How To Find My EIN Number: 9 Places You Can Find It
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In the hustle and bustle of running a business, it’s easy to lose important information like your Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Of course, you can find it any other time except for when you need it. Fortunately, if you’ve lost your EIN, there are a few other places you’ll be able to find it.
We’ll go over each one in this article.
What Is An EIN & When Does Your Business Need One?
Your EIN or Employer Identification Number is an essential piece of information that identifies your small business with the government and registers the company as a taxpaying business entity. It’s similar to your Social Security number since they’re both federal tax ID numbers.
You probably know your Social Security number without thinking about it because it’s used for everything. An EIN isn’t commonly used, so you likely don’t know it by heart. Either way, it’s still required for many small business functions, like state and federal tax filing.
EINs are also referred to as a business tax ID number sometimes. The only way to get an EIN is through the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Luckily, you don’t have to leave home to get one and it’s completely free. You can apply for an EIN online directly on the IRS website.
The process is easy but has to be completed in one go. Simply answer several questions on the online IRS form about your business structure and number of employees, then your federal employer identification number is issued immediately.
You likely won’t need an EIN as a self-employed person or sole proprietor. But you can still get it if you’re looking to expand your business at a later time. A limited liability company (LLC) is the most common situation that needs an EIN. A sole proprietorship typically just uses an SSN.
You’ll often need your EIN in dealings with banks, tax purposes, state or local governments, and financial institutions. It comes in handy for several types of situations:
- Applying for loans, credit cards, and other financings
- Opening a bank account
- Registering a business with the state
- Paying business employment taxes
- Setting up a pension or retirement plan
- Working with non-profits, cooperatives, trusts, and estates
- Accounting for employees
You’ll need your EIN number when you have employees or plan to have employees. This is why sole proprietors don’t need it. You’ll also need it when you’re ready to establish finances for your business.
Where to Find Your EIN:
If you’ve already registered for your federal tax identification number and can’t find it, there are a few places and documents you should be able to locate it. Even as a new business owner, you might have at least one or two of these documents.
EIN Confirmation Letter
When you apply for an EIN, the IRS sends over a confirmation letter that includes your business tax ID in two places:
- The top right corner of the page
- The second sentence of the letter
It’s delivered electronically after you complete the application process and the EIN is immediately issued. The option also exists to have the confirmation letter sent by mail.
You may have opted to print a physical copy or saved it to your computer as a PDF if you completed the process online. This is probably the easiest way to find your EIN since the confirmation letter comes directly from the source.
Previous Year’s Federal Tax Paperwork
You have to use your EIN to file business taxes each year, so it makes sense to look for it on your business tax returns from the previous year.
Assuming this wasn’t the first year you’ve filed taxes for your business, your ID number can be found on those forms or other official tax documents for your small business.
Tax Notices From the IRS
If you’ve received any tax notices from the IRS regarding your business, your business tax ID can be found there too. If you’ve been up to date on your taxes, you might not have this to go off of. The IRS only sends these notices if you’re behind on taxes, have a penalty, or didn’t file.
To verify that the notice has been issued to the correct business, the IRS includes your employer ID at the top right corner of the page along with the notice date, contact information, and tax period.
Business Permits and Licenses
The next place you might be able to find your EIN is on any permits and business licenses. You would have to include it as part of your application for:
- State or local operating licenses
- Sales tax permits
- Fictitious name statements
- Building permits
- Zoning and land use permits
- Health department licensing and permits
Your EIN might be directly on the permit or business license. It could also be on the application if you kept a copy of it for yourself.
Business Profiles or Business Bank Accounts
Opening a business bank account is one of the main places you’ll use your EIN. So any paperwork from your business account might have your business tax ID on it. If it’s not on paperwork, then it might be best to call or visit the bank which you opened your account with.
You can ask them which EIN you used at the account opening. They won’t just give up this information without knowing who you are and verifying that you’re the business owner. So come prepared with other forms of identification.
This information might also be available on an open business credit file.
Business Credit Report
If you look at your business credit report, you might find your business tax ID there as well, depending on which credit reporting service you use.
When you get a credit report, the credit bureau typically includes identifying information about the business alongside the companies that helped you build credit. This might include:
- Business name
- Address
- Tax ID number
- Phone number
Some credit reporting agencies choose to show only the last few digits of the tax ID, while others choose to show the full number. Equifax is a credit bureau that chooses to show the full federal tax ID number.
Old Business Loan Applications
In the same way you need your Social Security number to apply for a new car loan or credit card, you need your EIN to apply for business loans. So if you kept a copy of an old loan application, you might find your tax ID among the business identity information.
The bank can’t process the application without that.
Payroll Paperwork
If you’ve got employees on the payroll, then you have to include your employer ID number on payroll forms, such as 1099 forms for independent contractors. This is likely stored away with the rest of your tax documents.
Including your taxpayer identification number on these tax forms enables the IRS to appropriately track your sources of income at tax time.
Call the IRS
Let’s say you still can’t find your tax ID after combing through all of your business documents. Or perhaps your business is still new and doesn’t have any of this paperwork yet. Don’t fret, there’s a final option you can use – the IRS.
Usually, people don’t call the IRS for their tax IDs. But if you can’t find your tax ID from any of the other suggested sources, then you might not have a choice. Keep in mind that calling the IRS might require a big chunk of your time. That’s why this is the last option.
The IRS has a business and specialty tax line you can call where someone can look up your tax ID and give it to you over the phone. They operate from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM local time and they’re open Monday-Friday.
Can You Look Up Another Business’s EIN?
It’s possible to look up another business’s EIN. This can be done daily easily through the EDGAR search on the Securities and Exchange Commission website. As long as the company is publicly traded, you’ll be able to find them here.
Overall, keeping your business tax ID number accessible is key to several business functions. Without it, you can’t file taxes, apply for loans, or get the business licenses you need.
While your tax ID is available on multiple forms of paperwork, it’s important to keep it somewhere safe that you’ll remember.
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