How to find your employer identification number (EIN)

The simplest way to find your employer identification number (EIN) is to pull up your initial confirmation letter from the IRS, known as the CP 575 letter. There's no public database to look up EINs, but if you're the business owner, you can retrieve yours online through your IRS Business Tax Account or by requesting an Entity Transcript.

If neither of those options works, you can still find your EIN through your business tax returns, banking documents, or by calling the IRS directly.

What is an EIN?

An EIN is a unique, nine-digit tax identification number issued by the IRS to identify your business for tax purposes. It's also called a federal tax ID number or FEIN (federal employer identification number), and it works like a Social Security number, but for your business.

You'll use your EIN for a range of essential business activities such as tax filings, business banking, hiring employees, and sending vendor payments.

How to look up your own employer identification number

Start your EIN number lookup with your CP 575 confirmation letter, then try the IRS's online options. If an online EIN lookup doesn't work, check your tax returns, bank records, and payroll or vendor files.

1. Check your EIN confirmation letter (CP 575)

When you first apply for your EIN, the IRS will send you a confirmation letter known as the CP 575. This is the most direct record of your business EIN.

Where to look for it depends on how you originally applied:

• If you applied online through the IRS website, your CP 575 was available as a PDF download right after approval. Check your downloads folder, cloud storage, or email for the file.
• If you applied by mail using Form SS-4 or by fax, the IRS sent your confirmation through that same channel, so look through your physical business files or old fax records.

If you have an IRS Business Tax Account, you can also download a digital copy of your CP 575 directly from there, even if you've lost the original.

2. Download your CP 575 or an entity transcript from the IRS

The IRS lists three official ways to confirm an EIN, and two of them work online. If your original letter is gone for good and you want a free EIN lookup, these are your best routes:

• Digital CP575: Eligible users can log in to an IRS Business Tax Account and download a digital CP575. The IRS accepts it as a substitute for both the original notice and Letter 147C.
• Entity transcript: Request one through the IRS's business tax transcript process. It's an official IRS record that confirms the EIN tied to your business.
• Letter 147C by phone: Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and request Letter 147C.

3. Review your business tax returns

Your EIN appears on every business tax return you've filed. The specific form depends on your business structure:

• Schedule C (Form 1040): For sole proprietors or single-member LLCs, your EIN appears in the top right corner in box D, labeled Employer ID number (EIN).
• Form 1065: For partnerships or multi-member LLCs, your EIN is located at the top of page 1 in box D.
• Form 1120: C corps can find their EIN at the top of page 1 in box B.
• Form 1120-S: EINs for S corps appear at the top of page 1 in box D.

Your EIN stays the same for the life of the entity unless its ownership or structure changes, so returns from any prior year will show it. If you work with an accountant or tax preparer, they should have copies of your returns readily available.

4. Look at your business banking and financing documents

You'll need to provide your EIN for most business finance activities, so you may be able to find it on various financial documents:

• Bank statements and account applications: Many banks require your EIN as part of your business bank account application. If it's not printed on your statements, ask your bank, since it has your EIN on file from your account application.
• Loan documents and credit applications: Any business loan paperwork, lines of credit, or financing agreements list your EIN in the business identification section.

5. Check payroll, formation, and vendor records

If you can't find your CP 575, access your IRS account, or locate a tax return, your business EIN likely still appears somewhere in your files. A few places to check before contacting the IRS:

• Business formation and licensing documents: Your articles of incorporation, LLC operating agreement, partnership agreement, or state and local business licenses and permits often include your EIN.
• Payroll and employment records: Your EIN appears in box B of every W-2 and box E of every W-3 you've filed, and in the payer's TIN box on any 1099-NEC you've issued to contractors, since your EIN is usually your business's TIN. If you use a payroll service, they can pull your number directly.
• Contracts and vendor correspondence: Any W-9 you've submitted to clients or vendors has your EIN on it. Check past vendor onboarding files, master service agreements, or accounts receivable records.

Still can't find your EIN? How to request it from the IRS

If none of your records turn up your EIN, you can retrieve it directly from the IRS for free.

Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line

You can call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 to request your EIN number over the phone. The line operates Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM local time.

The IRS will verify your identity before providing the EIN, and only authorized persons (such as an owner, partner, corporate officer, or trustee) can request it. Be ready to confirm your identity and role, plus your business's legal name and address as the IRS has them on file:

• Your full legal name and title
• Your business's legal name and address

If you're calling on behalf of someone else, the IRS generally needs a valid Form 2848 or Form 8821 on file before it can share the EIN.

Request an EIN verification letter (Letter 147C)

If you need official documentation of your EIN, like for a bank, lender, or vendor, you can request Letter 147C through the same phone line at 800–829-4933. You can ask the IRS to fax it while you're on the call, which is the fastest option, or have it mailed to the address on file, which takes longer.

How to look up another company’s EIN

The IRS doesn't maintain a public database of every business EIN, but you can still find another company's number through a few channels. It helps to split the job in two: finding a company's EIN, and verifying that the EIN a vendor gave you matches its legal name.

For example, when your AP team onboards a new LLC supplier, you'd request a W-9 to find the EIN. Then you'd check the name and EIN pair before you file that supplier's 1099.

Contact the company directly

The simplest method is to request a completed W-9 form from the vendor or company. This is standard practice for accounts payable teams and the most reliable way to get an accurate EIN for tax reporting.

If you have a working relationship with the company, you can also call them directly and ask. Keep in mind they're not obligated to share it outside of a formal W-9 request.

Search SEC filings and public records

Publicly traded companies disclose their EINs in SEC filings, where the cover page of 10-K and 10-Q reports lists the I.R.S. Employer Identification No. You can search for free using the SEC's EDGAR database to pull up filings for any company that trades on a U.S. stock exchange.

State business registries confirm a company's legal name, status, and filing details, which helps you match the EIN a vendor gives you, but they generally don't publish EINs.

Use nonprofit and charity databases

Nonprofits must disclose their EINs on Form 990, which is a matter of public record. Two free resources make these easy to find:

• The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you look up EINs and tax-exempt status for registered nonprofits.
• GuideStar's nonprofit profiles and Form 990 filings (now Candid) provides Form 990 filings and detailed nonprofit profiles, including EINs.

Use a paid business verification service

Paid business data and verification services search state filings and business credit records in one place. That helps when you only have a company name and need to run an EIN search by company name.

Weigh the tradeoffs before you pay. These services cost money, and a business credit report doesn't always include the EIN, so treat any result as a lead you still need to confirm.

For example, say your finance team is vetting a private supplier with no W-9 on file. You can run a business verification search by company name and address, then confirm the result against the supplier's W-9 once it arrives.

Verify a vendor's EIN with IRS TIN Matching

If you file 1099s, the IRS's free TIN Matching service checks whether a vendor's name and EIN combination matches IRS records. You can run the check before you submit an information return, which makes it the IRS's own way to verify an EIN number.

Access is limited to payers and their authorized agents in the IRS Payer Account File. In practice, that generally means you've filed Forms 1099 within the last 2 years, and you'll need an IRS account to apply.

Expect a lag with brand-new EINs. A new EIN can take up to 2 weeks to pass TIN Matching, so a fresh mismatch isn't automatically a red flag. If a new vendor's EIN fails, wait and run the check again before you ask for a corrected W-9.

Never applied for an EIN number? How to get one

If you've realized you never actually obtained an EIN, or you need one for a new business entity, applying is free and straightforward. Remember, you can't apply for a replacement EIN. If you lost yours, retrieve it from your records or the IRS instead.

Online application

The online application on IRS.gov is the fastest method, with immediate EIN assignment upon completion. It's available Monday–Friday 6 AM to 1 AM (next day), Saturday 6 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday 6 PM to midnight Eastern, and you'll need the responsible party's SSN or ITIN.

Mail or fax application

You can also apply using Form SS-4 by mail or fax. Faxed applications typically process within 4 business days, while mailed applications take about 4 weeks.

Phone application

Phone applications are only available to businesses whose principal place of business is outside the U.S. Call 267–941-1099 (not toll-free), Monday–Friday 6 AM to 11 PM Eastern, to apply.

What you can do with your EIN

Once you have your EIN, you can use it to:

• File federal and state tax returns
• Open a business bank account
• Hire employees
• Apply for business licenses
• Establish business credit

It's also what lenders, vendors, and partners will ask for when they need to verify your business for financing or contracts.

One of the most practical next steps is using your EIN to apply for a business credit card that keeps your personal and business finances separate.

Get a Ramp Corporate Card with just your EIN

One of the biggest reasons to have your EIN accessible is to keep your personal and business finances separate. A business credit card tied to your EIN, not your SSN, does exactly that.

That's exactly what the Ramp Corporate Card is built around: you need a registered U.S. business with an EIN and a linked U.S. business bank account.

No personal credit check, no personal guarantee, and you can get approved in fewer than 48 hours. You also get up to 20x higher credit limits than traditional business credit cards.

You can build spend limits into each card before spend happens, including per-merchant limits and category restrictions. Each card blocks out-of-policy purchases at the swipe, so you're not chasing them down at month-end.

More than 85,000 businesses use Ramp to save over $1 billion a month and a year’s worth of work every hour.

See how the Ramp Corporate Card keeps spend under control from day one