Husband and Wife Solo 401k — Do We Each Need a Separate EIN?

[Mary J]

My spouse and I both work in our self-employed business and we want to both participate in a Solo 401k. I assumed we’d each need our own separate Solo 401k plan — and therefore each need our own EIN for our respective plans. Is that right, or do we share a single plan with one EIN?

Mary J

Contact

[Mark Nolan]

A husband and wife who both work in the same self-employed business do not need two separate Solo 401k plans — and therefore do not each need a separate EIN. Instead, both spouses participate in a single Solo 401k plan with one EIN.

Here is how the structure works:

• One plan, one EIN — the Solo 401k plan has a single EIN regardless of how many participants it covers
• Separate participant accounts for each spouse — even though it is one plan, each spouse has their own separate holding accounts (subaccounts) within the plan
• Separate accounts by source of funds — within each spouse’s participant accounts, separate holding accounts are maintained for each contribution type: pre-tax, Roth, and voluntary after-tax funds
• Independent contribution limits — each spouse has their own independent annual contribution limit of up to $72,000 for tax year 2026 (based on their own self-employment compensation), effectively doubling the household’s retirement savings potential

The EIN belongs to the plan, not to individual participants. A two-participant Solo 401k (husband and wife) simply has more holding accounts than a one-participant plan — but it remains one plan with one EIN. My Solo 401k Financial manages the full plan setup for both-spouse plans, including all holding account forms.

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Can I Open a Solo 401(k) With My SSN? - My Solo 401k Financial

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Mark Nolan

Compliance Officer

Contact

1-800-489-7571 www.mysolo401k.net