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Paste the rejection. Get the fix.
The IRS online assistant returns a three-digit reference number when it rejects your SS-4. Paste it below — or pick from the list — and we map it to a verified cause, fix, and escalation path. Processing happens in your browser only; the rejection text is never sent to our servers.
Error code decoder
client-side · no logging101
IRS reference number 101
Entity name conflict
File SS-4 by mail or fax4–5 weeks (mail) · 4 business days (fax)
What it actually means
The IRS detected a name conflict — another entity in the IRS database is using a name that is identical or substantially similar to the one you submitted. [1]
Most common causes
- An existing entity (any state, any year) is registered at the IRS under a name that overlaps yours.
- A previously dissolved entity still carries an open record.
- Your name was approved at the state level but conflicts at the federal level — state and IRS uniqueness checks are separate.
Step-by-step fix
- 1Verify your state-approved entity name on your filed Articles.
- 2If state-unique but IRS-conflicted: file SS-4 by mail or fax — an IRS agent will review the name and may accept it with documentation, or require a name change.
- 3If you want a different name: amend with the state first; do not retry online with a name your state has not yet approved.
citeIRS Pub 1635cite26 CFR §301.6109-1citeForm SS-4 Inst.
Informational, not tax advice. The IRS issues all EINs — we do not. Talk to a CPA or EA →
Expectation-setting
Only the IRS issues EINs. No service — formation operator, attorney, CPA, or EIN-resolution shop — issues EINs. What they sell is the labor of refiling SS-4 on your behalf, not a different outcome.
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Expectation-setting
Only the IRS issues EINs. No service — formation operator, attorney, CPA, or EIN-resolution shop — issues EINs. What they sell is the labor of refiling SS-4 on your behalf, not a different outcome.
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citeForm SS-4 Inst. — fields & validationciteIRS Pub 1635
All 13 codes
101Entity name conflict
102SSN/ITIN mismatch — responsible party
103Existing EIN — responsible party reuse limit
104Third-party designee conflict
105Excessive attempts
108Entity name / TIN combination invalid
109Technical / system error
110Technical issue with website
111Trust EIN — already issued
112Estate EIN — already issued
113Estate / Trust — responsible-party SSN required
114One EIN per responsible party per day
115Responsible party deceased