Apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
What is an Employer Identification Number?
An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is like a Social Security Number, but for your business. You might also see an EIN referred to as a Federal Tax Identification Number, FTIN or TIN. It helps both you and those you do business with identify your business as a unique entity.
Why does my business need an EIN?
US businesses require an EIN for a variety of reasons. An EIN helps the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, identify your business quickly and easily. If you want to do business with the City or any other governmental agency, you will need an EIN to complete various forms and applications.
How do I obtain an EIN?
EINs are easy to obtain and entirely free. They are issued by the IRS. The application to obtain an EIN can be completed online. Simply visit the IRS Website - Employer ID Numbers and click “Apply for an EIN Online.”
You can also apply for an EIN via fax, mail or phone, but the process will generally take a little longer. The directions for each of these methods can be found on this page.
Be sure to download, save, and print the EIN letter right away. If you lose or misplace this document, you will have to contact the IRS to re-issue the letter by mail.
How long does it take to obtain an EIN?
The online application to obtain an EIN takes a matter of minutes. After you have completed the application successfully, an EIN will be issued to you right away. However, please note that the online EIN service is only available on weekdays between 6 AM and 9 PM Central Time.
Applying for an EIN via fax takes about a week, while applying by mail takes between four to five weeks.
Identify Your Industry Codes
In this section, we’ll learn a little bit about NAICS codes, and why they are important for your business.
What are industry codes?
The Federal Government uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code to classify businesses. Industry codes, also referred to as NAICS codes, help describe what your business does. For example, if your business is a barber shop, then your NAICS code is 812111.
Why do I need industry codes?
Cities and government agencies use industry codes for things like taxation and licensing, which means you’ll need them in order to do business with the City of Manor. These codes help the government quickly and correctly identify what your business does. Many of the forms you’ll encounter in this process will require an industry code.
How do I identify my industry codes?
You can determine the NAICS code for your business in just a few clicks. Visit the Census NAICS Code Search, type in a few keywords, and select up to three codes that best describe what your business does.