topic Re: EFIN status dropped? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

EFIN status dropped?

stech — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:06:49 GMT

I applied for EFIN back in 2017. never used it. Today I checked the status says, Dropped and it was opened under an LLC which is closed now. Should I reapply to activate it? I want to efile using under my name. (it will be for my family member) & not getting paid for it.

Re: EFIN status dropped?

Opus 17 — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:22:57 GMT

If you are a small business, you are required to have an EIN if you pay employees. Otherwise an EIN is optional, but it is useful to have since then you can give your EIN to customers and vendors instead of your personal SSN.

Your EIN is linked to your SSN. You should never let someone else use it for their business. That would be the same as letting them using your SSN.

Your family member should use their own SSN for their business, or they can apply for their own EIN at the IRS web site.

Re: EFIN status dropped?

rjs — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:25:43 GMT

You will get more knowledgeable answers about your EFIN in the Intuit professional community.

https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/

Re: EFIN status dropped?

Opus 17 — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 23:07:08 GMT

@rjs wrote:

You will get more knowledgeable answers about your EFIN in the Intuit professional community.

https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/

If "EFIN" means electronic filing number, and is not a mistake for "EIN" (which we see a lot of here), I still would not let anyone else use a number that was assigned to me. They can get their own. You would basically be allowing them to sign your name to their work.

Re: EFIN status dropped?

Carl — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 23:46:28 GMT

You stated EFIN when I"m sure you mean FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number). It's more commonly referred to as just an EIN. An EIN is issued to a business, not an individual. EIN's are only issued by the IRS, and no other entity. The EIN is tied to a specific social security number. The only two entities that know (and have a right to know) what SSN an EIN is tied to, is the person who owns the SSN that EIN is issued under, and the IRS. That's it. Nobody else needs to know. (with one exception of your state taxing authority if your state taxes personal income.)

If you allow someone else to use your EIN, then you and you alone are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT responsible for any and all taxes due for the EIN. You could also have other legal obligations outside of taxes. For example, if the business using that EIN is sued, then **YOU** are the one who will be appearing in court as the legally recognized owner of that business with primary responsibility for ALL actions (or lack of action) of the business.

So if someone else needs an EIN, they can get their own in about 10 minutes or less, for ABSOLUTELY FREE at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

Re: EFIN status dropped?

rjs — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 01:42:15 GMT

@stech

EFIN = Electronic Filing Identification Number
EIN = Employer Identification Number
FEIN = Federal Employer Identification Number

People often call an EIN an FEIN, but the official IRS term is EIN, not FEIN. They are the same thing.

An EFIN is 6 digits. An EIN (or FEIN) is 9 digits, in the format xx-xxxxxxx.

Which one are you asking about?