Getting an EIN in Minnesota is free as of 2026, and the IRS issues the federal number the moment it approves your online application. The state work starts right after.
A Minnesota LLC then registers for a seven-digit Minnesota Tax ID with the Department of Revenue, filed on Form ABR. The smart sequence is to start your Minnesota LLC first, so the IRS confirmation matches the name on file.
How to Get Your Minnesota EIN, Start to Finish
A Minnesota EIN is the free federal tax ID the IRS assigns your LLC, and an approved online application returns it before you leave the screen; Minnesota issues no EIN of its own, so for state taxes you register separately for a Minnesota Tax ID with the Department of Revenue. Most Minnesota LLCs need one: every multi-member LLC, any LLC with employees, and single-member LLCs opening a bank account.
- Cost: $0 from the IRS; third-party services charge $150 to $300 for the same free number.
- How: the IRS EIN Assistant online, or Form SS-4 by fax or mail.
- Time: online approvals come on the spot; fax takes about four business days, mail about four weeks.
- Minnesota step: register for a Minnesota Tax ID through Department of Revenue Business Tax Registration, or use Form ABR if registering by paper.
- Contacts: IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line, 800-829-4933; Minnesota Department of Revenue, 651-282-5225.
Does Your Minnesota LLC Need an EIN?
Whether a Minnesota LLC needs an EIN comes down to its structure and whether it pays anyone. The IRS doesn’t require every single-member LLC to hold one, yet banks, payroll providers, and the Minnesota Department of Revenue usually expect it anyway.
| Business type | EIN required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-member LLC, no employees | No, but recommended | Disregarded entity; needed for a bank account and to keep an SSN off forms |
| Single-member LLC with employees | Yes | Required for federal payroll and Minnesota withholding |
| Multi-member LLC | Yes | Taxed as a partnership by default |
| LLC electing S-corp or C-corp | Yes | Required to file the corporate or S-corp return |
| Sole proprietor, no LLC | Sometimes | Only with employees or certain excise taxes |
| Partnership | Yes | Every partnership needs its own number |
A multi-member Minnesota LLC defaults to partnership taxation, so the EIN doubles as the partnership’s filing number. Owners building that structure often pair the application with a Minnesota operating agreement that records each member’s share.
Single-member owners who skip the EIN tend to regret it the first time a bank asks. It’s the number that keeps a personal Social Security number off vendor forms and loan paperwork.
How to Apply for a Minnesota EIN Online, Step by Step
Most Minnesota owners finish the online application in one sitting. The IRS EIN Assistant walks through a handful of screens, and the number lands on the last one.
- Confirm the LLC is approved: Check that the Secretary of State shows the LLC as active, so the EIN matches the legal name.
- Open the IRS EIN Assistant: It runs Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET, with Saturday and Sunday windows; the session expires after 15 minutes of inactivity, so have your details ready.
- Pick the entity type: Choose the classification matching the LLC’s federal tax treatment, since this screen causes the most refilings.
- Enter the legal and trade names: The legal name must match the Articles of Organization, and a DBA goes in the trade-name field.
- Name the responsible party: This is a natural person with an SSN or ITIN, never a nominee or another company.
- Choose the reason and submit: Select why the EIN is being requested, review the entries, and submit.
- Download the CP 575 right away: Save the confirmation the moment it appears, because the IRS won’t resend it.
The online tool isn’t the only route. Applicants can fax Form SS-4 and wait about four business days, or mail it and wait roughly four weeks.
Applicants whose principal place of business sits outside the United States use the international line at 267-941-1099, open weekdays 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. That number isn’t a general no-SSN hotline; it’s tied to the foreign-business case.
Minnesota EIN Approval Letter: Save Your CP 575 Before Opening State Tax Accounts
When the IRS approves your Minnesota LLC’s EIN online, the CP 575 is the federal confirmation letter that proves the number belongs to your business. Save it before moving into Minnesota Revenue registration, because the CP 575 is not the same thing as your seven-digit Minnesota Tax ID, Secretary of State file number, or UI Employer Account Number.
What it looks like
The CP 575 usually shows the LLC’s legal name, mailing address, assigned EIN, and the date the IRS created the account. For Minnesota, compare the name on this letter against the Secretary of State record before using it in Business Tax Registration.
- Use it for: bank setup, W-9 forms, payroll setup, and Minnesota Revenue tax registration.
- Do not confuse it with: the Minnesota Tax ID, the Secretary of State file number, or the UI account number.
- Keep it with: your Minnesota Sales and Use Tax confirmation, withholding account details, and UI records if you hire.
Example CP 575 EIN confirmation letter
The EIN is free straight from the IRS. Sites that charge $150 to $300 are selling help with a form, not the number the government hands out at no cost.
Owners comparing Minnesota LLC formation services should keep the EIN as its own zero-cost line item. The IRS also caps issuance at one EIN per responsible party per day, so anyone forming several LLCs at once has to spread the applications across days.
Get the Minnesota LLC record right before you use the EIN everywhere else.
The EIN is free through the IRS, but it quickly becomes the number you use for banking, payroll, Minnesota tax registration, and other business accounts. Northwest Registered Agent can help with Minnesota LLC formation, registered agent service, and EIN filing support if you want the legal name, owner details, responsible party, and CP 575 confirmation letter handled in a more organized workflow.
What You Need to Apply for a Minnesota EIN
Gathering a few details first keeps the session from timing out. None of it’s hard to pull together once the Minnesota LLC exists.
- Approved legal name: exactly as it reads on the Minnesota Secretary of State record.
- Secretary of State file number and formation date: from the Articles of Organization confirmation.
- Responsible party details: the person’s name and SSN or ITIN.
- Entity type and reason: the federal classification and why the EIN is being requested.
- Business address and NAICS code: the principal location and the activity code that fits the business.
Forming first matters because the IRS confirmation locks in whatever name it’s given. Owners checking how long Minnesota LLC approval takes can time the application around that window, and Minnesota LLC filing fees run $155 online or $135 by mail before any tax accounts enter the picture.
EIN vs Minnesota Tax ID Number: What’s the Difference?
Here’s where Minnesota trips people up. The EIN is federal; the Minnesota Tax ID is a separate seven-digit number from the Department of Revenue, and two more numbers sit alongside both.
| Question | IRS EIN (federal) | Minnesota state numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Internal Revenue Service | Department of Revenue (Tax ID); UI / DEED (UI account) |
| Used for | Federal taxes, banking, payroll setup, state registrations | Minnesota sales, use, and withholding tax; unemployment insurance |
| Who needs it | Almost every LLC | LLCs with Minnesota sales, payroll, or employees |
| Where to get it | IRS.gov, free | Business Tax Registration (Tax ID); UIMN (UI account) |
Four numbers, three agencies, and they aren’t interchangeable. The Secretary of State file number identifies the entity on the public record, so running the Minnesota business entity search pulls that filing, never the federal EIN, which doesn’t show up in any public lookup.
I get the same email almost every week: “Where’s my Minnesota sales tax permit number?” There isn’t one, and that throws people. Minnesota folds the permit into your Sales and Use Tax registration, and the confirmation letter Revenue mails back is the permit.
Print it and label it. I tell owners to keep that confirmation letter next to the IRS CP 575 and the UI account number.
Expect someone to ask for proof. A supplier or marketplace will eventually want to see that sales tax confirmation.
Write the numbers down once. Four numbers from three agencies is the Minnesota reality, and the owners who organize them early rarely call me about it again.
Registering for Minnesota Taxes After Your EIN
The EIN unlocks Minnesota’s tax accounts. The Department of Revenue runs most of them through one portal, Business Tax Registration, also reached inside e-Services.
Minnesota withholding tax account
An LLC that pays wages registers for a Minnesota withholding account before it withholds a cent. Revenue can charge a $100 penalty for withholding without registering first, and 2026 individual rates run from 5.35 to 9.85 percent.
Minnesota Sales and Use Tax account
Selling taxable goods triggers a Sales and Use Tax account, tied to the same Minnesota Tax ID. The state rate is 6.875 percent, with local and special local taxes stacking on top, so the Department of Revenue rate calculator is the safe way to price each delivery address.
Minnesota doesn’t hand out a standalone permit number. As Minnesota’s DEED guidance explains, the registration confirmation letter serves as the sales tax permit. Remote sellers have to register once Minnesota sales pass 200 transactions or $100,000 over the prior 12 months, then start collecting within 60 days of crossing that line.
Minnesota UI Employer Account Number
Hiring brings in the Department of Employment and Economic Development. A UI Employer Account Number comes from registering with the state Unemployment Insurance program, but only after the first covered wages are actually paid, not when the LLC forms.
Employers register online at ui.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6141, option 2, and the account number issues right away. The 2026 taxable wage base is $44,000.
Minnesota Paid Leave in 2026
Payroll picked up a new line this year: Minnesota Paid Leave. Employers report wages and pay a 0.88 percent premium, with the first premiums due April 30, 2026, through the same ui.mn.gov account. It isn’t a tax ID; it’s a premium and reporting layer riding on the employer account.
Minimum fee and pass-through entity tax
Two Minnesota items catch larger LLCs off guard. The minimum fee stays at $0 until Minnesota property, payroll, and sales top $1,280,000, and a single-member LLC reporting on Form M1 doesn’t owe it at all. The pass-through entity tax is elective, set at the top 9.85 percent rate, and it isn’t part of getting an EIN.
Registering the Minnesota Tax ID itself takes minutes. A business enters its FEIN, picks its tax types, and submits Business Tax Registration online, or calls 651-282-5225 to register by phone.
Taxes aren’t the only recurring duty. Beyond Revenue, every Minnesota LLC files Minnesota’s annual renewal with the Secretary of State each year, free while the entity stays in good standing.
Common Minnesota EIN and Tax ID Mistakes
Most Minnesota EIN problems trace back to a short list of avoidable errors. A few are federal; the costly ones are pure Minnesota.
- Chasing a “Minnesota EIN”: there’s no state EIN, so the energy belongs on registering the Minnesota Tax ID instead.
- Registering for UI too early: the account belongs after the first covered wages, and Minnesota UI tells employers not to register before wages are paid.
- Filing a separate Minnesota S-corp election: Minnesota accepts the federal S election automatically, so a duplicate state filing is wasted effort; the S corporation still files Form M8.
- Naming a nominee as responsible party: the IRS wants a natural person, and a name that doesn’t match the Secretary of State record can stall the application.
- Forgetting the minimum fee: multi-member LLCs that grow past the threshold meet a bill they never planned for.
💡 Aaron Kra’s Take
Two Minnesota mistakes cost real money, and I watch both happen every year.
A multi-member LLC quietly reaches $1,280,000 or more in Minnesota property, payroll, and sales, and the fee turns up on the return like an uninvited guest.
Owners register with UI the day they form, then sit on an empty account because they haven’t paid a dollar in covered wages yet.
Lost Your EIN or Changing Your Minnesota LLC?
Losing the CP 575 isn’t a crisis. The EIN lives on past tax returns, bank records, and payroll filings, and the IRS will reissue proof as a 147C verification letter over the phone.
When the paperwork’s gone for good, here’s how to track down a misplaced EIN using records most owners already keep. The Business and Specialty Tax Line can confirm the number for an authorized person.
Some changes force a new EIN; most don’t. Turning a sole proprietorship into an LLC or moving a single-member LLC to multi-member triggers a new EIN, while a name or address change is handled with Form 8822-B or a classification change on Form 8832.
Address and agent updates matter to the state, not the IRS. Keeping your Minnesota registered agent current with the Secretary of State protects the LLC’s standing even when the EIN never changes.
Minnesota EIN Frequently Asked Questions
A few questions come up again and again from Minnesota owners. These cover the points the state handles differently from the federal process.
Is a Minnesota EIN different from a federal EIN?
No, they’re the same thing. There’s only one EIN, it’s federal, and the IRS issues it. When people say “Minnesota EIN,” they mean either that federal number or the separate Minnesota Tax ID, which is a state number entirely.
Is the EIN free in Minnesota, and do paid services help?
It’s completely free from the IRS, in every state. Paid sites charge $150 to $300 to type your answers into the same federal form you can file yourself in one sitting. For a standard Minnesota LLC, there’s no reason to pay.
What is a Minnesota Tax ID Number, and is it the same as my EIN?
No, it’s a separate seven-digit number from the Minnesota Department of Revenue. You use it for state sales, use, and withholding tax, while the EIN handles federal matters. Different agency, different number, different job.
Does Minnesota have a separate sales tax permit?
No, and this trips up a lot of sellers. Minnesota doesn’t issue a standalone permit number. You register a Sales and Use Tax account under your Minnesota Tax ID, and the confirmation letter Revenue sends back acts as your permit.
When does a Minnesota employer register for unemployment insurance?
Right after the first covered wages are paid, not when you form the LLC. The UI Employer Account Number comes from DEED’s Unemployment Insurance program, and you’ll want it before the first quarterly wage detail report is due.
Does my single-member Minnesota LLC owe the minimum fee?
Almost certainly not. A single-member LLC reporting on the owner’s Form M1 is exempt. The minimum fee only kicks in for multi-member LLCs once Minnesota property, payroll, and sales together pass $1,280,000.
Does Minnesota require its own S corporation election?
No, Minnesota accepts the federal S election automatically once the IRS approves it, so you don’t file a separate state election. The S corporation does still file Form M8, the Minnesota S Corporation Return, every year.
Can a non-U.S. resident get an EIN for a Minnesota LLC without an SSN?
Yes, foreign owners get EINs all the time. If your principal place of business is outside the U.S., you apply by phone at 267-941-1099. Otherwise you file Form SS-4 by fax or mail, and the responsible party uses an SSN or ITIN.
- Minnesota Paid Leave: Premium Rate and Contributions
- IRS: Get an Employer Identification Number
- IRS: About Form SS-4
- Minnesota Department of Revenue: Minnesota Tax ID Requirements
- Minnesota Department of Revenue: Registering Your Business
- Minnesota Department of Revenue: Sales and Use Tax
- Minnesota DEED: Tax ID Numbers
- Minnesota Unemployment Insurance: New Employer Registration
Looking for an overview? See Minnesota LLC Services
Get Your Minnesota LLC EIN with Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance helps Minnesota LLC owners apply for a federal tax ID, so they can open a business bank account, hire employees, and prepare for state tax registration with confidence.
