
5. IRS — Single Member Limited Liability Companies.
6. IRS — Limited Liability Company (LLC).
7. IRS — Business Structures.
8. Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code — Limited Liability Companies (Certificate of Organization).
9. Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code — Fee Schedule.
10. Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code — Annual Renewal Instructions.
11. Utah State Tax Commission — Registering Your Business (state tax accounts).
12. Utah State Tax Commission — Sales and Use Tax.
13. Utah Legislature — Utah Code § 48-3a-201 (formation of a limited liability company).
14. U.S. Small Business Administration — Get Federal and State Tax ID Numbers.

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm and is not legal advice or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, forms, and deadlines change; verify current requirements with the IRS, the Utah Division of Corporations, and the Utah State Tax Commission before acting.