I paid for EIN because I'd rather have my teeth pulled than sit on hold with the IRS. It was only $100 extra.

weird. you can do that for free on IRS website, in 20 minutes or so.

if you don't mind forms, you can get an EIN online

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00....

Looking at my receipt, it was $65 extra, not $100.

I don't understand why one can be so scary of filling a questionary for 15 mins and ready to pay, hm, premium for an easy thing?

I don't understand why one can be so scared of cutting his own hair with garden shears for free in 15 minutes.

Hey, if you don't want to pay, do it yourself. I prefer to pay someone else to do it for me.

/me shrugs. Online application is just an equivalent of form that you might probably filled with your incorporator; and in case of an online application you get your EIN right away.

Though if you have extra money without an idea how to spend it, then yes, sure — there is a reason to pay for thing that is basically free :)

https://sa1.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp is the online free EIN form, by the way

that is what I was talking about, basically