A trust number is almost always the trust’s Employer Identification Number, or EIN: a nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS issues to identify the trust as a taxpayer, formatted as XX-XXXXXXX.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number Whether your trust needs one depends on what kind of trust it is. A revocable living trust usually rides on the grantor’s own Social Security Number while the grantor is alive. An irrevocable trust needs its own EIN from the start.
Two Different Numbers People Call a Trust Number
When someone says “trust number,” they usually mean one of two things, and it helps to keep them straight.
The first is the EIN. This is the trust’s identity to the federal government, the same way a Social Security Number identifies an individual taxpayer. A trust has at most one EIN, and it stays with the trust.
The second is an internal account number a bank or brokerage assigns when the trust opens an account. It exists only inside that institution’s system and only tracks the assets in that account. A trust can have several of these across different institutions. They have nothing to do with tax reporting.
When a Trust Needs Its Own EIN
The IRS rule is that a trust needs an EIN to operate, with an exception for certain grantor-owned revocable trusts.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: Who Needs an EIN That exception is where most of the confusion sits.
Revocable Living Trust, Grantor Still Alive
If you created a revocable living trust and you’re still alive and competent, the IRS treats the trust as an extension of you. You report the trust’s income on your personal Form 1040 under your own Social Security Number, and the trust generally doesn’t file its own return.3Internal Revenue Service. Abusive Trust Tax Evasion Schemes – Questions and Answers Banks will open accounts using your SSN with the trust name attached. No separate EIN needed.
Irrevocable Trust
An irrevocable trust is its own taxpayer from the day it’s created. Because the grantor has given up the right to change or revoke it, the trust can’t piggyback on anyone’s SSN. You need to apply for an EIN before the trust opens accounts or does business.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: Who Needs an EIN
When the Grantor Dies
A revocable trust automatically becomes irrevocable when the grantor dies. At that point the grantor’s Social Security Number can no longer be used, and the successor trustee needs to apply for a new EIN so that post-death income is reported under the trust’s own identity. This is usually one of the first administrative tasks after death, because financial institutions will generally freeze the trust’s accounts until the new EIN is on file.
How to Get an EIN for a Trust
The fastest route is the IRS online application, which issues the EIN immediately on approval.4Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number You can also submit Form SS-4 by fax, which typically produces a response in about four business days, or by mail, which can take four to six weeks.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number
Have these details ready before you start:
- The trust’s full legal name, exactly as written in the trust document.
- The type of trust: irrevocable, a trust that just became irrevocable at the grantor’s death, or another type that needs its own EIN.
- A responsible party. The IRS requires a named individual who controls the trust’s funds and assets, typically the grantor or the trustee. It has to be a person, not another entity, and you’ll need their SSN or ITIN.6Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 – Application for Employer Identification Number
- The reason for applying, such as creating a new trust or a change in the acting trustee.
What the EIN Is Used For
Once the trust has its own EIN, that number becomes the trust’s identity for almost every financial and tax purpose.
On the tax side, a trust with its own EIN files Form 1041, the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts. Form 1041 reports the trust’s income, deductions, gains, losses, any tax the trust owes, and income distributed to beneficiaries.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts When the trust distributes income, the trustee issues a Schedule K-1 to each beneficiary showing their share, and beneficiaries report those amounts on their personal returns.9Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 1041 and Schedules A, B, G, J, and K-1 The trust’s EIN appears on every 1041 and every K-1.
On the account side, banks and brokerages require the trust’s EIN to open accounts in the trust’s name. After a grantor’s death, financial institutions generally won’t allow trust assets to be moved or managed until the new EIN is on file. The institution then assigns its own internal account number for its own tracking. The EIN is what ties everything back to the trust’s tax identity.
What Happens to the EIN When the Trust Ends
An EIN is permanent. Once the IRS assigns it, it can’t be canceled, reused, or transferred to another entity.10Internal Revenue Service. If You No Longer Need Your EIN You can ask the IRS to close the business account tied to the EIN by sending a letter with the trust’s EIN, legal name, address, a copy of the EIN assignment notice if you have it, and the reason for closing the account. The IRS will close the account, but the EIN stays on file.
Before requesting that, make sure the trust has filed its final Form 1041 and distributed all remaining assets. Closing the account too early can create complications if a tax issue surfaces later.
Finding a Trust’s EIN If You’ve Lost It
The EIN appears on the original confirmation letter the IRS sent when it was issued and on any previously filed Form 1041. If both are missing, a bank or brokerage where the trust has an account can usually provide it, and you can call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at (800) 829-4933, available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.11Taxpayer Advocate Service. Getting an EIN Keep the EIN confirmation letter with the trust document itself, and share the number only with financial institutions, tax preparers, and government agencies that have a legitimate reason to have it.