{"id":337,"date":"2018-07-30T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T08:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"\/estate-tax-id-ein-number-obtainment-guide"},"modified":"2025-05-31T01:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T08:22:28","slug":"estate-tin-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/estate-tin-application-ein\/","title":{"rendered":"Steps to Obtain your Estate Tax ID Number Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>How to Do the Estate TIN Application Quick &amp; Easy<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let&#8217;s face it, dealing with the death of a loved one is never enjoyable; but with a little understanding of what you&#8217;re going to need in advance, you can soften the hardships involved with settling your Estate of Deceased. The first thing you&#8217;re going to need is your Estate&#8217;s Tax ID (EIN) Number &#8211; which will allow you to open a bank account for your Estate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Simply follow this step-by-step guide to obtain your Estate Tax ID Number online. Start with these common definitions below and you\u2019re on your way to obtaining the Tax ID (EIN) Number for your Estate of Deceased.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11799 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"estate tin application\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7317916-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Steps to Obtain your Estate Tax ID Number Online:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#information\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Prepare Your Information<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#executor\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Name the Estate Executor or Administrator<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#online\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Apply for Estate Tax ID Online<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#mail\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Apply for Estate Tax ID by Traditional Mail<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#fax\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Apply for Estate Tax ID by Fax<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#documents\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Receive your Tax ID (EIN) Documents<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.border-box {<br \/>   margin-bottom:18px;<br \/>   margin-top: 18px;<br \/>   border: 4px solid rgb(1, 170, 240);<br \/>   padding: 25px;<br \/>   }<br \/>   .h2-border-box {<br \/>   font-family: Roboto, san-sarif;<br \/>   color: #01aaf0 ;<br \/>   margin-bottom: 0px!important;<br \/>   **line-height: 32px!important;<br \/>   }<br \/>   .p-border-box {<br \/>   margin-top:10px;<br \/>   margin-bottom:18px;<br \/>   font-size:18px;<br \/>   }<br \/>   @media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {<br \/>   .p-border-box {<br \/>   margin-top:40px!important;<br \/>   }<br \/>   }<\/style>\n<div class=\"zoomFilingsAdvert\" style=\"margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; border: 4px solid #01aaf0; padding: 25px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Roboto, san-sarif; color: #01aaf0; margin-bottom: 0px!important;\">Apply for an Estate Tax ID (EIN) Online<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 18px; font-size: 18px;\">Apply for an Estate Tax ID (EIN) Number &amp; Obtain your Tax ID in 1 Hour or less.<\/p>\n<p>Estate Tax ID (EIN) Application<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What is an Estate of Deceased?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An Estate of Deceased consists of all the property and assets a person owns or controls. Estate property may be in the deceased person\u2019s name, held in a partnership or through a trust. This includes a wide array of items such as real estate, life insurance, bank accounts, retirement accounts and all other monies generated upon the person\u2019s death. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Excluded from an estate is any money transferred to an irrevocable trust throughout the course of one\u2019s life, as anything deposited in an irrevocable trust cannot be taken back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What is an Executor vs. Administrator?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Upon a person\u2019s death, a dedicated Executor or Administrator (usually a family member) will have to handle the distribution of the deceased\u2019s property. If he or she left a will, they must name an \u201cExecutor\u201d to distribute assets fairly. If there was no will at the time of death (or no Executor named in the will), an \u201cAdministrator\u201d will be appointed by the probate court to handle these disbursements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11800 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"estate tin application\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-august-de-richelieu-4427422-640x426.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to get a Tax ID Number for an Estate of Deceased:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a name=\"information\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>1. Prepare Your Information<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have your personal and estate information ready prior to starting the secure Tax ID (EIN) application. For an Estate Tax ID, you will be asked for your social security number (SSN) as well as the SSN of the deceased. Know the date that the Estate was created and it\u2019s closing month of the accounting year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"executor\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>2. Name the Estate Executor or Administrator<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Only the Executor or Administrator of the estate account may apply for an Estate Tax ID as it requires personal information of the named responsible party &#8211; such as full name, address, etc. This is either the Executor named in the will of the deceased or an Administrator appointed by a probate court.<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.border-box {<br \/>   margin-bottom:18px;<br \/>   margin-top: 18px;<br \/>   border: 4px solid rgb(1, 170, 240);<br \/>   padding: 25px;<br \/>   }<br \/>   .h2-border-box {<br \/>   font-family: Roboto, san-sarif;<br \/>   color: #01aaf0 ;<br \/>   margin-bottom: 0px!important;<br \/>   **line-height: 32px!important;<br \/>   }<br \/>   .p-border-box {<br \/>   margin-top:10px;<br \/>   margin-bottom:18px;<br \/>   font-size:18px;<br \/>   }<br \/>   @media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {<br \/>   .p-border-box {<br \/>   margin-top:40px!important;<br \/>   }<br \/>   }<\/style>\n<div class=\"zoomFilingsAdvert\" style=\"margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; border: 4px solid #01aaf0; padding: 25px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Roboto, san-sarif; color: #01aaf0; margin-bottom: 0px!important;\"><a href=\"\">Obtain an Estate Tax ID (EIN) Number<\/a><\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 18px; font-size: 18px;\">Apply for an Estate Tax ID (EIN) Number &amp; Obtain your Tax ID in 1 Hour or less.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-primary\" style=\"padding: 14px 34px; font-size: 18px;\" href=\"\">Obtain an Estate Tax ID (EIN) Number<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"online\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>3. Apply for Estate Tax ID Online<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can obtain your Estate Tax ID or Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) today by using the Online Estate EIN Application. The online application process has an average processing time of 30 minutes and is open 7:00am to 10:00pm PST. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Please note, the IRS no longer provides phone support for Tax ID (EIN) applicants; if you are trying to get an EIN for your estate account after hours, there are alternative EIN obtainment services available 24\/7.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"mail\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>4. Apply for Estate Tax ID by Traditional Mail<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The IRS additionally offers a Tax ID obtainment service for Estates via traditional mail. This option typically takes 4-5 weeks, depending on IRS workload. If your application is denied due to error, you will receive a denial message. Note that denials often provide no instruction about how to fix the problem and you may have to start the Estate EIN application process over.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"fax\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>5. Apply for Estate Tax ID by Fax<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tax ID Number applications are accepted by fax at the IRS and typically takes up to 4 days to process faxed applications. Use caution as this method is not 100% foolproof. There is no confirmation that your fax was delivered or that anyone received it on their end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"documents\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>6. Receive your Tax ID (EIN) Documents<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After completing the secure online Estate EIN (Tax ID) Number application, you should receive an email containing the Tax ID Number for your Estate \u2013 ready for immediate use. Additionally, be on the lookout for a traditional mail envelope containing your official Tax ID documents from the Internal Revenue Service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To obtain your Estate Tax ID immediately, get started now!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11798 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"estate-tin-application\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/pexels-pixabay-261621-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Estate Tin Application: FAQ<\/h2>\n<p><b> 1. What is an Estate TIN, and why is it necessary?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>An Estate TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) is a unique nine-digit number issued by the IRS to identify an estate for tax purposes. The Estate TIN is required to file its income tax returns, open an estate bank account, and manage the deceased individual&#8217;s financial matters in general.<\/p>\n<p>All in all, the estate TIN serves as the estate&#8217;s equivalent of a Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN).<\/p>\n<p><b> 2. Who needs to apply for an Estate TIN?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>The executor, personal representative, or administrator of the estate must apply for an Estate TIN if any of these scenarios applies to them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If the estate generates taxable income after the individual&#8217;s death.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If the estate needs to open a bank account to manage funds or distribute assets.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If the estate will file Form 1041 (U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b> 3. How can I apply for an Estate TIN?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>There are three main ways in which you can apply for a TIN:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Online:<\/b> You can use the IRS EIN Assistant tool on the IRS website for immediate processing (the process takes about 30 minutes overall).<\/li>\n<li><b>Mail:<\/b> Good old reliable mail. You have to complete Form SS-4 and mail it to the address listed on the form.<\/li>\n<li><b>Fax:<\/b> Believe it or not, you can still send the completed Form SS-4 to the designated IRS fax number for faster processing than mail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b> 4. What information is required to complete the application?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>When applying for an Estate TIN, you need to provide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The deceased person\u2019s name, Social Security Number, and date of death.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The name and contact information of the executor or administrator.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The address where the estate&#8217;s correspondence should be sent.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The reason for applying (e.g., to administer an estate).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b> 5. How long does it take to receive an Estate TIN?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It all depends on how you sent your application. The faster, of course, is by doing so online, but it will vary for the others. Here are the average wait time for each:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Online Applications:<\/b> You will receive the TIN immediately upon completing the process.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fax Applications:<\/b> Processing typically takes about 4-7 business days.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mail Applications:<\/b> Processing may take 4-6 weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b> 6. Can an Estate TIN be corrected if there is an error?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>Yes, you can contact the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line if there is an error in the information provided during the application process, and request a correction. To do so, you may need to submit supporting documentation to verify the changes, so be prepared and have that documentation at hand.<\/p>\n<p><b> 7. What happens if I don\u2019t apply for an Estate TIN?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>If you fail to obtain an Estate TIN, it can lead to delays in managing the estate, such as an inability to open a bank account for the estate; cause delays in filing required tax returns, which may result in penalties, and general complications in distributing assets to beneficiaries. Avoid all of these problems and more by applying for an Estate TIN promptly ensures smooth administration of the estate.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; border: 1px solid #01aaf0; padding: 25px;\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 2px; font-size: 18px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Related Tax ID (EIN) Number Articles:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: Roboto, san-sarif; color: #01aaf0; margin-bottom: 0px!important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/texas-tax-id-ein-number-business-registration\"><span style=\"color: #0099ff;\">Texas Tax ID (EIN) Number &amp; Business Registration<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: Roboto, san-sarif; color: #01aaf0; margin-bottom: 0px!important;\"><a href=\"\/how-to-get-ein-number-for-llc\"><span style=\"color: #0099ff;\">How to get an EIN Number for an LLC<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: Roboto, san-sarif; color: #01aaf0; margin-bottom: 0px!important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/ohio-tax-id-ein-number-business-registration\"><span style=\"color: #0099ff;\">Ohio Tax ID (EIN) Number &amp; Business Registration<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- div--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Do the Estate TIN Application Quick &amp; Easy Let&#8217;s face it, dealing with the death of a loved one is never enjoyable; but with a little understanding of what you&#8217;re going to need in advance, you can soften the hardships involved with settling your Estate of Deceased. The first thing you&#8217;re going to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,42],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-and-taxes","category-ein-tax-id-numbers","tag-zoomfilings"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13344,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions\/13344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}