A nominee is a temporary person designated by someone forming a business and requesting an Employer Identification Number (EIN). The IRS doesn't establish a nominee; this is done by the business itself. Nominees are not the same as a responsible party, someone who owns or has control over a business. Businesses sometimes hire nominees to put their name in organizing documents like articles of organization for a limited liability company (LLC). Using the nominee's name keeps the names of the owners out of the public document.