Recently I had a small-business owner contact me regarding changing the name of his business. We were able to amend the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. That is a routine matter and can be done in one day
This was a healthcare business and it also needed to update its federal tax ID number or EIN (Employer Identification Number). The IRS has a webpage that addresses this topic that can be accessed here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/business-name-change
Let me share with you 3 tips on notifying the IRS of a Business Name Change:
- You can call the IRS. Their phone number is 1-800-829-4933. While there are many negative connotations associated with the IRS, I have found the operators on the phone to be surprising pleasant and helpful.
- You can mail the notice to an address that does not show up on their website. The address I use is:
Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service Center
Mail Stop 6273
Ogden, UT 84201-0027Make sure to include the “mail stop” number for faster service.
- You can fax the notice to the IRS. That’s right, the IRS accepts fax notifications of a business name change. And while the fax number is nowhere to be found on the webpage above, I’m happy to share it with you here. It’s FAX: 801-620-7116.
My experience has been that the IRS will not issue a new CP 575, however it will issue a verification of EIN with the new business name on it. Though, it is important to do this well ahead of any deadlines. It can take 2-4 weeks to get the EIN updated.