Does the IRS accept symbols in the business name on the EIN app?

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The Legal Name Of My Business Includes The Symbol For A Dollar Sign ($).

The IRS does not accept the dollar sign or other symbols as part of a business name when you apply for an EIN. The only symbols the IRS system will allow in a business name are:

  1. The letters A through Z
  2. Numbers 0 through 9
  3. (&)
  4. (-)

If there are symbols in your business name other than what is listed, IRS will not accept them. So you must select the best alternative to input the name of your business into the online form when you apply for an EIN.

Here are a few suggestions:

  1. If your business name has a character or symbol like @, period, or a plus sign, you will want to either spell the character’s name out or drop it entirely.

For instance: If the name of your company is @Martha, then write “at Martha” or “Martha.” 

  1. If your legal business name contains symbols like a forward (/) or backward (\) slash, replace this with a hyphen (-).
  1. If your legal business name contains an apostrophe, discard it and don’t leave a gap.

Obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN number) is an important step for your business. Instead of using your personal social security number to do business, you will using an EIN number. Thus, when you apply for an EIN, you wouldn’t want to enter any symbols in your business name which the IRS will not accept.

You can apply for your EIN online using our easy online form. All you need to do is follow these three steps

  1. Select the identity type.

What are you filing as? Choose one.

  1. Enter your information.

This is where you enter your personal information, business information, and additional information. Remember to use the appropriate symbols or their alternatives in your business name to ensure that the IRS accepts your EIN application.

  1. Submit your information.

Once you have submitted your form, you should receive your EIN the same day. If you are submitting this form after 6pm PST, you may receive your EIN the next business day.

As you can see, we have made the process of applying for an EIN a simple task.

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