Start with IRS.gov
The IRS EIN online application says eligible users can get an EIN directly from the IRS in minutes for free. The broader IRS EIN page also describes fax, mail, and international applicant paths when the online tool is not available for the facts.
The official EIN path asks for responsible-party and entity facts. Those facts can be sensitive, so use the IRS website directly when you are ready to apply through an IRS-controlled channel.
Paid EIN services carry impersonation risk
The FTC warned operators of websites that sell EIN filing and delivery services and claim or imply affiliation with the IRS. The FTC warning describes consumer complaints about lookalike sites, government-style branding, and unclear service fees.
A paid service may sell private assistance, but it cannot make the IRS EIN itself cost money. Compare any fee-based offer against the official IRS free EIN path and the FTC warning about government impersonation.
Where Tax Paperwork fits
Tax Paperwork's SS-4 preview is only a browser-local worksheet for users who already know an EIN application is needed and want to organize known facts before using IRS.gov or another IRS-controlled channel.
It does not submit the EIN application, retrieve an EIN, call the IRS, charge for EIN issuance, act as the IRS, or hold itself out as a paid EIN service.
When to stop
- You are unsure whether an EIN is needed, who the responsible party is, or whether the entity must be formed with a state first.
- The applicant is foreign, a nominee is involved, or the workflow includes payroll, banking, state registration, withholding-agent, estate, trust, or beneficial-owner questions.
Current Tax Paperwork boundary
Tax Paperwork is not tax, legal, accounting, entity-structuring, treaty, fiduciary, valuation, or filing-channel advice. It is not IRS.gov and does not submit, transmit, fax, mail, upload, pay, or monitor IRS paperwork.