Get an EIN for Your South Carolina LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and South Carolina Department of Revenue registration. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the South Carolina sequence, including the no-SSN path.
Apply for your EIN free at IRS.gov — never pay a third party. With an SSN or ITIN, the online application takes about 15 minutes and issues your EIN immediately. Without one, file Form SS-4 by fax (≈4+ business days) or mail (≈4+ weeks). Apply after your Articles are approved so IRS records match your exact legal name and formation date. Then register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue via MyDORWAY for a Retail License ($50) if selling taxable goods, and check your local business license requirement.
- Cost
- $0 — always free
- Where
- IRS.gov only
- Online time
- ~15 minutes
- Online issuance
- Immediate
- No SSN? (SS-4 fax)
- ~4+ business days
- After EIN
- SC Dept. of Revenue (if applicable)
What an EIN Is (and Why Every South Carolina LLC Needs One)
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns your business. You need one even with zero employees:
- Open a business bank account — every bank wants the EIN letter, your confirmed Articles, and your operating agreement.
- Register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue — for a Retail License if selling taxable goods, or withholding if hiring.
- File federal and South Carolina taxes — including the new two-rate state income tax starting 2026.
- Protect your SSN — put your EIN on W-9s instead of your personal number.
Never pay for an EIN. The IRS charges nothing. Sites charging $50–$300 for "EIN filing" resell a free government form, often styled to look official. The only site you need is IRS.gov.
Which Application Method Should You Use?
EIN Path Picker — South Carolina Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and South Carolina next step
The IRS online assistant runs Mon–Fri during posted hours and issues one EIN per responsible party per day. All methods are free.
The Online Application, Step by Step
Wait for approval first
Your EIN must match your final legal name and formation date. File through Business Entities Online first — standard processing runs 1–2 business days online.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then South Carolina.
Enter members and responsible party
Member count sets your default classification — disregarded entity for one member, partnership for two-plus — and the responsible party provides their SSN/ITIN.
Complete in one session
The application times out after 15 idle minutes with no save. Keep your confirmed Articles in front of you.
Download the CP 575 immediately
Your confirmation letter displays once. Banks will ask for it; a replacement means calling the IRS for Letter 147C.
No SSN? You Can Still Get an EIN
Non-US founders complete Form SS-4, write "Foreign" on line 7b, and submit by fax (~4+ business days) or mail (~4+ weeks). Line-by-line help in our guides to EINs without an SSN and foreign-owned LLCs. Foreign-owned single-member LLCs: remember Form 5472 — a $25,000 penalty applies even at zero income.
After You Get Your EIN — the South Carolina Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, confirmed Articles, operating agreement.
- Register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue via MyDORWAY — for a Retail License if selling taxable goods, or withholding if hiring.
- Check your local business license — most cities and counties require one, separate from state registration.
Ahmad Adil's Take: the EIN is the one step where "cheap" and "right" are the same thing — free, from the source, in fifteen minutes. If any site or upsell asks you to pay for it, that tells you exactly how they make money. South Carolina's follow-up sequence is where I want your attention: bank account is easy, but don't stop there — the Retail License (if applicable) and your local city/county business license are the two items people actually forget, precisely because South Carolina's state-level simplicity makes it easy to assume you're done sooner than you are.
- ✓Forms your South Carolina LLC for $39 + the $110 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Secretary of State
- ✓Free South Carolina registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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South Carolina LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $110 Articles of Organization, the fact that most South Carolina LLCs never file an annual report, and the new 2026 two-rate income tax — reflect current South Carolina Secretary of State and Department of Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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