Get an EIN for Your Michigan LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and registering with Michigan Treasury Online. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the Michigan sequence, including the no-SSN path and the state tax 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. Then register with Michigan Treasury Online (MTO) for withholding and the 6% sales tax, and — if you're in a taxing city — check your local income tax account.
- 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
- Michigan Treasury Online
What an EIN Is (and Why Every Michigan 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 Michigan Treasury Online — your state tax accounts (withholding, 6% sales & use tax) key off the EIN through MTO.
- File federal and Michigan taxes — including the flat 4.25% state income tax 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 — Michigan Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and Michigan 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 the MiBusiness Registry and you'll usually have approval within a few business days.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then Michigan.
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 MTO 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 Michigan Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, stamped Articles, operating agreement.
- Register with Michigan Treasury Online (MTO) — withholding if hiring, and the 6% sales & use tax account if you sell taxable goods.
- Check your city — if you're in Detroit, Grand Rapids, or another taxing city, set up the local income tax withholding/account as needed.
- Calendar February 15 for your annual statement.
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. The Michigan-specific move comes right after: when you register with Michigan Treasury Online, also check whether your city taxes income. Founders in Detroit or Grand Rapids who set up state withholding but forget the city account create a mess that surfaces at tax time. Handle both registrations in the same sitting while you've got the EIN letter open, and your whole tax setup is done in an afternoon.
- ✓Forms your Michigan LLC for $39 + the $50 state fee
- ✓Files with LARA — the MiBusiness Registry Portal
- ✓Free Michigan resident agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Michigan LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $50 Articles of Organization, the $25 annual statement due February 15, and Michigan’s flat 4.25% income tax with city income taxes in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and elsewhere — reflect current LARA and Michigan Department of Treasury guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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