So I filed my articles with the state, got the approval email, and thought I was done. Told my brother I was officially a business owner. Then my bank asked for an EIN. I figured the state LLC approval came with one. Nope. Filed for the EIN today, took like 10 minutes on the IRS site. I feel dumb but also annoyed nobody mentions this step when you're reading the 'how to start an LLC' blogs.
LLC setup
I got my llc approved and then discovered i needed to apply for an ein separately
Yeah the state and the IRS are two totally different sandboxes. LLC approval just means your state knows you exist. EIN is federal.
Don't feel dumb, I did the exact same thing. The blog posts love to skip it because 'apply for EIN' is a separate article with its own SEO traffic lol. Anyway You got it done, that's what matters.
10 minutes?Lucky. I printed and mailed the form like a caveman and waited three weeks. Did you end up needing the EIN for the loan or just the bank account? Because depending on the bank they sometimes push you toward a business credit card too and that's a whole other rabbit hole.
You're not alone but also how did you not see it, every forum says EIN like 50 times
I'm a bookkeeper, and I can't tell you how many new clients come in with an LLC and no EIN. Happens constantly. The bigger trap is not not realizing a single-member LLC still needs one if you have employees or want to open a business account.
the state just wants their filing fee. the IRS wants their paperwork. neither one is going to hold your hand through the other's process.
Hey Nimbus, question since you do this for a living. If it's a single member LLC with no employees, do they really need an EIN? I've read both ways.
Technically a single-member LLC with no employees can use the owner's SSN. In practice, almost no bank will open a business account without an EIN, and you'll want one eventually anyway. So unless you're just filing a Schedule C with a disregarded entity and never need a business bank account, get the EIN.
Also some states make you file a separate annual report and that's another thing they don't mention until it's late and you owe a fee. Ask me how I know.
This thread is making me realize I've been ignoring my annual report deadline. Gonna go check that now instead of giving advice.