Do I Need an EIN to Transfer Inherited Assets?
- 1). Go to the family court in the county where the deceased resided. Apply for a probate estate, required within 30 days of death in most counties. The clerk will provide you with the required forms once you provide a death certificate and will -- if a will exists.
- 2). Obtain the probate court documents, confirming that probate has been established and you are the executor of the estate.
- 3). Call the IRS at (800) 829-4933. Form SS-4 is required for all EIN applicants, but can be filed via a phone intake interview, expediting the process. You will receive an EIN at the end of the conversation with a letter confirming the EIN within two weeks.
- 4). Use the EIN to open estate bank accounts and collect all assets under one collective tax number. Expect notices to come from the IRS regarding the responsibilities of the executor to adhere to and pay all federal taxes or assume personal liability for them.
