How To Find Your Business EIN Number

Find your business EIN through IRS records, tax returns, bank documents, licensing agencies, or the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line. Review when a new EIN is required, how applications work, and why this federal tax ID benefits business owners.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. An EIN: What is it?

3. Who requires an EIN?

4. How to submit an EIN application

5. How much time does obtaining an EIN take?

6. Submitting a new EIN application

7. Advantages of holding an EIN, even when you don’t require it

8. EIN search: How to find your business EIN number?

9. How to find the EIN of another company

10. How can an EIN be cancelled?

Introduction

An employer identification number (EIN), which aids the IRS in monitoring a company’s activities, functions similarly to a personal Social Security number. Owners of businesses must have it. There are several methods to identify your EIN if you are unaware of it. This guide explains how to find your business EIN number through the IRS and other reliable sources.

An EIN: What is it?

The IRS assigns a nine-digit number called an employment identification number to identify your company. Certain businesses must have an EIN. It can be useful even if it’s not required.

An EIN can be used to file tax returns, register for business loans and permits, and establish a business bank account. Additionally, it permits business owners to provide a federal tax ID number distinct from their Social Security number. Get an EIN right away by applying online.

When you register for an EIN digitally, you usually get your number right away, which you may use for everything from creating a bank account to filing for a company license.

You can apply by phone, fax, or mail as well. You will discover more about the enrollment procedure in this article.

Who requires an EIN?

Applications for an EIN are open to all kinds of businesses. But the IRS mandates that companies obtain an EIN if you:

Compensate at least one worker.
Run a company as a partnership or corporation.
Submit the tax returns listed below:

- Excise
- Employment
- Firearms, alcohol, and tobacco

Withhold any taxes on income given to a non-resident immigrant, except wages.
Have a Keogh scheme for worker pensions that is tax-deferred.
Participate in any of the following categories of entities:

- Estates
- Trusts
- Farmers’ cooperatives & plan administrators
- Non-profit organizations
- Real estate loan investment conduits

How to submit an EIN application

The easiest and fastest way to obtain an EIN is to apply online. Anyone with a business or legal domicile in the United States can apply online for an EIN. To obtain an EIN via the internet:

Visit the IRS website to access the EIN assistant.
Respond to the questions displayed on the screen.
Your EIN is going to be issued online right away.

The IRS offers the online EIN request procedure from 7 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday (Eastern Time).

What details will I require?

To obtain an EIN, you must be aware of:

Your company’s established name. If you are a sole proprietor, this might be your own name.
Your Social Security number or the Taxpayer Identification Number
What kind of business do you run?
Your company’s primary activity, or what it does
Why you require an EIN
How long have you been in operation?
The total number of workers you anticipate having in the upcoming year

You must also specify how you are taxed by the IRS if you run your company as an LLC. A home-based LLC with one member is automatically recognized as a “disregarded entity,” whereas a domestic limited liability company with more than one member qualifies as a partnership. If you wish to be categorized differently, you will need to complete additional paperwork.

Make sure you complete this area accurately by carefully reading the SS-4 instructions or by following the online instructions.

Must Read: Sole Proprietorship vs LLC: Key Differences and Considerations

How much time does obtaining an EIN take?

How you file your application will determine the length of time it takes:

You will obtain your EIN right away after submitting the online application, which consists of a series of prompts that must be finished in a single sitting.
Your EIN will be faxed to you four business days after you submit Form SS-4 if you apply via fax.
If you submit your application by mail, it should be completed in four weeks.
International applicants may apply over the phone and receive an EIN right away.

Submitting a new EIN application

A business could require a new EIN when it changes ownership or organizational structure. The following situations require each kind of business organization to submit an application for a new EIN:

As sole proprietors, when you:

Are vulnerable to a bankruptcy process.
Incorporate.
Form a partnership.
Acquire or inherit an established company that will continue to function as a sole proprietorship.

If a sole proprietor operates many businesses under one name or changes the name or location of their business, they do not require a new EIN.

Corporations, when you:

Obtain a fresh corporation charter from the Secretary of State.
Are a parent company’s subsidiary and have been utilizing the parent’s EIN.
Transition to a sole proprietorship from a partnership.
Are a part of a newly formed company following a merger.

Neither current corporations that have survived a merger nor businesses that are divisions of corporations require a new EIN. A new EIN is not required for corporations that petition for bankruptcy, change their names or locations, or decide to file taxes as an S corporation. A corporation does not require a new EIN if a corporate restructuring just modifies the name or location of operation.

Partnerships, when you:

Incorporate.
Quit the partnership. It turns into a sole proprietorship.
End a previous partnership and establish a new one.

A new EIN is not necessary for partnerships that file for bankruptcy, change names, or add or modify locations. Additionally, the firm won’t require a new EIN if at least 50% of the partnership’s ownership, expressed in capital & profits, is transferred during a 12-month period.

Advantages of holding an EIN, even when you don’t require it

As soon as you register the business unit with your state or local government, the U.S. Small Business Administration advises you to apply for an EIN.

1. Keeps the Social Security number safe

You may prevent the Social Security number from being overexposed or ending up in inappropriate hands by setting up an EIN. If you are a freelancer, you can avoid disclosing the Social Security number to each client that pays you by utilizing an EIN on your tax filings.

If you are a sole owner, you can submit 1099 forms to all contractors and freelancers you pay using an EIN instead of your Social Security number.

2. Facilitates the opening of a business bank account

As was previously said, a lot of banks want an EIN for corporate accounts in order to verify that you have a valid company and the authority to execute checks as its stated legal owner. Banks are reluctant to open business accounts for individuals who might expose them to risky or unethical business practices.

Keeping your personal and company accounts distinct is made easier with a business bank account. Keeping your personal and business costs apart is always a good idea.

3. Helps in establishing business finance

An EIN can be linked to your company’s credit rating and serves as a buffer between you and your company. Having an EIN is essential if you want to build a business credit record and safeguard your personal credit.

EIN search: How to find your business EIN number?

You must learn how to find your business EIN number if you no longer have it on file. The IRS suggests the following actions to track down or confirm your EIN if you were previously issued one but lost your number.

1. Locate the initial IRS letter of confirmation you received

As we previously stated, you can get the number right away when you register for an EIN online. Following your application, you receive an EIN letter from the IRS, which you may print from the web and receive in the mail. Your EIN shall be on screenshots or hard copies of the letter if you saved them.

2. Give any company where you utilized your EIN a call

The bank or permit agency ought to have your EIN on file, as you would probably need one to establish a business bank account or obtain a business license. The number would also be kept on file by any other entity that asked for your EIN.

3. Examine past tax returns

You might wonder how to find your business EIN number after losing important documents. Your EIN will be noted on previously submitted tax returns for your company. Copies of your tax returns and the supporting documentation should be retained for 2 to 3 years, or more, depending on the specifics of your return.

4. Get in touch with the IRS

The Business & Specialty Tax Line can be reached from 7 am to 7 pm local time. Call 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday. You won’t have to pay to speak with an IRS agent. You will need to give them identifying information so they can locate your number.

You have to be a corporate official, a trustee in a trust, an executor of the estate, a sole proprietor, or a partner of a partnership to obtain your EIN via the phone.

How to find the EIN of another company

You can use the SEC’s Edgar system to look up another business’s EIN for free as long as the firm is public. You have to enter the name of the company in the search. You will be sent to a webpage. It contains information about the business. It shows its most recent filings and reports when you click on the name. The EIN can then be found by expanding the “business information” box.

The IRS Tax Exempt Company Search page is likewise free to use to find the EIN of a nonprofit organization. Choose “search” from the primary search menu. If you know the state and city of the organization, you may also enter it to assist in refining the results.

Since there is not a central database, locating the EIN of a private firm can be a little more difficult. Your best option in this situation is to request the EIN directly from the company’s finance/accounting department. You may use a paid option or pay-to-search database to get a company’s EIN. Make sure the service is trustworthy before making any purchases.

How can an EIN be cancelled?

You can cancel the account in question with the IRS if you apply for an EIN but later decide you don’t need it or shut down your business. Whether or not you have submitted tax returns using the EIN will determine how you shut down your account. Send a formal letter to the IRS with the company’s full legal name, the EIN, the business address, and the reason that the account should be terminated if the EIN was never used. Sending the certified return receipt would be a smart idea, so you have proof that the IRS received it.

It might be essential to submit a final return before the IRS closes the account if you have already filed an income tax return using the EIN. Forms 1120-S, 1065, and 1120 are examples of business tax returns that feature a checkbox to indicate that the return is final. In the last year of your business, you must file the final return regardless of whether you have no expenses or income.

An EIN cannot be transferred to another organization once it has been issued by the IRS. Even when you terminate your business account, this remains true. The number is still the company’s permanent identification number, and you can use it to reopen your account if you decide to reestablish the firm in the future.

Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.

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How To Find Your Business EIN Number

Introduction

An EIN: What is it?

Who requires an EIN?

How to submit an EIN application

How much time does obtaining an EIN take?

Submitting a new EIN application

Advantages of holding an EIN, even when you don’t require it

EIN search: How to find your business EIN number?

How to find the EIN of another company

How can an EIN be cancelled?

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