Close your EIN account the right way.
When you close a business, the EIN does not just disappear. The IRS never cancels or reuses an EIN, but it will close the business account tied to it once your final returns are in. Doing this properly stops the IRS from expecting future filings and closes the loop on your company. We file the final returns, send the closure letter, and confirm the account is shut.
Closing the account, not deleting the number.
Closing your EIN is one of those steps people expect to be a delete button and it is not. An EIN, once assigned, is your business's permanent federal taxpayer number. The IRS never cancels it and never gives it to anyone else. What you can do is close the business account associated with the EIN, which tells the IRS the entity has stopped operating so it no longer expects returns under that number. That closure has a prerequisite: your final tax returns have to be filed first, with the final-return box checked. Then a short letter to the IRS, with your legal name, EIN, address, and reason for closing, wraps it up. It is the clean ending to a business that dissolution alone does not provide.
Final returns, then the closure letter.
Closing the account is a sequence, not a single form. We make sure the returns are done first, then send the letter that shuts the account.
- Final returns confirmed. A check that your final income and payroll returns are filed, with the final-return box marked.
- The closure letter. A letter to the IRS with your legal name, EIN, business address, and the reason for closing.
- The EIN assignment notice, if you have it. Your CP-575 or 147C included with the letter to help the IRS match your account.
- Sent to the right IRS office. The letter mailed to the correct IRS address so the business account is closed, with your copy on file.
When the business is truly done.
Closing the EIN account is the last federal step after a business winds down. It is not the right move if the company is only pausing or changing form.
- You have dissolved the company and it will not operate again
- You started a business that never actually launched and you are closing it out
- You have filed, or will file, the final returns under the EIN
- You want the IRS to stop expecting filings under that number
- The company is only pausing and may operate again
- You are moving the entity to a new state, which is a domestication that keeps the EIN
- You still have final returns or taxes outstanding, which must come first
- You only need to leave a state, which is a withdrawal, not an EIN closure
Closing the EIN account usually follows a state dissolution. We can handle the dissolution and the EIN closure together so the company is closed at both levels.
What the IRS requires first.
These points are verified against current IRS guidance. The two essentials are that the EIN is permanent and that final returns must be filed before the account can close.
IRS procedures and mailing addresses can change. We confirm the current process and address before sending your closure letter.
From wound down to fully closed.
- 1Confirm the final returns
We check that your final income and payroll returns are filed, with the final-return box marked.
- 2Prepare the closure letter
We draft the letter with your legal name, EIN, address, and reason for closing, and attach your EIN notice if you have it.
- 3Send it to the IRS
We mail the letter to the correct IRS address so the business account is closed.
- 4Confirm and file the record
We keep your copy and track the closure so the IRS stops expecting filings under the EIN.
Skip the letter and the notices keep coming.
Businesses that dissolve at the state level but never close the IRS account keep getting notices, and sometimes penalties, for returns the IRS still expects. We close the federal loop so the ending is clean.
We confirm the final returns are filed before we send the letter, which is the order the IRS requires.
We include the exact details the IRS needs to match and close your account the first time.
We close the federal account so you stop receiving IRS mail for a company that is gone.
You see our price up front; the IRS charges nothing to close the account. See pricing →
The rest of closing a business.
End the company at the state level, the step before EIN closure.
Explore → Leave a stateWithdraw from a stateClose a registration in a state you no longer operate in.
Explore → Before you closeEIN verification letterFind your EIN details with a 147C if you have lost the paperwork.
Explore → Starting overGet an EINApply for a number if you are forming a new business instead.
Explore →Closing an EIN, answered.
Can I actually cancel my EIN?
Not exactly. The IRS never cancels or reuses an EIN; the number stays assigned to your entity forever. What you can do is close the business account tied to it, so the IRS stops expecting returns under that number. That is what this filing does.
What do I have to do before closing the account?
File your final returns. If you owe taxes, received a notice, or made payments, all outstanding returns must be filed and paid first, including the final return with the final-return box checked. Only then will the IRS close the account.
Does closing the account cost anything?
No. There is no IRS fee to close a business account. You send a short letter with your legal name, EIN, address, and reason for closing, and the IRS typically processes it in about four to six weeks.
Is this the same as dissolving my company?
No. Dissolution closes the entity with the state. EIN closure closes the federal account with the IRS. A fully closed business usually needs both, and we can do them together.
What if I need the EIN again later?
Because the number is never deleted, if the same entity ever needs it again the IRS can reactivate your original EIN rather than assign a new one. If you are moving the company to another state instead of closing it, that is a domestication that keeps the EIN. A brand-new business, though, would apply for its own EIN.