The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that it has sent letters to operators of websites that sell Employer Identification Number (EIN) filing and delivery services warning that some of their practices may violate the FTC Act and the Impersonation Rule, which prohibit posing as or misrepresenting affiliation with a government agency. According to the letters, these services charge consumers up to $300 per EIN even though consumers can obtain EINs for free directly from the Internal Revenue Service’s website. The FTC notes that companies or individuals violating the Impersonation Rule can face civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
