Get an EIN for Your D.C. LLC — Free at IRS.gov
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue registration. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the D.C. 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 D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) — for sales tax if selling taxable goods, the Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax if applicable, and a Basic Business License.
- 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
- D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue
What an EIN Is (and Why Every D.C. 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 D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) — for sales tax, the Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax if applicable, and your Basic Business License.
- File federal taxes — including 15.3% self-employment tax.
- 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 — Washington D.C. Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and D.C. 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 DLCP first.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then Washington D.C.
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 D.C. Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, confirmed Articles, operating agreement.
- Register with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue — for sales tax, UBT status, and your Basic Business License.
- Note your formation year for your Step 6 Biennial Report obligation.
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. D.C.'s follow-up sequence has one genuine decision point worth your real attention: figuring out your Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax status while you're already at the Office of Tax and Revenue. Don't treat that as a "later" task — handle it in the same sitting as your other OTR registrations.
- ✓Forms your DC LLC for $39 + the $99 filing fee
- ✓Files online with the DLCP
- ✓Free DC registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Washington D.C. LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $99 Articles of Organization, the $300 Biennial Report due every two years, and DC’s Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax — reflect current DLCP and DC Office of Tax and Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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