EINs, or Employer Identification Numbers, are written in a nine-digit format, like this: XX-XXXXXXX. These numbers are used by certain individuals, government agencies, estates of decedents, trusts, nonprofit organizations, partnerships, corporations, sole proprietors, employers, and certain other business entities. Every time any of these organizations sends information to the SSA (Social Security Administration) or to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), they must indicate their EIN on documents and forms to confirm their identity. If you are one of the organizations that is required to this include this number, you will need to know how to verify an EIN number.
Do You Have One?
First of all, you have to determine whether you have or need an EIN at all. You only do if you are one of the organizations listed below. Secondly, you only need a single EIN for every business entity. Usually, organizations start to wonder whether they need an EIN around the time their tax return is due, which is sometimes a little too late. However, if you know how to verify an EIN number, this isn't a problem. You can either find the relevant EIN number or, if you discover you don't have one but need one, you can apply for it and list "applied for" with the date wherever it is supposed to be indicated. You should not indicate your SSN (Social Security Number) where an EIN number is needed.
If any of the following applies to you, you should have an EIN. If you don't, you should request one:
– You currently have employees.
– Your business is operated as a partnership or a corporation.
– You file Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Excise, or Employment tax returns.
– You employ non-resident aliens and withhold taxes on their income other than their wages.
– You currently have a Keogh plan.
– You are a plan administrator, farmers' cooperative, nonprofit organization, REMIC, estate, exempt organization business income tax return, IRA, or trust (except a number of grantor-owned revocable trusts).
How to Verify an EIN Number:
If you recognize yourself in any of the above categories, you should already have an EIN number. If you have misplaced it or there have been a number of changes in your organization, that mean that you should have applied for a new EIN. So how do you find out?
The best way to do that is to simply contact the IRS. They have a full list of the current EINs, because they have issued them, and they will be able to verify with you whether the details you currently have are correct, and whether the existing EIN is still relevant. If you are not the business owner, but an employee for example, then the best thing to do is speak to your employer directly. If you contact the IRS as an employee, they will not issue your employer's EIN number to you, unless you have been listed as an authorized person. Your company's accounting department or human resources department should have the relevant EIN for you.