EIN Lookup: How to Find a Company’s EIN

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free EIN lookup?

Not for most businesses. The IRS has no public database of businesses’ EINs (its search for tax-exempt organizations is the exception), and it gives an EIN by phone only to someone authorized to receive it. The free official sources are documents that already carry the number: your own IRS notice and past returns, a W-2 or 1099-NEC from the business, a Form W-9, SEC filings for public companies, and IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for nonprofits.

Can I look up a company’s EIN by name?

Only where a public filing carries it. For a company that files with the SEC, search EDGAR and read the cover of its Form 10-K. For a tax-exempt organization, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you search by name. For a company that sponsors a pension or welfare benefit plan, the Department of Labor’s Form 5500 search lets you search by plan sponsor name. For other private companies there is no general public database. Some state business searches show the number (Florida’s Sunbiz has an FEI/EIN field on company records); otherwise ask the company, or request a Form W-9 if you are paying it.

How do I find my EIN number?

Check the notice the IRS sent when it assigned the number, past business tax returns, your business bank, and agencies that issued your state or local licenses. Eligible Business Tax Account users can download a digital CP575 or an entity transcript. You can also call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.

Can the IRS tell me another company’s EIN?

No public route exists. Federal law treats a taxpayer’s identifying number as confidential return information, and the IRS gives an EIN over the phone only after verifying identity and only to someone authorized to receive it. A payer who files information returns can use IRS TIN Matching to confirm a name and TIN pair it already has, but that service does not supply a number.

Where is the EIN on a W-2?

In box b, labeled "Employer identification number (EIN)". If you did not get your W-2, ask the employer first. If it still has not arrived by the end of February, the IRS says you can call 800-829-1040 with the employer’s name and address, and the IRS will contact the employer and send you Form 4852, the substitute for a W-2. If you need the EIN to prepare your return, the IRS also provides unmasked Wage and Income transcripts, which show the employer’s EIN. A standard transcript shows only the last four digits of an EIN.

How do I find a nonprofit’s EIN?

Use IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, which lets you search by EIN or organization name. If the organization files a Form 990, the EIN appears in box D at the top, and organizations exempt under section 501(c) or (d) must let any individual inspect their annual returns at the principal office during regular business hours, generally for the three years after each return is due.

Is an EIN public information?

There is no public register of EINs, and the IRS must keep return information, including a taxpayer’s identifying number, confidential. The business itself gives the number out routinely, on W-2s, 1099s and W-9s, and some public filings print it: an SEC Form 10-K, a nonprofit’s Form 990, a Form 5500 plan filing, or some state business records.

What is a 147C letter?

Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned, is the IRS letter that confirms a business’s EIN. You request it by calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. Eligible Business Tax Account users can instead download a digital CP575, which the IRS says can be used as a substitute for Letter 147C.