Michigan Tax ID (EIN) Number Application Guide
If you’re ready to apply for a tax ID number for your business, you’ve come to the right place. This guide is meant for entrepreneurs, business owners, and other professionals who need to get a federal tax ID number (EIN) for their business. In this guide, you’ll learn how you can apply for a tax id number for a corporation, partnership, LLC or other business entity type in record time. All you have to do to obtain your tax ID number is follow these basic steps.
Steps to Get a Michigan Tax ID Number
- Prepare the Necessary Information
- How to Apply for a Michigan Tax ID Online
- How to Apply for a Michigan Tax ID Through Other Methods (Phone, Mail, or Fax)
- How Do Business Owners Get a Tax ID Number?
- Is There a Difference Between Your Federal EIN Number and Your State Tax ID?
- How Do I Get a Michigan State Tax ID Number?
1. Prepare the Necessary Information
It’s in your best interest to gather all the information you need for the tax ID application before you begin filling it out. That way, you won’t get stuck on any individual piece of the application, and you’ll complete the application faster.
You don’t need much information to get started. All you’ll need are some personal details of you and your other founding members. For example, you’ll need their full legal names, their legal addresses, and their social security numbers (SSNs). If you have these data, you can complete the application in just a few minutes.
2. How to Apply for a Michigan Tax ID Online
There are a few different approaches to applying for a tax ID, but some are strictly better than others. If you’re like most business owners, you need to find a solution that’s as convenient as possible, and one that gets you a tax ID as quickly as possible.
If these goals align with yours, the best application method is applying online. Using any digital device, you can access the online application, making this an especially convenient method. If you have the personal information on your founding members, you’ll be able to finish the easy-to-understand application in 5 minutes or less. Then, when you’re done with the application, you’ll receive your tax ID via email in less than an hour. Compared to other, more traditional methods of applying for your tax ID, this is unquestionably superior. There is no faster way to get your tax ID number.
3. How to Apply for a Michigan Tax ID Through Other Methods (Phone, Mail, or Fax)
If you’re curious to learn them, there are a few other methods you could use to apply for your tax ID. These methods existed before the internet, but remain available despite the clear advantages of applying online. You could, for example, mail in an application, or fax one in if you can find a fax machine to use. You could also apply over the phone, engaging in an interview with a representative. However, these methods tend to be much slower. At best, you’ll receive your tax ID in 4 to 6 weeks via mail, rather than getting it in an hour over email.
4. How Do Business Owners Get a Tax ID Number?
Most businesses will need to obtain a tax ID number. This number, also occasionally called an employer identification number or EIN, is provided by the federal government as a unique identifier for your business. It’s 9 digits long, and is used for a variety of purposes, some of which may be legally required.
Business owners have multiple options for obtaining a federal tax ID number, but they all follow the same pattern. You’ll answer questions about your business and its founding members in an application, then wait to receive your tax ID. Traditional methods, like applying with a paper application and applying over the phone, do exist, but they tend to be much slower and less convenient.
Instead, business owners are advised to use the online application method to get their tax ID numbers. The online application can be finished in just 5 minutes (assuming you have the requisite information available), and after that, you’ll receive your tax ID in an hour or less via email.
5. Is There a Difference Between Your Federal EIN Number and Your State Tax ID?
You might have heard a reference to needing a Michigan state tax ID, but is this any different than your federal tax ID?
These sound similar, but share an important distinction. Your federal tax ID number is provided by the federal government, as the name suggests. You’ll need one for any business that has multiple founding members, or any business that plans to hire employees. Federal tax ID numbers are also required by most banks and lenders, serving as a requirement for any company that wants to open a business bank account or apply for a loan. In Michigan, you may need a business license or permit to operate legally, and you’ll need a tax ID for these applications as well.
Your state tax ID is distributed and managed by the state government of Michigan. You’ll need one of these if you’re going to hire any employees in the state of Michigan, or if you’re going to sell taxable goods or services in Michigan. If you’re not sure, it’s reasonable to assume that you’ll need both numbers.
6. How Do I Get a Michigan State Tax ID Number?
If you need a Michigan state tax ID number for your business, what’s the best way to obtain one? Like with your federal tax ID, you’ll have several application options. First, you’ll need to apply for a federal tax ID; without it, you won’t be able to finish your state tax ID application. Once you have that, you can choose to apply for a Michigan state tax ID through a traditional method or through the online process. Traditional methods include applying with a paper application (sending in via mail or fax) or applying over the phone.
Applying online is highly recommended for all Michigan business owners. The application is short and easy to navigate, so you should be able to complete it in a matter of minutes. When done, you’ll receive your Michigan state tax ID number in 4 to 6 weeks, which is still a shorter period of time than if you applied through a traditional method.