How to Find Your EIN Number: IRS Steps, Records to Check, and What to Do Next

If you need to find your Employer Identification Number (EIN), the fastest answer is usually already in your business records. An EIN is the federal tax ID the IRS uses to identify a business entity, and it appears on a wide range of tax and banking documents.

If you cannot locate it immediately, do not assume you need a new one. In most cases, the right next step is to search your records, confirm the number with the IRS, and keep it in a secure place for future use.

What an EIN is and why it matters

An EIN is a nine-digit number assigned by the IRS to certain businesses and entities for tax reporting purposes. It is commonly used by:

• Corporations
• Partnerships
• LLCs with employees or multiple members
• Estates and trusts
• Nonprofits and other organizations

Businesses use an EIN to file federal tax returns, open business bank accounts, hire employees, process payroll, and complete many state and local registrations. If you have ever filed employment tax forms, applied for a business loan, or opened a merchant account, your EIN may already appear in those records.

Where to look first for your EIN

Before contacting the IRS, check the documents and systems most likely to contain the number.

1. Your IRS assignment notice

If your business originally applied for an EIN, the IRS issued an assignment notice. If you saved that notice electronically or printed it, the EIN will be on it.

Look for:

• The original EIN confirmation or assignment letter
• Saved PDFs or email attachments from your formation process
• Internal formation files stored by your founder, accountant, or attorney

If your company formed recently and used a formation service or filing partner, the EIN confirmation may also be included in your business records packet.

2. Federal tax returns and payroll filings

Your EIN often appears on filed tax forms. Common examples include:

• Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return
• Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return
• Form W-2 and W-3 filings
• Corporate or partnership income tax returns
• Excise tax or employment tax forms

If your company has a tax preparer, payroll provider, or bookkeeper, ask them to check the most recent filings. They may also have the EIN on file in their client profile.

3. Business bank and financial documents

Banks and lenders typically collect the EIN when an account is opened or a loan is approved. Check:

• Business checking account records
• Merchant processing agreements
• Loan documents
• Credit applications
• Bank onboarding forms

If your business works with a payment processor or accounting platform, the EIN may also be stored in the account settings or tax profile.

4. State and local registrations

Your state tax agency, labor office, or licensing department may have your EIN on record if you registered the business for payroll taxes, sales tax, or other filings.

Review:

• State business tax registrations
• Sales tax permits
• Unemployment insurance accounts
• Local licensing files
• Annual report or registration paperwork

5. Internal business records

Many businesses keep the EIN in places that are easy to overlook:

• Operating agreements or corporate records books
• Formation documents kept by the registered agent or organizer
• Accounting software profiles
• Payroll system setup screens
• Vendor onboarding files

If you have a virtual office, outside CPA, or outsourced payroll team, ask them directly whether they have the number on file.

How to get your EIN from the IRS

If your records do not include the EIN, the IRS can help verify it for the correct authorized party.

The IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line can assist with EIN-related questions at 800-829-4933. If you have a hearing impairment, the IRS TTY number is 800-829-4059.

Before you call, be prepared to confirm key information about the business, such as:

• Legal business name
• Business address
• Responsible party information
• Entity type
• Your identity and authority to receive the information

If you are not an authorized person for the entity, the IRS may not release the EIN.

If you have multiple EINs

Some businesses accidentally end up with more than one EIN, often because a new application was submitted when the original number could not be found. If you are unsure which number belongs to the active business, contact the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and ask for help identifying the correct EIN before filing.

What not to do when you cannot find your EIN

The most common mistake is applying for a new EIN too quickly. That can create unnecessary administrative work and may cause problems with payroll, tax filings, and bank accounts.

Avoid these mistakes:

• Submitting a second EIN application just because the original number is missing
• Using a state tax ID instead of the federal EIN
• Confusing an accountant’s internal client number with the business EIN
• Filing tax returns under the wrong entity number

If you are unsure, pause and verify the number before submitting any tax form or payroll record.

EIN vs. other business IDs

It is easy to mix up the EIN with other identification numbers. Here is the difference:

• EIN: Federal tax identification number issued by the IRS
• State tax ID: Issued by a state agency for state-level tax accounts
• Sales tax permit number: Used for collecting and remitting sales tax in certain states
• Entity filing number: A state business registration or charter reference number

Only the EIN is used as the IRS federal business tax identifier.

What if you never had an EIN?

If your business truly never received an EIN, you may need to apply for one instead of trying to recover an existing number.

The IRS recommends applying electronically when eligible. In general, you should use one application method per entity so you do not receive duplicate numbers. The application process depends on where the business is located and how quickly you need the EIN.

If you are forming a new business, it is often best to secure the EIN after your entity is properly created and before you open accounts, hire employees, or begin filing payroll taxes.

How to keep your EIN easy to find later

Once you locate the number, store it in more than one secure place. A little organization now can save time later.

Good places to keep it include:

• Your formation records folder
• A secure password manager
• Your accounting system notes
• The business bank account profile
• A shared internal compliance folder with limited access

It is also smart to keep the IRS assignment notice, first tax filing, and bank account setup documents together so the EIN is easy to verify when needed.

How Zenind helps new business owners stay organized

For founders and small business owners, missing paperwork is often the real problem, not the EIN itself. Zenind helps simplify the formation process and keep essential business records organized so key details are easier to track when you need them.

That matters because the EIN is only one part of a broader compliance workflow. New businesses also need to manage formation documents, registrations, tax accounts, and ongoing filing obligations. Having a reliable system from day one reduces the chance of duplicate applications, missed deadlines, and avoidable administrative headaches.

Bottom line

If you need to find your EIN number, start with your IRS notice, tax filings, bank documents, and state registration records. If you still cannot locate it, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 to verify the number with the proper authority.

In most cases, you do not need a new EIN. You need the existing one, confirmed and stored where you can find it the next time your business needs it.