Got Some ID?
The SBA's new online form saves entrepreneurs time and money.
Getting your federal employee identification Number (EIN) just
got easier, thanks to the SBA. Entrepreneurs can now fill out one
online form to get state and local taxpayer ID numbers. Set up
together with EzGov Inc., an e-government technology provider in
Atlanta, the new online program is intended to save entrepreneurs
time and money during start-up. The program is being piloted in
Georgia and Illinois, and other states are expected to join soon,
says Ed Trimble, president and CEO of EzGov. "The hope is that
all states will participate," he says.
The program was designed to make regulations easy to find,
understand and comply with, says James Van Wert, senior advisor for
policy planning and e-government for the SBA. Van Wert estimates
that when businesses adopt the new technology en masse, they will
save more than 2.4 million hours and almost $100 million annually,
compared to the manual process.
The program is designed to link to a state's Web site as
well, offering entrepreneurs a one-stop shop for registering their
businesses. Until the new program is available in all states,
entrepreneurs can still get their EIN online (even if their state
isn't yet participating). Visit www.businesslaw.gov to get started.
Content Continues Below
According to reports, 694 businesses used the new service, which
launched in February 2003, in its first week. Says Trimble,
"It eases the setup task that all small businesses go
through."