Get an EIN for Your Maryland LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and registering with the Comptroller of Maryland. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the Maryland sequence, including the no-SSN path and the Comptroller registration that follows.
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 date — with Maryland's same-day approval, that can be the same afternoon. Then register with the Comptroller of Maryland (Maryland Tax Connect) for withholding and the 6% sales tax.
- 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
- Comptroller of Maryland
What an EIN Is (and Why Every Maryland 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 stamped Articles, and your operating agreement.
- Register with the Comptroller of Maryland — your state tax accounts (withholding, 6% sales & use tax) key off the EIN through Maryland Tax Connect.
- File federal and Maryland taxes — including the state-plus-county income tax stack on pass-through profits.
- 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 — Maryland Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and Maryland 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. With same-day Business Express approval, "waiting" can mean until after lunch.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then Maryland.
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 stamped Articles in front of you.
Download the CP 575 immediately
Your confirmation letter displays once. Banks and the Comptroller 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 Maryland Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, stamped Articles, operating agreement.
- Register with the Comptroller of Maryland via Maryland Tax Connect — withholding if hiring, and the 6% sales & use tax account if you sell taxable goods or services (note the 3% rate on certain data/IT services).
- Check licensing — retail businesses need the county trader's license covered in Step 7.
- Calendar April 15 for Form 1 — and set up MarylandSaves while you're in setup mode.
Ahmad Adil's Take: Maryland is the rare state where the entire founding stack fits in one business day: Articles approved by early afternoon, EIN by 2 PM, bank appointment at 3, Comptroller registration before dinner. My advice is to actually do it that way — momentum is a real force in company formation, and every "I'll finish setup next week" I've watched has cost someone a client payment they couldn't yet deposit. Block one day, run the chain, done.
- ✓Forms your Maryland LLC for $39 + the state fee
- ✓Files through Maryland Business Express (SDAT) — expedited processing
- ✓Free Maryland resident agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
Disclosure: LLC School may earn a commission via this link, at no cost to you. See our advertising disclosure.
Maryland LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $100 Articles of Organization ($150 expedited online), the $300 Form 1 annual report due April 15, the MarylandSaves fee waiver, and Maryland’s state-plus-county income tax stack — reflect current Maryland SDAT and Comptroller guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
About Ahmad Adil → Compare States →