Single member LLC - Owner EIN vs LLC EIN for Brokerage Account Setup

This can definitely be confusing! For a single-member LLC, there are two separate tax identities to understand: the LLC itself and you as the owner. For a standard single-member LLC, the IRS treats it as a "disregarded entity" for federal tax purposes. This means while your LLC exists legally as a separate entity (protecting your personal assets), for tax purposes, it's essentially invisible to the IRS - all income and expenses "pass through" to you personally. The EIN you got when forming your LLC is indeed the LLC's EIN. For the brokerage account, you should use this LLC EIN since you're opening the account in the name of your business. When they say "owner's EIN," they're referring to situations where you as an individual might have your own EIN instead of using your SSN (which is uncommon for individuals unless they have their own separate businesses). For the brokerage situation, since you're setting up an account for your LLC and they don't accept SSNs, you should use the LLC's EIN that you already have.

I went through this exact same headache last year! After a ton of research and multiple calls with different people, I finally figured it out using https://taxr.ai which analyzes IRS documents and explains them in plain English. It helped me understand this EIN confusion way better than anything else. Basically, your LLC's EIN is the right one to use for the brokerage account. The "owner EIN" vs "LLC EIN" confusion comes from the IRS language around tax filing responsibilities, not about which number to use when opening accounts. The service helped me understand that for accounts in the LLC's name, you always use the LLC's EIN. They have tools that explain each specific scenario - it was a huge relief to get a definitive answer rather than the contradictory advice I was getting elsewhere.

I was so skeptical about tax services like this, but I finally tried taxr.ai when dealing with my LLC's investment accounts. Gotta say I was really impressed. My situation was similar - single member LLC buying stocks - and getting clear answers about which EIN to use and how it affects my tax reporting was a game changer. The document analysis saved me from making a mistake that could have created major headaches during tax filing. I actually switched brokerages after understanding the requirements better. Really worth checking out if you're dealing with business entity questions.

I've been through this rodeo before and spent WEEKS trying to get someone at the IRS on the phone for clarification. The wait times were insane. Finally discovered https://claimyr.com and used their service to get a callback from the IRS instead of waiting on hold. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that for a single-member LLC, you use the LLC's EIN for business accounts (like your brokerage) but file taxes differently depending on your election status. Had I known about this service earlier, I would have saved myself so much frustration. I spent nearly 3 hours on hold before discovering this.

I have to admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I was desperate to resolve an EIN issue similar to the OP's problem but more complicated (involved a previous EIN that was incorrectly issued). I was 100% prepared to come back here and report it was a waste of money, but I actually got a call back from the IRS in about 90 minutes. Resolved my issue in one call after weeks of failed attempts. For business tax issues where you need to speak to a human at the IRS, it's absolutely worth it. Sorry for doubting earlier - sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing!

One thing to consider is that depending on your brokerage, they might have different requirements. I opened accounts at both Fidelity and Schwab for my single-member LLC, and they had slightly different paperwork requirements. Both needed the LLC's EIN (not my SSN), but Schwab wanted additional documentation about the LLC being a pass-through entity. Might be worth checking with your specific brokerage about exactly what they need beyond just the EIN number. Also, keep in mind that for tax reporting, your brokerage will issue forms with your LLC's EIN, but you'll still report the income on your personal return (Schedule C) if you're a standard single-member LLC without any special tax elections.

I hope someone can clarify a side question about taxes - if my single-member LLC has a brokerage account and earns dividends or capital gains, do I need to make quarterly estimated tax payments? Or can I just settle up at tax time?

Just want to add my experience here - I had the exact same confusion when setting up my LLC brokerage account last year. The key thing that helped me understand was realizing that "owner EIN" vs "LLC EIN" is really about tax filing context, not about which number to use for account setup. For your brokerage account, you definitely want to use the LLC's EIN that you already obtained from the IRS. That's the correct identifier for your business entity. The confusion about "owner's EIN" typically comes up in tax discussions where the IRS is explaining that single-member LLCs report income on the owner's personal return rather than filing a separate business return. One tip: when you're filling out the brokerage application, make sure to select "LLC" as your entity type rather than "Individual" - this will help ensure they process everything correctly with your LLC EIN. I initially started filling it out as an individual account and ran into issues until I switched to the business account option. Also keep your EIN confirmation letter handy - most brokerages will ask for it during the verification process along with your Operating Agreement.