Guide
How to Get an EIN for an Estate (Every Path, Including Fax)
An estate gets its own EIN by filing IRS Form SS-4, and there is no government fee — the IRS issues EINs free. The catch is the channel: the online EIN Assistant issues numbers instantly but refuses many estate situations, and then the answer is a correctly prepared fax.
This guide covers all three paths as the IRS publishes them, so you can do it yourself — or hand us the intake and get the number with written confirmation.
Path 1: the IRS online tool (when it works)
The online path requires the responsible party (usually the executor) to have a valid SSN or ITIN, one application per responsible party per day, and a session that completes in one sitting — the tool times out and does not save. When it works, the EIN is issued immediately.
Estates commonly fall out of the online path: prior EINs tied to the responsible party, decedent identity mismatches, and third-party designee limits are the usual reasons. [Verify current online-tool estate handling against irs.gov before relying on this in copy.]
Path 2: fax (the executor's workhorse)
A completed SS-4 faxed to the IRS's EIN fax line is worked in about four business days per the IRS's published guidance. [Verify current fax number and turnaround at irs.gov — they change.] The form must be internally consistent: line 9a entity type 'Estate', the decedent's SSN, the date of death, and the executor's information exactly as it appears in probate paperwork.
This is the path we file for you: prepared SS-4, correct fax line, and we track it until the number is assigned.
Path 3: mail (slowest, last resort)
Mailed SS-4s take roughly four to five weeks. [Verify.] The only common reason to mail is a situation the fax path rejects — rare for estates.
Want it handled?
Estate EIN Filing does this for $99 — or follow the steps above yourself, free.
Straight answers
Does the IRS charge for an estate EIN?
No. The IRS issues EINs free through every channel. Anyone charging you is charging for preparation and handling — including us, and we say so on every page.
Who is the 'responsible party' for an estate EIN?
The executor, administrator, or personal representative — a person, not the estate itself, and their SSN/ITIN goes on the form.
Do I need the EIN before opening the estate bank account?
Yes. Banks will not open an estate account against the deceased person's SSN.