Do You Need an EIN for a Miller Trust in South Carolina?
DHHS Form 905 puts the trust account in the names of the applicant/beneficiary and the trustee only, and does not specify a separate tax identification number. A Miller-type income trust is a grantor trust reported under the beneficiary's Social Security number — the trust itself does not create an EIN. (South Carolina's forms do not state a tax-ID requirement; this reflects standard IRS treatment of a grantor income trust, so if a bank asks, the beneficiary's SSN is the identifier.) The account need not be opened through a bank's trust department. That is the rule for a South Carolina Qualified Income Trust. The question comes up most often at the bank, where staff may ask for an EIN out of habit. Below is what applies in South Carolina and what to do if a branch's requirement differs from what SCDHHS publishes. This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice; for your specific situation, consult a qualified professional.
Why the bank may still ask for one
Even though SCDHHS does not require it, branch staff often ask for an EIN out of habit, because most trusts they open need a separate tax ID. If that happens, keep to how the account is titled under SCDHHS's guidance, and ask for the bank's trust department if the first person can't help.
Either way, the account is an ordinary bank account
Whether or not an EIN is involved, a South Carolina Miller Trust account is a plain dedicated checking account titled to the trust — not a special product. What trips families up is rarely the tax ID; it is the branch's unfamiliarity with the account type. Knowing the answer before you go keeps the EIN question from turning into a wasted trip.
The EIN question almost always surfaces at the counter. See what to say at the bank in South Carolina for the other refusals families hit, and the full step-by-step setup.
Common questions
- Do you need an EIN to open a South Carolina Miller Trust account?
- DHHS Form 905 puts the trust account in the names of the applicant/beneficiary and the trustee only, and does not specify a separate tax identification number. A Miller-type income trust is a grantor trust reported under the beneficiary's Social Security number — the trust itself does not create an EIN. (South Carolina's forms do not state a tax-ID requirement; this reflects standard IRS treatment of a grantor income trust, so if a bank asks, the beneficiary's SSN is the identifier.) The account need not be opened through a bank's trust department.