[header] How to get an employer identification number [title] Confirm your eligibility. [step] You generally are eligible to get an ein if you have a valid taxpayer identification number yourself (such as a social security number). [substeps] The irs limits applications to one per day for each " responsible party, " which is the person who controls or manages the entity to be identified by the ein. 
Examples of responsible parties include business owners or executors of estates. If you own a small business or are self-employed and want an ein for business purposes, the irs considers you the responsible party.