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New Member
posted May 29, 2019 4:59:38 PM

I have an EIN but never used it. should I file my returns?

0 7 16700
7 Replies
New Member
May 29, 2019 4:59:39 PM

If you have taxable income then yes and use your EIN if it is for self employment.

Level 2
Jul 5, 2019 1:47:26 PM

But if there are no incomes and expenses ,  is it necessary to report that to the IRS ,?  

Alumni
Jul 5, 2019 3:51:08 PM

No, you do Not have to report anything for an EIN with no associated activity.

Level 15
Jul 5, 2019 8:19:51 PM

Agreeing with @Rainman12 , I just wonder why did you get a EIN --- for a business( sole proprietor, llc, s-corp, C-corp,  Partnership etc. ) , Trust or an Estate or what ?  

For a sole proprietor / self-employed/ single member LLC  with nil employee , EIN is not used for reporting or return filing ( at least at the federal level )

Level 15
Jul 5, 2019 8:29:58 PM

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is issued only by the IRS. It is issued to a non-breathing non-living taxable entity such as a business, an estate or a trust. If the non-living non-breathing entity is a business and that business was "OPEN FOR BUSINESS" at any time during the tax year, then that business *MAY* be required to file a tax return. Then again, it may not. But it depends on what type of business entity that EIN was issued for, as well as it's registration status with whatever state the business is licensed in. A single member LLC? A multi-member LLC? An S-Corp? A Corp? Maybe a Partnership?

Level 2
Jul 6, 2019 2:45:18 AM

 I got this EIN as sole proprietorships in order to start online business,  but since i get it ,  the business is never started ,      so i used this EIN to open just a stripe account.

 

    For that i would like to know if i may report to the IRS that i  have no taxable incomes ?
because i'm afraid that the IRS thinks that i don't want to fill tax return . Hope you understand me 🙂 

Level 15
Jul 6, 2019 1:33:12 PM

As a sole proprietor,  your business incomes/expenses are reported in your individual return ( using your SSN and NOT EIN) on schedule  C attached to your form 1040.   When you prepare your  2018 return  TurboTax would  have done this for you ( you have to tell the  software that you have  business income ).   In such a case the EIN would be used to report W2s or 1099-misc that you may have used for reporting monies  expended on  wages  for people working for your business and also transmitting and reporting withholding for those people working for you.  If you did not have anyone working for your business, then the EIN is not used for any reporting to the IRS.   For state purposes, some states issue their own business identification while others use the IRS issued EIN.

From what you have posted so far it does not appear that you have had any of these situations requiring any reporting to the IRS using the business EIN.