You can apply for an EIN on the IRS website if you have an SSN or ITIN and your principal place of business is in the U.S. or U.S. territories. The IRS is usually able to assign an EIN as soon as you submit your application. If it's not able to, you'll need to apply using a different method.

If you don't have an SSN or ITIN, or your principal place of business isn't in the U.S. or U.S. territories, the fastest way to apply is by fax. The IRS quotes a turnaround time of 4 days to assign the EIN and fax it back, but it usually takes longer (as you can see).

The chart above reflects the processing times we see for the EIN applications we fax for our customers. Unlike many other online legal services, we do this in-house to avoid introducing unnecessary delays, which gives us the most accurate data possible.