How to Fill Out an SS-4 Form

Here’s a brief walkthrough for filling out the SS-4 form, which is required to receive your EIN (Employer Identification Number).

1-7b

  • In sections 1-7a, simply fill out all of your LLC’s information. If you have a PO box, be sure to include it as the mailing address in section 4a.
  • Section 2 mentions “trade name.” If your trade name (the name you advertise your services under) is different than your actual LLC name, enter it here. So, if your LLC’s name is Great Stuff LLC, but you advertise your products under Total Greatness, you’ll want to enter “Total Greatness” in section 2.
  • Section 3 does not have to be filled out if it does not apply to you.
  • In section 7b, be sure to add your social security number, or that of whoever the LLC owner will be.

8a-8c

  • In section 8a, check “Yes,” since you’re registering an LLC. 8b will simply ask you for the number of members in your LLC. If it’s just you, enter a “1” here.

9a-9b

  • This section can be a little confusing if you’re not entirely sure which option to choose. It is strongly recommended to check “Other (specify)” and enter the phrase “Disregarded Entity – Single Member LLC” if you’re the sole member of your LLC. (The answer you provide in this section will depend heavily on the type of company you’re starting – please consult a lawyer if you are not entirely sure about what to choose!)
  • Since you’re registering for the EIN of an LLC, you’ll be ignoring section 9b.

10-12

  • In section 10, a simple choice designating why you are applying for your LLC will be chosen here. In many cases, people will check the first box for “Started a new business (specify type),” and enter a very brief description of their business’ services.
  • Section 11 asks you to select an official date in which your business has been acquired. Note that if you are starting your business at the end of a calendar year, you will be taxed for that year, regardless of how many days are left. In such a case, it might be a good idea to simply wait until the year is over, and start your business on New Year’s Day.
  • Most people select “December 31st” as their closing month of the accounting year, in section 12.

13

  • This question may seem a little trivial to anyone starting an LLC on their own. If you simply do not know if you’ll be hiring anyone in the next year (which many start-ups or “work from home” entrepreneurs don’t), be sure to include a zero under the three categories, “agricultural, household, other.”

14

  • There is no advice that can be given in this section, as it is different for each LLC owner. The majority of people who fill out SS-4 forms select the “No” box here, according to a poll conducted by LegalZoom. However, please make sure you select the correct option if this is not your case.

15

  • If you’ve never paid wages (withholding or otherwise), enter a “N/A” here. Otherwise, enter the date.

16-17

  • Section 16 is a little synonymous with section 10, as well as the upcoming section 17. Here, you’ll have to select an option that best describes your business category. If none of them apply to your business, don’t worry – simply select the one that is closest to your business category, as well as the “Other (specify)” box, and type in whatever you had entered in section 10.
  • Section 17 will simply re-iterate what you’ve entered in section 10 (and whatever you’ve entered if you have selected “Other” in section 16). Your answer can be a brief 5-6 word description, don’t worry about getting too technical.

18

  • If you’ve ever applied for an EIN before, you’ll have to check “Yes.” The rest of us first-time business registrants check “No.”

Third Party Designee

  • If someone (a LLC registration service or a lawyer you have hired) has been appointed to recieve your EIN, and, is acting as the contact person for questions regarding your form, you’ll have to enter their name, address and contact numbers here. Otherwise, you will be the direct contact in case the IRS has any questions.

That’s the final step of completing your SS-4 form! If you’re using a third party designee, contact them and ask if you should mail the SS-4 form to them, or directly to the IRS. Be sure to make a photocopy of this form and keep it for your records, as you should be keeping a file for all of your LLC’s forms and other documents in case you need to reference them in the future.

Where to Go Next: LLC Registration