Glossary
EIN (employer identification number)
A nine-digit number the IRS assigns to a business for federal tax purposes.
Also called: Federal tax ID, FEIN, Tax identification number.
An EIN is to a business roughly what a Social Security number is to a person. Banks ask for it to open an account, and it is needed to hire employees and file most business tax returns.
It comes from the IRS, not the state, and the IRS issues it free of charge. You usually apply after the state has accepted the company’s formation, because the application asks for the legal name and formation date.
State business searches generally don’t show EINs. The number in a state record is the state’s own entity ID.
Where you'll see it in a business search
Not in state business searches. It appears on IRS letters and the company’s tax filings.