There is often a lot of confusion of whether a church-controlled organization needs an employer identification number (EIN). The short answer is yes, an employer identification number is something every church-controlled organization needs. You want to think of the Tax ID (EIN) number as the Social Security Number for the church organization.
What are some reasons as to why you need an employer identification number for your church-controlled organization? You need the Tax ID (EIN) number to do basic actions such as opening up a bank account for a church, filing any type of tax forms for payroll withholding, as well as tax returns for the church-controlled organization itself.
Since you need a Tax ID (EIN) number to do basic activities such as even opening a bank account, you want to apply s early as possible. Waiting is going to cause delays in getting the church-controlled organization set up and established. Once your Articles of Incorporation has been accepted by your state, you want to get your employer identification number shortly after.