I finally figured out why my EIN application got rejected three times

Last month I applied for an EIN for a small side business and kept getting the same rejection email with no explanation. After three tries over two weeks I finally called the IRS and found out it was because I put my home address instead of a business address. Has anyone else run into this weird hangup with the online application system?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_nancy12d ago

Is it just me, or does the IRS assume every business has a fancy office with a receptionist? I've been there, @zarat37, your coworking space hack is smart but for the rest of us regular folks it's a headache. Three rejections is rough, but I bet their system just sees "home address" and thinks you're running some shady operation out of your kitchen. Take my advice with a grain of salt, but next time try using a PO box or a friend's legit business address if you can swing it.

zarat3712d ago

Wait, hold on - the address thing tripped you up THREE times? I had the exact same problem last year when I was filing for my pet sitting thing. The online system just silently rejected me with zero hints about what was wrong, it drove me crazy. Turns out they want the physical location where you actually do the business stuff, not where you sleep at night. I finally got through after I used my coworking space address instead of my apartment, but it took me like four calls to figure that out. Your mileage will definitely vary with this one, the IRS online system is super picky about minor details.

alex82012d ago

Is it just me or did anyone else used to think the IRS had some kind of common sense built into their system? I totally used to assume they'd figure out what you meant, like if you put your home address they'd know it's a small business that runs out of your garage. But after reading this I've totally changed my mind. Their system is basically just a robot that follows strict rules and if you don't check the exact right boxes it kicks you out with no explanation. Three rejections would have made me pull my hair out, props to you for sticking with it.