How to Find a Company’s EIN

To verify your employer identification number (EIN), you can check your EIN confirmation documents or tax forms, call your bank, or contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This number, also known as a federal tax identification number or business tax ID, is a unique nine-digit number issued by the IRS for tax purposes.

But what should you do if you can't find your company's employer identification number or need to look up an existing business's EIN? Learn where to find your business's tax ID number and how to verify and update this unique identifier. 

How to find EIN of a public company

If you need the EIN for a publicly traded company, you will be able to obtain its federal tax ID number through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR database. 

• Input the company name into the "Company and Person Lookup" search field.
• Check its latest Form 10-Q or Form 10-K filing for the company's EIN.

How to find EIN of a private company

Finding the EIN for a private company can be more challenging, as there are no free one-stop databases that aggregate this kind of information. The following are the best ways to find the EIN for a private company:

• Check your Form W-2. If you are an employee of the company, you will receive a W-2 form every year from them. The EIN will be on this form.
• Search government filings. If the company has made any state filings—for example, license or permit applications—you may be able to find their EIN on your state's searchable business databases.
• Contact the company. As long as you have a legitimate reason for obtaining a company's EIN, you can always try calling them directly for the information. The company's accounting department is often the best place to learn most businesses' EIN.

How to find EIN of a nonprofit

For a nonprofit or charitable organization, you can verify EIN online through a database like Guidestar. If the nonprofit is registered as a tax-exempt organization with the IRS. You can also search for it through the IRS's tax-exempt organization search page.

How to find your own business' EIN

If you've lost or misplaced your employer identification number, there are a number of ways you can verify your EIN:

• EIN confirmation letter. If you completed your EIN application online, you would have received your EIN immediately. Your EIN will be located in that computer generated notice. If you applied via mail or fax, the Internal Revenue Service would have sent you an EIN confirmation letter or return fax.
• Business and tax filings. Check for your EIN on copies of any previous business or tax returns you've made. For example, if you applied for a state business license, you may have been required to provide your EIN.
• Ask your bank. If you opened up a business bank account or obtained a business loan from your bank, chances are they will have your EIN on file.
• Contact the IRS. You can call the IRS's Business & Specialty Tax Line, Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (your local time), and ask them to search for your EIN. You'll have to provide identifying information, as the IRS representative will only provide a company's EIN to persons who are authorized to receive the information, such as a corporate officer or an executor of an estate.

Reasons why you might need to find a company's EIN

While you should always know your business’s tax ID number or EIN, there are also a variety of legitimate reasons why you might need to know or verify the EIN of another company. These include the following:

• Unemployment benefits. Many states require the federal tax ID of your former employer when you apply for unemployment benefits.
• Vendor information. If you're looking into using a new vendor and they've given you their business information, you may need their EIN in order to make sure the information you've been given is valid.
• Client information. You may need to know the EIN of new business clients in order to verify the information they've given you.
• Daily business operations. Some industries, such as insurance, may require the EINs of different companies as part of their day-to-day operations.

Keep in mind, though, that a company's EIN is much like an individual's social security number (SSN). Therefore, you should only look for a company's EIN if you have a valid reason for doing so.

Other ways to find and verify a business's EIN

In addition to the free methods listed above, there are other, fee-based ways to find a business's EIN:

• Purchase a business credit report. You can buy a business' credit report from a credit report company. The EIN should be included in the information in the credit report.
• Use a paid legal database. Legal search companies maintain databases of companies that typically include companies' contact and tax information.
• Search a fee-based EIN database. There are a number of paid EIN Lookup services and databases you can use to obtain a company's EIN information, for a fee.

Depending on whether the company whose EIN you're looking for is a publicly traded company, a nonprofit company, or a private company, there are a number of ways to determine its EIN. As long as you have a legitimate reason for obtaining this information, the process is usually not difficult and may involve nothing more than picking up the phone and contacting the company directly.

How to change or remove an employer identification number

Your federal tax identification number lasts a lifetime unless a situation warrants a change or cancellation. Below are some situations where you may need a new EIN:

• You decide to incorporate
• Your sole proprietorship is subject to bankruptcy proceedings
• There's a change in business entity structure (like going from sole proprietorship to a partnership or corporation to partnership)
• You form a new single member LLC that opts to be taxed as an S corp
• You inherit or acquire an existing business
• You become a subsidiary of a corporation
• You are a corporation and receive a new charter from your Secretary of State

To get a new federal tax ID number, you will have to restart the EIN application process. You can complete an online application or use an EIN service to stay compliant. 

When is a new EIN not required?

Changing your LLC, partnership, or corporation's business name or physical address doesn't warrant a new EIN. Other situations where you don't need to change your EIN are if your partnership or corporation declares bankruptcy. The IRS has detailed guidelines on when different business entities require a new EIN. 

If you are a single-member LLC or sole proprietor with no employees and decide to conduct business under a different name (called a “doing business as” or DBA), you don't need an EIN.

How to cancel an EIN

You may wish to cancel as EIN because the small business you intended to start never took off, you no longer need to withhold taxes, or you simply don't need it.

To cancel your EIN, you need to write a letter to the IRS that includes your legal business name, business address, business ID number, and reason you wish to cancel the company's EIN. The mailing address is Internal Revenue Service, Cincinnati, OH 45999. The IRS will only cancel your EIN and close your account after you have paid all necessary taxes.

A tax attorney can advise you if your federal tax ID number warrants a change or cancellation. 

FAQs

Does an LLC need an EIN?

If you operate a single-member LLC, don't foresee hiring any employees, and don't need to file excise, tobacco, or alcohol tax returns, then you don't need to apply for an EIN. However, an EIN can prove beneficial in several ways. It can protect your SSN from identity theft, create a distinction between your business and personal finances, and allow you to open a business bank account.

If yours is a multi-member LLC or the business involves trusts, estates, farmers' cooperatives, or plan administrators, you will need an EIN. 

Do you need a different EIN if you have multiple LLCs?

If you have multiple independent LLCs with different names and purposes, then you must have a separate employer identification number for each. Each distinct legal entity must have its own EIN. 

However, you do not need a separate EIN if you operate multiple businesses, say, through the filing of multiple DBAs under an umbrella LLC.

Can you make your business’s EIN private?

An EIN number is part of public records, so it's not possible to keep it completely private. However, to reduce misuse, try to share the nine digit number with trusted individuals or organizations like banks. Also avoid sharing the number on websites unless it's absolutely necessary. 

Is an EIN the same as a business tax ID?

Yes, an EIN is also known as your business tax ID or federal tax ID number. However, don't confuse it with a state issued business registration or license number.

Who can apply for an EIN?

All businesses are eligible to apply for an EIN. And many small businesses, including sole proprietors, will often obtain an EIN because it's useful for multiple business entity transactions such as opening a bank account and applying for business licenses or permits. International applicants who operate a U.S.-based business can apply for an EIN by calling 267-941-1099.  

Where to find a tax ID number on the IRS website:

Unfortunately, you can't look up your EIN on the IRS website. Your options are to directly call the IRS, locate your EIN confirmation letter, or find it on other business documents.