A unique nine-digit number provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify your organization is known as an Employer Identification Number (EIN). All company EINs are available to the public. We demonstrate how to do an EIN Lookup for your own or other firms.
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What exactly is an EIN number?
An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN), is a business’s equivalent of a Social Security number (SSN).
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses the unique nine-digit EIN number to identify firms for tax reporting.
An EIN is often required by business owners when they:
Apply for credit and small business financing.
Establish a small company bank account.
Employ people (EIN required)
Pay Business Taxes
When Does Your Company Need an EIN?
If any of the following statements apply to you, you must get an EIN:
Your company employs people.
Your company is a partnership or a corporation.
Your company pays excise taxes.
Nonwage income paid to a nonresident foreigner is taxed by your company.
To establish a business bank account, you must have one.
A company credit card is required to efficiently and swiftly develop business credit.
When Is an EIN Number Required for a Sole Proprietorship?
Even though a single owner uses their own personal social security number for their firm, they must get an EIN in order to recruit staff or submit excise taxes. Learn more in our article Does a Sole Proprietor Need an EIN?
To retain their corporate veil, single-member LLCs should normally get an EIN number and operate under that number.
How to Perform an EIN Lookup on the Internet
You may find a missing or lost EIN by doing the following.
Check to see if you have any IRS notices; any letters or notifications will generally contain your EIN number. Your EIN will appear on any previously filed tax return.
If you used your EIN to create a business bank account, you may get it from your bank.
You may also contact a State Agency or a municipal government if you used your EIN to get a business license or permit.
You may get your EIN by calling the IRS directly between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. till 7:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time The Business & Specialty Tax Line may be reached at 800-829-4933. Remember that Mondays are the busiest days for calling the IRS. An IRS person will ask you several qualifying questions to validate company ownership or authorization to be issued an EIN.
There are a few ways if you need to locate the EIN of a firm other than your own.
If the firm is publicly listed, you may look up the EIN in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR online Forms and Filings (SEC) database (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.).
If you have a connection with the firm, such as a vendor, you should simply ask for its EIN.
If the company is a nonprofit, you may look it up on the IRS tax exempt organization Search.
Obtain a Free EIN
The fastest and easiest approach to get a free EIN is to use the IRS website’s EIN Assistant.
Before you can get an EIN, you must first establish your firm. The IRS will want your company’s creation date as well as its formal business name.
Form SS-4 may also be used to apply for an EIN via fax or mail. If you are submitting by fax, please send your EIN application to (855) 641-6935. If you want to apply by mail, send it to the Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999.
