People searching “EIN lookup” usually land on a state business-name search and find nothing about an EIN. That is because the EIN is a federal number issued by the IRS, and a state Secretary of State keeps its own record under its own ID. This guide covers looking up an EIN, yours or someone else’s. If you need to apply for one, see how to get an EIN without an SSN or the Desk guide on whether a single-member LLC needs an EIN.
The four cases
Your own company
The IRS notice from when you applied, past tax returns, your bank and state or local license agencies. Failing that, the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line.
A publicly traded company
The cover page of its Form 10-K and other SEC filings has a line for the I.R.S. Employer Identification No. Search EDGAR by name or ticker.
A nonprofit
The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you search by EIN or by name, and shows Form 990 series filings and determination letters.
Another private company
Not public. If you are paying them, you ask for a Form W-9, the IRS form a payee uses to give a payer its taxpayer ID.
Finding your own company’s EIN
The IRS lists these steps for a missing EIN on its Employer identification number page:
- Look for it on the notice the IRS issued when you applied for the EIN.
- Contact the bank that has your business account.
- Check with agencies where you applied for state or local licenses.
- Look on past business tax returns.
If you still can’t find it, the IRS says to call this number, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time. The IRS says it will verify your identity and give you the number over the phone if you are authorized to receive it.
The same IRS page lists three ways to confirm an EIN: request an entity transcript, download a digital CP 575 notice if you are an eligible Business Tax Account user, or call the Business & Specialty Tax Line and request Letter 147C, “EIN Previously Assigned.” The IRS says the digital CP 575 can be used as a substitute for the original CP 575 notice and for Letter 147C. The IRS page describes the 147C request as a phone request. It does not describe an online 147C request.
Finding a public company’s EIN
A company that files with the SEC reports its EIN on the cover of its annual report. The blank Form 10-K on sec.gov has a cover-page line labeled “I.R.S. Employer Identification No.”
- Open the SEC’s Search Filings page, or go straight to the EDGAR company search.
- Type the company name or ticker symbol in Company Search.
- Open the most recent Form 10-K and read the cover page.
The company results page itself lists the CIK (the SEC’s own number), SIC code and state, not the EIN. The SEC also offers EDGAR full text search for keywords across more than 20 years of filings. A CIK is not an EIN.
Finding a nonprofit’s EIN
The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) searches by EIN or by organization name. It covers Form 990 series returns, Form 990-N, Publication 78 data, the automatic revocation list and determination letters. The IRS says Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T (for 501(c)(3) organizations) and 990-N received in 2017 or later can be viewed on TEOS, and the bulk-data index includes an EIN column. Names are listed under the legal or “doing business as” name on file with the IRS, so search the legal name.
Finding another private company’s EIN
No government database publishes it. The route the IRS describes is Form W-9: a payee uses it to provide a correct taxpayer identification number to the person who is required to file an information return. The IRS instructions for requesters say a requester is anyone required to file an information return, and a payee is anyone required to provide a TIN to the requester. If you pay a vendor or contractor, ask for the W-9 before the first payment. If you are the one being asked, the W-9 is how you hand over your EIN, not a public lookup.
The IRS TIN Matching program is a different tool. The IRS describes it as a free e-Services tool for payers of reportable payments subject to backup withholding. It checks a TIN the payee already gave you against the name and TIN in IRS records before you file an information return. It confirms a match. It does not tell you an unknown company’s EIN.
Paid “EIN lookup” sites. The IRS pages cited here describe no commercial lookup service, and the IRS does not run or endorse one. For a private company, the IRS and SEC routes above are the official ones.
Why state searches don’t show it: North Carolina and Colorado
Searches like “EIN lookup North Carolina” and “EIN search Colorado” end up on name-search pages because the state registries are the business databases people find first. They are filing registries. They hold entity records, not federal tax IDs.
Secretary of State
The Business Registration search lets you search by company name, Secretary of State Identification Number (SOSID), company officials or registered agents. EIN is not one of the search options. The NC Department of Revenue issues a separate account ID when a business registers for taxes such as withholding or sales and use tax, and its sales and use tax registry searches by that account ID, not by EIN.
Our page: North Carolina LLC name search.
Secretary of State
The Business Database searches by business name, trademark, trade name, ID or document number. The Colorado Secretary of State’s FAQ says the entity record includes type, formation date, the office’s own ID number, filing status, principal office address and registered agent. It also says that ID number “is not the same as your tax ID number” and points to the IRS and the Colorado Department of Revenue for tax IDs.
Our page: Colorado LLC name search.
The North Carolina details above are the search options the Secretary of State’s page lists. For every state, see the LLC name search by state hub. A state tax account number, the federal EIN and a Secretary of State ID are three separate numbers issued by three agencies.
Who can see an EIN, and where
| Who | Can see it? | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| The IRS | Yes | Issues it. Gives it by phone to an authorized person. |
| Your bank | Yes | On the business account records, which is why the IRS suggests asking the bank. |
| A payer, through Form W-9 | Yes, if you give it | The W-9 you sign and return to someone who must report payments to you. |
| The public, if the company is publicly traded | Yes | Cover page of SEC filings such as Form 10-K. |
| The public, if the company is a tax-exempt nonprofit | Yes | IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and Form 990 series filings. |
| State Secretary of State search | No | Shows the state’s own ID number, not the EIN (see Colorado’s FAQ above). |
This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not provide legal, tax, financial, securities, or investment advice. Vermilion Vitez prepares and files documents; it is not a law firm or accounting firm. Business owners should consult qualified professionals before making decisions.
Common Questions
Is an EIN public record?
For most private companies, no. Publicly traded companies print their EIN on SEC filings such as the Form 10-K cover page, and tax-exempt organizations are searchable by EIN on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. A state business search does not list it.
Can I look up a company’s EIN for free?
Only in the public cases. The SEC’s EDGAR is free for public companies and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search is free for nonprofits. For another private company, the route the IRS describes is asking for a Form W-9.
How do I find my own EIN if I lost the letter?
The IRS suggests the notice from when you applied, your bank, agencies where you applied for state or local licenses, and past business tax returns. If those fail, call the Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The IRS verifies your identity and gives the number if you are authorized to receive it.
Does the North Carolina Secretary of State show EINs?
Its Business Registration search lets you search by company name, SOSID, company officials or registered agent. EIN is not a search option listed there. The NC Department of Revenue issues its own account ID, separate from the federal EIN.
Is a state tax ID the same as an EIN?
No. The EIN is issued by the IRS. A state tax account number, such as an NC Department of Revenue account ID, is issued by the state revenue agency, and a Secretary of State ID is a third number. Colorado’s Secretary of State says its entity ID “is not the same as your tax ID number.”
Can I get a 147C letter online?
The IRS page describes requesting Letter 147C, “EIN Previously Assigned,” by calling the Business & Specialty Tax Line. It does not describe an online 147C request. It does say eligible Business Tax Account users can download a digital CP 575 notice, which can substitute for the original CP 575 and for Letter 147C.
What is the IRS TIN Matching program for?
It is a free e-Services tool for payers of reportable payments. It checks a TIN a payee gave you against the name and TIN in IRS records before you file an information return. It confirms a match; it does not return an unknown company’s EIN.
Related
- How to get an EIN without an SSN, if you need to apply.
- Does a single-member LLC need an EIN? (Compliance Desk)
- LLC name search by state, with the North Carolina and Colorado pages.
Sources
- IRS, Employer identification number (EIN confirmation, Lost or forgot EIN, Letter 147C)
- IRS, Taxpayer identification number (TIN) matching tools
- IRS, About Form W-9
- IRS, Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9
- IRS, Search for tax exempt organizations (TEOS)
- IRS, TEOS FAQs (990 bulk data index)
- IRS, Exempt organizations public disclosure
- SEC, Search Filings
- SEC, EDGAR company search
- SEC, EDGAR full text search
- SEC, Form 10-K (cover page)
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration
- NC Department of Revenue, Business registration (account ID)
- NC Department of Revenue, Registry of Sales and Use Tax Numbers
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business Database Search
- Colorado Secretary of State, FAQ: Finding information