How To Get A EIN (Tax ID) Washington
If you’re planning to start a business in Washington, getting an employee identification number (EIN) is your first step. This 9-digit number is your tax identifier as an entity or individual who is an employer in Washington.
You need an EIN if you’re an individual, business, corporation, nonprofit, church, or sole proprietor who employs somebody on a W-2 basis. Whether you’re a small business with a modest staff or a family paying a live-in nurse, it’s important to establish your EIN as soon as possible for tax paying reasons. You’ll also need this number to file business income tax returns and excise returns.
How to Apply for a Tax ID Number in Washington
If you’re applying for an EIN number Washington residents should know it’s a simple process. All you have to do is get your information together, then print the Form SS-4, or access the online application. The Form SS-4 is only one page long (with a second page consisting of instructions on submission), so won’t take long to submit.
Prepare the Required Information
You’ll need to collect a list of information about your entity. The information you need may vary depending on your specific situation – for example, if you’re applying for a number for a trust or a household, you wouldn’t need to detail information about the principal activity of your business.
In general, be prepared to have the following at the ready:
● Entity’s trade name and legal name
● Entity’s location, e.g. street address, mailing address, county
● Entity’s principal activities
● Type of entity, e.g. sole proprietor, nonprofit, corporation, estate, partnership
● Reason for applying, e.g. started a new business, acquired a business, hired new employees
● Highest number of employees you expect to have on staff over the next 12 months
● First date that you paid wages or expect to pay wages for the first time
● Third-party designee’s name (this is a person who will take over answering questions about the EIN application if you are unavailable and the IRS reaches out)
Once you collect your info, you’re ready to apply. Here are your two options — mail or online.
Apply Online
The fastest and easiest way to apply for a Washington EIN number is online. The online application is your best option if you need to get an EIN fast, since the processing is instant and you’ll receive your EIN as soon as you submit the application.
Applying online is easy – just follow the prompts and the online form will instruct you on what to do at each step. Just make sure you have all your details ready, since the application does time out after 15 minutes. Set aside a time block to complete the online application in one sitting.
Submit Your Application via Mail
For an EIN number Washington residents can submit their applications by mail. Get your application ready to submit 4 to 5 weeks before you need the EIN to be active. Paper applications are processed manually and responses sent via mail, so it takes that long to receive a new Washington EIN number in your mailbox. If you need an EIN now, you should apply online.
However, if you can’t apply online, submitting the Form SS-4 by mail is fairly easy. Just print out your form (or request a copy from your local library or tax office) and fill out the lines that are relevant. Then mail it off to the address listed on the form instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions about EIN numbers Washington residents can find answers here.
A tax ID number in Washington legally designates you as a taxpayer. It’s a general term for all kinds of different tax numbers. In contrast, an EIN (employee identification number) is specifically a tax ID number for individuals and entities who are employers in the state. If you have employees, then you need an EIN.
EINs are not issued by the Washington Secretary of State because they’re actually issued on the federal level. That means EINs come from the IRS, no matter what state you’re in.
An EIN is a type of Washington tax ID number for employers. Other types of Washington tax ID numbers include TINs (taxpayer identification numbers) and SSNs (social security numbers).