Reference number 101

Reference number 101 means the IRS has found a business entity name that is too similar to the name of your LLC. Although it may be unique in the state where you formed your LLC, the name likely conflicts with the name of a business from another state. This isn’t a big deal for concern though, it just means the IRS needs to manually review your filing and you have to apply with Form SS-4.

Solution: File Form SS-4 by mail or by fax as the IRS will need to manually review your EIN application. If you formed an LLC, make sure to include your approved LLC filing form (Articles of Organization, Certificate of Organization, or Certificate of Formation) along with Form SS-4.

Reference number 102

Reference number 102 means there is either a mismatch or an error with the Responsible Party’s name and their Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

Solution: Try the EIN Online Application once more and make sure to enter the SSN or ITIN correctly. If you still see reference number 102, then we recommend filing Form SS-4 by mail or fax.

Reference number 103

Reference number 103 means you’ve entered an existing company as the EIN Responsible Party and their records do not match. There is an EIN number and company name mismatch.

Solution: Try the EIN Online Application once more and make sure to enter the EIN correctly. If you still get the error/reference number 103, then we recommend filing Form SS-4 by mail or fax.

Reference number 104

Reference number 104 means that a Third Party Designee (a person or company who assists in obtaining an EIN), has entered conflicting contact information. The IRS does not allow a Third Party Designee to have the same contact information as the LLC, specifically an address (either physical or mailing) and a phone number.

Solution: Try the EIN Online Application again, making sure the Third Party Designee’s contact information is their own and is not the same as the LLC’s.

Reference number 105

Reference number 105 means that you’ve made too many attempts online to obtain the EIN (using the same SSN, ITIN, or EIN), each leading to an error reference/code.

Solution: Wait 24 hours and try the EIN Online Application again. If you still receive an error message, then we recommend filing Form SS-4 by mail or fax.

Reference number 106

Reference Number 106 means that your Single-Member LLC (which has employees) does not have a Sole Proprietorship EIN yet.

Solution: Please contact the IRS as we’re not sure what the next best step is. If you run into this problem and would like to share your solution, please leave a comment below.

Reference number 107

Reference Number 107 means that your Single-Member LLC (which has employees) has more than one Sole Proprietorship EIN.

Solution: Please contact the IRS as we’re not sure what the solution is for reference number 107. If you find the solution and would like to share, please leave your experience below in the comments.

Reference number 109

Reference number 109 means that there are technical issues with the EIN Online Application. It doesn’t mean that you can’t get an EIN online though (like other reference numbers).

Solution: Wait 24 hours and then try the Online Application again. If you still get the error message, you should contact the IRS or apply for an EIN using Form SS-4.

Reference number 110

Reference number 110 means that there are technical issues with the EIN Online Application. It doesn’t mean that you can’t get an EIN online though (like other reference numbers).

Solution: Wait 24 hours and then try the Online Application again. If you still get the error message, you should contact the IRS or apply for an EIN using Form SS-4.

Reference number 112

Reference number 112 means that there are technical issues with the EIN Online Application. There are a number of reasons this message can appear, but a common one is that their systems have a large amount of users and it’s better to try at another time.

Solution: Try the Online Application again or wait 24 hours. If you still get the error message, you should contact the IRS or apply using Form SS-4.

Reference number 113

Reference number 113 means that there are technical issues with the EIN Online Application. There are a number of reasons this message can appear, but a common one is that their systems have a large amount of users and it’s better to try at another time.

Solution: Try the Online Application again or wait 24 hours. If you still get the error message, you should contact the IRS or apply using Form SS-4.

Reference number 114

Reference number 114 means that the Responsible Party has already been granted an EIN for the day. An IRS Responsible Party can only be assigned one EIN per day.

Solution: Wait 24 hours and then apply again online.

Reference number 115

Reference number 115 is when the system runs a date of death inquiry on the Responsible Party and it comes back showing that party as deceased.

Solution: Contact the IRS if the Responsible Party is not deceased. They may require further documentation to prove this, or they may request filing Form SS-4 by mail or fax instead.