Generally, businesses and trusts and estates in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Santa Barbara County and Ventura County, California need a new employer identification number (“EIN”) when their ownership or structure has changed. Changing the name of your business does not require you to obtain a new EIN.

What follows are some general rules about when getting a new federal EIN may or may not be appropriate:

Trusts
You will be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• One person is the grantor/maker of many trusts.
• A trust changes to an estate.
• A living or intervivos trust changes to a testamentary trust.
• A living trust terminates by distributing its property to a residual trust.

You will not be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• The trustee changes.
• The grantor or beneficiary changes his/her name or address

Estates
You will be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• A trust is created with funds from the estate (not simply a continuation of the estate).
• You represent an estate that operates a business after the owner's death.

You will not be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statement is true.
• The administrator, personal representative, or executor changes his/her name or address.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)
An LLC is a new entity created by state statute. The IRS did not create a new tax classification for the LLC when it was created by the states; instead IRS uses the tax entity classifications it has always had for business taxpayers: corporation, partnership, or sole proprietor. An LLC is always classified by the IRS as one of these types of taxable entities.

Corporations
You will be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• A corporation receives a new charter from the secretary of state.
• You are a subsidiary of a corporation using the parent's EIN or you become a subsidiary of a corporation.
• You change to a partnership or a sole proprietorship.
• A new corporation is created after a statutory merger.

You will not be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• You are a division of a corporation.
• The surviving corporation uses the existing EIN after a corporate merger.
• A corporation declares bankruptcy.
• The corporate name or location changes.
• A corporation chooses to be taxed as an S corporation.
• Reorganization of a corporation changes only the identity or place.

Sole Proprietors
You will be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• You are subject to a bankruptcy proceeding.
• You incorporate.
• You take in partners and operate as a partnership.
• You purchase or inherit an existing business that you operate as a sole proprietorship.

You will not be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• You change the name of your business.
• You change your location and/or add other locations.
• You operate multiple businesses.

Partnerships
You will be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• You incorporate.
• Your partnership is taken over by one of the partners and is operated as a sole proprietorship.
• You end an old partnership and begin a new one.

You will not be required to obtain a new EIN if any of the following statements are true.
• The partnership declares bankruptcy.
• The partnership name changes.
• You change the location of the partnership or add other locations.
• A new partnership is formed as a result of the termination of a partnership under IRC section 708(b)(1)(B).
• 50 percent or more of the ownership of the partnership (measured by interests in capital and profits) changes hands within a twelve-month period (terminated partnerships under Reg. 301.6109-1).