What's the realistic turnaround time for getting an SS-4 application processed by fax for a Special Needs Trust?

I help clients with these applications regularly. The IRS is actually pretty reliable with the SS-4 fax processing - usually 3-5 business days in my experience, sometimes even faster. Their published 4-day timeframe is generally accurate. A few tips: Make sure every field on the SS-4 is correctly filled out, especially Line 9a where you clearly mark "Trust" and explain it's a Special Needs Trust. That confusion you saw online happens because their system doesn't handle specialty trusts well. Include a cover sheet with your fax that clearly states it's an SS-4 application for an EIN for a Special Needs Trust. Also, fax it to the right number - use (855) 641-6935 if you're within the US. Keep your fax confirmation as proof of submission, and if you don't hear back within 5 business days, you can call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year trying to get an EIN for a Special Needs Trust. I spent hours on hold with the IRS before finding taxr.ai at https://taxr.ai when researching alternatives. Their system helped me complete the SS-4 correctly and explained why the online application was causing the "Corporation" label issue (it's because the online system doesn't properly categorize Special Needs Trusts). What really helped was that they have specialists who review trust documentation to make sure the SS-4 aligns with your trust structure. They also provided a pre-filled cover sheet for the fax that seemed to speed things up. I got my EIN back in just 3 days.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. Their system really did make the process much clearer! The confusion with the "Corporation" label was exactly what they explained would happen with the online application. Their guided walkthrough for the SS-4 was super helpful in making sure I selected the right trust classification. I faxed my application on Monday morning using their coversheet template and got my EIN back Wednesday afternoon - less than 3 business days! Not sure if I just got lucky with timing or if their tips about how to format everything really did help, but either way I'm relieved this part is done.

When I was setting up a Special Needs Trust last year, I spent TWO WEEKS trying to get someone at the IRS on the phone to confirm they received my faxed SS-4. Absolute nightmare. Eventually I found Claimyr at https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. Turns out my fax had been received but was sitting in a queue because I hadn't specified it was a SPECIAL Needs Trust (just marked "Trust"). The agent was able to locate it and expedite it once I explained the situation. Had my EIN the next day after weeks of stress. Worth checking out if you run into any delays.

I need to eat my words from my earlier comment. After struggling for WEEKS trying to get information about my faxed SS-4, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was absolutely shocked when they called me back about 25 minutes later with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed they had my fax but it was held up because I'd checked the wrong entity box (I selected "Other" instead of "Trust"). She was able to correct it while I was on the phone and pushed it through their system. Got my EIN two days later by fax. I've never been so happy to be wrong about something!

A tip from someone who processes these regularly: Make sure you're using the CURRENT version of Form SS-4! The IRS updated it in 2023 and again in 2025, and they'll reject outdated forms. Most people download whatever comes up first in Google, which is often an old version. Also, include your phone number clearly on the fax cover sheet AND on the form itself. If there's any issue, sometimes they'll actually call you directly rather than delay the whole process with a written response.

Has anyone tried both faxing AND mailing the SS-4? I'm wondering if doing both would speed things up or just create confusion if they process both applications.

I just went through this exact process three weeks ago for a Special Needs Trust! The fax route is definitely the way to go - I got my EIN back in exactly 4 business days, which matched what the IRS website promised. A couple things that helped me: First, I called the IRS Business line (800-829-4933) before faxing to confirm the correct fax number for my state. They also walked me through which boxes to check on the SS-4 to make sure it was properly categorized as a trust and not a corporation. Second, I included a very detailed cover sheet explaining this was for a Special Needs Trust established under state law, with the beneficiary's name and relationship. The agent I spoke with said this helps their processing team route it correctly. One warning though - make sure your attorney has reviewed the trust document language before you apply for the EIN. I almost had to reapply because there was a discrepancy between how the trust was named in the legal docs versus what I put on the SS-4. Better to double-check everything upfront than deal with corrections later!

Great advice in this thread! I'm actually a tax preparer who helps clients with EIN applications regularly. Just wanted to add a few things I've learned from processing dozens of these: The 4-business-day timeframe is pretty accurate for fax submissions, but I always tell clients to plan for 5-7 days just in case. The IRS processes these in batches, so sometimes you get lucky and catch the next batch, other times you just miss it and have to wait for the following one. One thing I haven't seen mentioned - if you're working with an attorney, make sure they sign the SS-4 as the "authorized representative" if they're handling the application on your behalf. I've seen delays when the signatures don't match up with who's actually submitting the paperwork. Also, keep a copy of everything you fax. Not just the confirmation sheet, but the actual SS-4 and cover letter. If there are any issues later, having exactly what you submitted makes resolving problems much faster. The IRS agents can look up your application but they can't always see exactly what was on the form you sent. For Special Needs Trusts specifically, line 10 on the SS-4 should clearly state "Special Needs Trust for [beneficiary name]" - this helps distinguish it from other types of trusts and can speed up processing.

I went through this exact process about 6 months ago for my nephew's Special Needs Trust. The fax route worked great - took exactly 4 business days like they promised. One thing I learned the hard way: double-check that your fax machine is set to "fine" resolution, not "standard." The IRS rejected my first attempt because some of the text was too blurry to read properly. Had to refax it and that added another week to the process. Also, if you're faxing during business hours, try to do it early morning (before 10 AM EST) or after 3 PM. I noticed the fax went through much faster when I avoided their peak processing times. The confirmation came back on a Wednesday afternoon when I faxed Monday morning around 8 AM. The attorney advice about being vague on timelines is frustrating but probably realistic - they've seen too many delays to promise anything specific. But in my experience, if you fill out the form correctly and fax it clearly, the 4-day timeline is pretty solid.

I just completed this process last month for my daughter's Special Needs Trust and wanted to share my experience. The fax method worked perfectly - I got my EIN back in 3 business days, which was faster than expected. A few things that really helped: I called the IRS business line first to verify the correct fax number and got some great advice from the agent about how to fill out line 9a properly. They emphasized making it crystal clear that this was a "Special Needs Trust" and not just marking "Trust" generically. I also followed the advice about including a detailed cover sheet explaining the purpose of the trust and the beneficiary relationship. The agent mentioned that Special Needs Trusts sometimes get flagged for additional review if they're not clearly identified upfront, which can add weeks to processing. One tip I haven't seen mentioned - I sent my fax on a Tuesday morning around 9 AM and got confirmation that same afternoon that it was received. The EIN assignment came back Thursday evening. Timing seems to matter more than I expected. The whole process was much smoother than I anticipated after reading horror stories online. As long as you're thorough with the paperwork and clear about what type of trust you're establishing, the 4-day timeline seems pretty reliable.

I'm currently going through this exact process for my cousin's Special Needs Trust and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was getting really frustrated with the online application showing "Corporation" too, so it's reassuring to know that's a common issue. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to fax the SS-4 tomorrow morning. I've already called the IRS business line to confirm the fax number and got some great guidance on filling out line 9a properly - they specifically said to write "Special Needs Trust established for [beneficiary name]" rather than just "Trust." One question I have - has anyone had experience with getting the EIN when the trust beneficiary is a minor? I'm wondering if that adds any extra complications or if the process is the same. The IRS agent I spoke with didn't mention anything special about minors, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Also planning to use the "fine" resolution tip and fax early morning to avoid peak times. Fingers crossed I'll have good news to report back in a few days! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's made this whole process feel much less intimidating.

I just went through this process for my son's Special Needs Trust last week and can confirm the fax method is definitely the way to go! Got my EIN back in exactly 4 business days as promised. A couple of additional tips that helped me: First, I made sure to include the trust's full legal name exactly as it appears in the trust document on line 1 of the SS-4. Even small variations can cause delays. Second, on line 5a where it asks for the name and title of the principal officer, I put the trustee's name and wrote "Trustee" - this seemed to help clarify the trust structure. The confusion with the online application showing "Corporation" is super common with Special Needs Trusts. The IRS online system just doesn't handle specialty trusts well, so you made the right call switching to the paper fax method. One thing that really sped up my process was calling the IRS business line (800-829-4933) beforehand to confirm I had the right fax number and to double-check my form was filled out correctly. The agent was actually really helpful and walked me through a couple of details I would have gotten wrong otherwise. Hope this helps ease your concerns about the timeline! The process is much more straightforward than all the online horror stories make it seem, as long as you're clear about it being a Special Needs Trust and fill everything out accurately.

I'm currently helping my elderly parents set up a Special Needs Trust for my disabled brother, and this thread has been incredibly valuable! The online application confusion with the "Corporation" label is exactly what we experienced - it's reassuring to know this is a widespread issue and not something we did wrong. Based on all the great advice here, I'm planning to go the fax route. A few questions for those who've been through this recently: 1) When filling out the responsible party information on the SS-4, should that be the trustee or can it be the person helping to establish the trust (like me)? 2) Has anyone had issues if the trust document isn't fully executed yet but you need the EIN to open the bank account that's required for funding? It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. 3) For the cover sheet, is there a template that works best, or is a simple explanation sufficient? I'm hoping to get this submitted early next week and really appreciate everyone sharing their real-world experiences. It makes this process feel much less overwhelming when you hear from people who've actually navigated it successfully!

I just completed this process for my daughter's Special Needs Trust two weeks ago and wanted to add my experience to this helpful thread. The fax method worked perfectly - I got my EIN back in exactly 4 business days. One thing I discovered that might help others: if you're working with an attorney who drafted the trust, ask them to review your completed SS-4 before faxing. My attorney caught that I had written "Irrevocable Trust" in line 9a instead of "Special Needs Trust" which could have caused delays or confusion. Also, I found it helpful to include the trust's establishment date on the cover sheet along with a brief explanation like "Special Needs Trust established under [your state] law for disabled beneficiary [name]." The IRS seemed to process it smoothly with that context. The timing advice about early morning faxing really does seem to matter - I sent mine at 8:30 AM on a Wednesday and got confirmation of receipt that same day. Got the EIN assignment the following Tuesday afternoon. For anyone still nervous about the process, it really is much more straightforward than expected if you fill everything out clearly and specify it's a Special Needs Trust. The 4-day timeline has been accurate in my experience and from what I'm reading here from others too.

I'm currently in the process of setting up a Special Needs Trust for my nephew and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was running into the exact same "Corporation" issue with the online application and was starting to panic that I was doing something fundamentally wrong. Reading through everyone's experiences, it seems like the fax route really is the most reliable option. I'm planning to call the IRS business line tomorrow to confirm the fax number and get guidance on filling out line 9a properly, then fax early next week. One question I haven't seen addressed - has anyone had experience with trusts that have multiple beneficiaries? My nephew has a younger sister who may also need special needs planning in the future, and we're considering whether to set up separate trusts or one combined trust. I'm wondering if that affects the EIN application process at all or if it's treated the same way. Also, for those who got their EINs back via fax, did you receive just the number or was there additional documentation? I want to make sure I know what to expect so I don't miss anything important when it comes through. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this thread is a goldmine of practical information that you just can't find on the official IRS website!

I'm currently going through this exact same process for my daughter's Special Needs Trust and was getting really frustrated with the online application showing "Corporation" - so glad to see I'm not the only one dealing with this issue! Based on all the excellent advice in this thread, I'm definitely going with the fax route. A couple of quick questions for those who've successfully completed this recently: 1) When you called the IRS business line for guidance, did you need to have the trust document already finalized, or were they able to help you even if you were still in the drafting stage with your attorney? 2) For the fax confirmation receipt, is the basic transmission report from most fax machines sufficient as proof, or did anyone need something more detailed? I'm planning to fax mine early Tuesday morning after calling them Monday to confirm everything is filled out correctly. The 4-day timeline everyone is reporting is much more encouraging than the horror stories I was finding elsewhere online. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this community is incredibly helpful!