What the "reference number" message says
If you apply for an EIN on the IRS website and the application is declined, you may see this message. The wording below is quoted from the IRS manual.IRM
"We are unable to provide you with an EIN. We apologize for the inconvenience, but based on the information provided we are unable to provide you with an EIN through this online assistant. Please call 800-829-4933 for assistance. When outside the US, call 267-941-1099. Please have your information readily available and mention reference number XXX."
The IRS manual adds that the message does not define the three-digit reference number, and that the IRS does not save what you entered in the online application.IRM Third-party sites that explain exactly what 101 means are guessing.
What the IRS does with your call
Callers are routed by reference number. Numbers 101 or 115 go to a representative. All other numbers hear an automated message that tells them to correct the invalid information and resubmit the application, or to send Form SS-4 by mail or fax.IRM
- 1
Stop re-entering the same details online
The IRS keeps no record of what you typed, and it issues one EIN per responsible party per day.IRS Repeating the same entries is unlikely to change the result.
Online tool - 2
Call the IRS
From inside the U.S. call 800-829-4933. From outside the U.S. call 267-941-1099 (not toll-free). Have your details ready and quote the reference number shown.IRM
By phone - 3
Or apply with Form SS-4
If the call does not settle it, a completed Form SS-4 can be faxed or mailed. A third-party designee with a problem getting an EIN online is advised to do exactly this.IRM
By fax or mail
The IRS may ask you to prove who you are before it helps, and it will not release an EIN to a third party without proper authorization.IRM
If you live outside the U.S. or have no SSN or ITIN
You may not be able to finish the online application at all. The IRS says you cannot use it if your principal place of business is outside the U.S., and it requires the responsible party's SSN or ITIN.IRS Applicants outside the U.S. apply by phone (6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday), fax or mail, and write "foreign" or N/A on line 7b of Form SS-4 if the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN.IRS
Our EIN service does this for you. See also what the digits of an EIN mean.
Let Nolly.com file it
Nolly.com charges US$75, one time, to prepare and file your EIN request. The IRS itself charges nothing for an EIN. We prepare Form SS-4 from your answers and send it the way that works for your situation. Nolly.com is a private company, not the IRS.
Your questions answered
It is the reference number shown with the IRS online message "We are unable to provide you with an EIN". The IRS does not define the numbers, but it routes 101 and 115 to a representative.IRM
Call the IRS (800-829-4933 in the U.S., 267-941-1099 from outside the U.S.) and quote the reference number, or apply with Form SS-4 by fax or mail.IRM
The online tool is for entities whose principal place of business is in the U.S. or its territories and whose responsible party has an SSN or ITIN. Otherwise apply by phone, fax or mail.IRS
No. The IRS manual says the IRS does not save the information entered in the online application.IRM
Yes. Apply by phone, fax or mail with Form SS-4, writing "foreign" or N/A on line 7b if the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN.IRS
Nolly.com charges US$75, one time, to prepare and file your EIN request. The IRS itself charges nothing for an EIN.
More questions? See the full Nolly.com FAQ.
How we checked this
Every IRS fact on this page comes from IRS.gov or the other official pages listed below and was checked on October 2, 2026. Nolly.com's own prices are the only exception. Nolly.com is a private company and is not part of the IRS.
Nolly Services Inc, d/b/a Nolly.com, appears on the IRS page Acceptance agents – Canada. Nolly.com is a private company and isn't part of the IRS.
- Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025)https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iss4
- Get an employer identification numberhttps://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number
- Internal Revenue Manual 21.7.13, Assigning Employer Identification Numbers (EINs)https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-007-013r
Checked against IRS.gov on October 2, 2026. General information, not tax advice.
