Often businesses are required to provide their employer identification number (EIN) for tax purposes, mainly to verify their tax status with the IRS. The nine-digit EIN is what determines this. Because an EIN is not something many businesses have to reference regularly, it is often misplaced or forgotten. Luckily, there are several systems businesses can use for EIN verification and to recover the number when needed.
If you have lost or misplaced your business’s EIN, it can be stressful. However, there are steps you can take to complete your EIN verification and recover the number should you need to.
How to verify your EIN if lost or misplaced
Usually, a person in a position of power has to be the one to complete the EIN verification processes, as these are often tied to the identity of those in upper management or directorial positions. The IRS can only verify EINs with those who are authorized. If your business EIN has been lost or misplaced, the first port of call should be to take the following steps.
Call the IRS support number
As a business owner, you will qualify as an authorized representative for EIN verification and you should therefore be the person to call the IRS support line. When you call, make sure you have a pen and paper available as the supporting staff will provide you with your employer identification number over the phone.
Before they can provide you with any information, you will be required to supply identification such as your full name, business address, and other identity confirmation. Once your identity has been confirmed against the IRS’s records, your employer identification number will be provided to you. This is the best way to verify your EIN if the information is required urgently.
To use the IRS’ telephonic EIN verification service, you can contact the Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. Don’t be alarmed if the process takes a bit longer than you initially expected. This telephone line is notoriously busy with a high volume of calls, so make sure you allow enough time to complete the telephone verification process.
Complete the IRS form 2848
For business owners who wish to allocate Power of Attorney to someone else in their business, they have the option of filling out form 2848. This is a form whereby someone from a company submits an application to become the designated person to deal with the company’s tax affairs and the IRS. Filling out one of these forms is also a way to confirm your employer identification number if you’re unsure.
Having someone act on your company’s behalf can be highly beneficial as it will save you as the business owner, time when dealing with business administration. Some companies prefer to have their accountants act as the representative to handle their tax affairs. The form effectively grants another person permission to access information such as your company’s EIN. They will then also be able to conduct official conversations with banks regarding your company’s banking and tax affairs.
The form will require you to fill in other tax identification numbers, such as your social security number or another company tax ID number. This will make it easier for the IRS to track down the information you require. Other information you will need to provide is standard information about yourself and the company, such as your name, the company’s name, and your registered address.
Other methods for EIN verification
If you do not want to spend time on the phone trying to track down and verify your EIN, there are several other ways you may be able to locate it. Let’s take a look at these.
Speak to your employer
If you’re employed by a company and require their EIN for tax purposes, you should be able to confirm the number with your employer. Employers are required to conform to EIN standards when outsourcing work on a contract basis or for payroll checks. They therefore should have the details on record.
Check your bank documents
You may have used your EIN to open a business bank account, in which case your bank will have your EIN on record. Check your official bank documents to see if your EIN appears on any of these.
Search for the EIN confirmation letter
After you apply for an EIN for your business entity, the IRS issues you an EIN confirmation letter which contains the confirmation of your EIN. Before calling IRS support, have a look for this letter of confirmation in your company files. You likely have this information stored somewhere for official use.
Other documents
Other documents where your EIN may appear include business licensing documentation or documentation for business loan affairs. You may be able to obtain your EIN from any official documentation surrounding these entities, or by calling the relevant organizations as an authorized company representative.
How to verify a charitable organization’s EIN
Charitable organizations are registered with the IRS as not-for-profit and therefore have their EINs available on public record. If you require your EIN as a representative from a charitable organization, you can use the IRS’ online tool to obtain it. To do this, simply log into the IRS website to do an Exempt Organization Select Check.
This process is slightly different from using standard EIN verification methods because charitable organizations are actually deemed exempt from tax, which is why they appear on a separate search system from companies that pay tax.
Alternative methods for verifying a charitable organization’s EIN include using a paid service like EINsearch. This platform has the information of over 20 million registered EINs including charitable organizations to make non-profit establishments easier to find.
Can I verify another company’s EIN?
There are several reasons you may want to find another company’s EIN number. For some businesses, accountants require suppliers’ and service providers’ EINs to classify them correctly for bank reconciliation and for correct tax reporting.
You should be able to ask the relevant finance department for their company’s EIN. However, if they do not have this on hand, you can use an EIN search service to conduct the search for you. If a company has applied for an EIN and is registered with the IRS, then recovering this information is not a difficult task.
Do you need help verifying your EIN?
Although EIN verification is a relatively straightforward process, it can take time away from your work or use up resources that could be focussed elsewhere. For this reason, many companies choose to outsource their EIN verification services. At EIN Search, we have an extensive database of registered businesses and contacts with the IRS so that we can conduct EIN verification procedures on your behalf. If you need help verifying your own or someone else’s EIN, contact us today.