Get an EIN for Your New Jersey LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and New Jersey Division of Taxation registration. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. New Jersey has one genuine quirk: the state recommends getting this before you file your Certificate of Formation.
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). New Jersey's own guidance recommends applying for your EIN before filing your Certificate of Formation — the reverse of the sequence most states use. Once you have your EIN, register with the NJ Division of Taxation for sales tax and withholding as applicable.
- Cost
- $0 — always free
- Where
- IRS.gov only
- NJ-recommended timing
- Before Certificate of Formation
- Online time
- ~15 minutes
- Online issuance
- Immediate
- No SSN? (SS-4 fax)
- ~4+ business days
What an EIN Is (and Why Every New Jersey 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 Certificate, and your operating agreement.
- Register with the NJ Division of Taxation — your state tax accounts key off the EIN.
- File federal and New Jersey taxes — including the graduated 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.
The New Jersey Timing Reminder
If you're reading this page in the standard order — after your Certificate of Formation is already filed — that's fine, your EIN application works the same way regardless. But if you haven't filed yet: New Jersey's official guidance recommends getting your EIN first, before the Certificate. There's no downside either way since the EIN itself is free and takes the same 15 minutes — but following New Jersey's recommended order can simplify your subsequent state tax registration steps.
Which Application Method Should You Use?
EIN Path Picker — New Jersey Edition
2 questions · your exact path and timeline
The IRS online assistant runs Mon–Fri during posted hours and issues one EIN per responsible party per day. All methods are free.
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 New Jersey Sequence
- If you haven't filed yet: proceed to your Certificate of Formation — New Jersey's recommended next step.
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, confirmed Certificate, operating agreement.
- Register with the NJ Division of Taxation — withholding if hiring, and a sales tax certificate if you sell taxable goods.
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. Whichever order you've landed on this page from, the process itself doesn't change: apply, download your CP 575, done. The only thing worth double-checking is whether you've completed both this and your Certificate of Formation — New Jersey wants both, just in the order I laid out back in Step 3.
- ✓Forms your New Jersey LLC for $39 + the $100 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Division of Revenue (DORES)
- ✓Free New Jersey registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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New Jersey LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $100 Certificate of Formation (reduced from $125 as of July 2026), the $75 annual report, and New Jersey’s graduated 1.4%–10.75% income tax — reflect current New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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