Copy this EIN application fax cover sheet template
To: Internal Revenue Service, [EIN Operation for a domestic route / EIN International Operation for an international route]
IRS fax: [insert the routing number selected below]
From: [responsible party or authorized designee]
Entity legal name: [exactly as shown on Form SS-4 line 1]
Return fax: +[country code] [number]
Voice phone: +[country code] [number]
Total pages: [cover sheet + Form SS-4 pages]
Message: Please process the attached Form SS-4 and return the EIN to the fax number above.
Do not place an SSN or ITIN on the optional cover sheet. Sensitive taxpayer identifiers belong only in the required fields of the official form.
Select the fax number using the IRS test
For an applicant with no U.S. legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency, when the fax is sent from outside the U.S.
For the same international applicant when the fax is transmitted from within the United States.
For an applicant with a legal residence, principal place of business, or principal office or agency in a state or Washington, D.C.
Verify the numbers immediately before sending on the IRS Form SS-4 filing page or in the current fax instructions. The IRS warns that Fax-TIN numbers may change without notice.
Make the return fax usable
- Use full international format, including country code.
- Confirm the service can receive a U.S. fax and that the number will remain active.
- Make the return number legible on the cover sheet and Form SS-4.
- Do not use a public or uncontrolled fax inbox for sensitive tax information.
- Keep the sent file and transmission confirmation in secure records.
The IRS says that when you apply by fax and provide a fax number, it sends back a cover sheet containing the EIN in about four business days. It no longer returns Form SS-4 with the EIN written on it. See the current IRS EIN application page.
Your cover sheet vs. the IRS EIN reply
The cover sheet you send: an optional routing page using the template above. It identifies the destination, sender, return fax and page count; it does not replace the signed Form SS-4.
The cover sheet the IRS sends back: the IRS says it faxes a cover sheet containing your EIN when you apply by fax and provide a fax number. It no longer returns Form SS-4 with the EIN written on it. See the IRS explanation of applying by fax.
Final page-order checklist
- Optional cover sheet with correct destination and return fax.
- Completed Form SS-4 using the entity’s exact legal name.
- Signature and date in the official signature area.
- Third Party Designee section and valid authorization only when applicable.
- No unrelated formation documents unless the IRS specifically requests them.
EIN application fax cover sheet questions
Do I need a separate cover sheet for Form SS-4?
No. The IRS requires the completed Form SS-4. A separate cover sheet is optional, but it can make the destination, page count and return fax easy to identify.
What should the cover sheet say?
List the IRS destination, responsible party or authorized designee, exact entity legal name, return fax, voice phone, total pages and a short processing message. Keep SSNs and ITINs in the official form's required fields.
How do I choose the fax number?
Use the applicant-location test and where the fax is sent from. The current international and domestic numbers are listed below; verify them on IRS.gov immediately before transmitting.
After sending
Save the date, time, destination, page count and delivery result. When a return fax number is provided, the published target is generally four business days, but inventory can delay processing. Do not submit the same entity through a second method just because the answer is late: the IRS tells applicants to use only one method so they do not receive more than one EIN.