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An EIN is the tax identification number the IRS assigns to a business entity. A business needs one before it can hire, open a bank account, or file a return, so for most newly formed entities it is the step immediately after formation. Palm collects the information the IRS asks for on Form SS-4, submits the application, and returns the assigned number and the confirmation letter.

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Standalone or bundled

Standalone. Apply for any business already in Palm. The business does not need to have been formed through Palm. It needs a business record with the required fields populated. Bundled with a formation. Pass an ein object on a formation request. Palm creates the EIN filing alongside the formation, holds it in queued until the formation completes, then advances it on its own. Both paths run the same lifecycle and return the same result.

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Before you apply

The application reads from the business record rather than from your request, so the record has to be complete first. Palm needs the legal name, entity type, formation jurisdiction, formation date, and principal address. If any of them is missing, Palm rejects the request and names the fields it needs. Create the business first with POST /v1/business if it is not in Palm yet.

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The responsible party

Every EIN application names a responsible party: the individual the IRS holds accountable for the entity. The IRS requires a person here, not a company, and expects their taxpayer identification number. You can supply them two ways:
  • By reference. Pass user_id for a user who already has a first name, last name, and SSN on record.
  • Inline. Pass the first name, last name, and SSN directly. Palm creates the user, vaults the SSN, and links them to the business.
The responsible party must have a US taxpayer identification number to apply through this endpoint. For an application where the responsible party does not have one, contact us.

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What the application asks for

The request mirrors Form SS-4, so the fields are the ones the IRS asks about:
  • The entity. Which business the EIN is for.
  • The reason. Why it needs one, such as starting a new business, hiring employees, or opening a bank account.
  • How it operates. Fiscal year end, employees expected over the next twelve months, and the principal business activity.
  • Prior history. Whether the entity has held an EIN before.
For the exact fields, types, and conditional requirements, see Apply for an EIN.

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Validate before you submit

Bash
Validation checks the shape of the request and returns every field error in one pass, including the follow-up fields a given principal_activity requires, without creating a filing.

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Submit and track

Bash
The filing follows the same lifecycle as every other Comply filing, and a filing.* webhook fires at each transition. If the IRS needs something the application did not carry, Palm opens a case and sends a case.opened webhook.

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The result

On completed, the filing carries the assigned EIN and the confirmed entity name under result, along with the IRS confirmation letter (CP 575) as a document. Palm also writes the EIN to the business record, so the number is available on the business itself rather than only on the filing.

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Next steps