{"id":47118,"date":"2019-11-11T13:01:49","date_gmt":"2019-11-11T19:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/?p=47118"},"modified":"2021-08-12T11:03:50","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T16:03:50","slug":"what-is-ss-4-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/forms\/what-is-ss-4-form\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Form SS-4 And Why Does It Matter To Business Owners?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Future business owners and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/forms\/what-is-form-1099-k\/\">side hustlers<\/a> might want to learn about Form SS-4, a form used by the IRS to designate a business identifying number.<\/p>\n<p>You can use Form SS-4 to request an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/filing\/apply-for-ein\/\">Employer Identification Number (EIN)<\/a> from the IRS. An EIN is assigned to a business for business activities such as tax filing and reporting purposes. The following types of entities can apply for an EIN:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Employers (including corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietors)<\/li>\n<li>Estates<\/li>\n<li>Trusts<\/li>\n<li>Government agencies<\/li>\n<li>Nonprofit organizations,<\/li>\n<li>Certain individuals (including sole proprietors) and other entities listed on Form SS-4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The EIN assigned to you will have nine digits, and a hyphen between the second and third digit.<\/p>\n<p><em>Example: 12-3456789<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Think of it as a Social Security number for a business.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-47121\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/form-ss-4-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"form ss-4\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/form-ss-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/form-ss-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/form-ss-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why Is IRS Form SS-4 So Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you are thinking about setting up a business, IRS Form SS-4 is a critical step to take because it\u2019s your business\u2019 unique identifier to the IRS. This number is linked to bank accounts and many other aspects of your business.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Fill Out Form SS-4<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To file for an EIN, you can file the following ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Apply online via IRS.gov.<\/li>\n<li>Apply by mail or fax to the IRS.<\/li>\n<li>Connect with a tax pro at H&amp;R Block.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Meet with one of our knowledgeable tax pros at H&amp;R Block to help you complete your Form SS-4. With our small business taxes and accounting services, we can help your small business prosper with a unique combination of services and expertise. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-offices\/business-services\/\">Schedule a consultation<\/a> at a convenient location near you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Future business owners and side hustlers might want to learn about Form SS-4, a form used by the IRS to designate a business identifying number. You can use Form SS-4 to request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. An EIN is assigned to a business for business activities such as tax filing and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-irs","category-forms"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>What is SS-4 Tax Form | H&amp;R Block<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The SS-4 form is a tax form used for small business owners to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). 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