ein number for estate
An Employer Identification Number--or EIN, for short--is a federal tax identification number issued by the IRS for businesses and other entities that need to file and pay taxes. Despite the name, an EIN is the same tax identification number assigned to a deceased person's estate. There are three ways to apply for an EIN: by mail, by telephone and online. You must be the executor or the administrator of the decedentâs estate, appointed by the decedentâs will or by court order, to apply for an EIN on the estateâs behalf.