An EIN number lookup finds a 9-digit federal tax ID printed as XX-XXXXXXX. To find your own EIN, read the CP-575 or any filed return. To find another entity's, use a W-9, SEC EDGAR, or the IRS nonprofit search. Every legitimate route costs $0.
No single database holds every EIN. Your own EIN sits on 13 documents you already hold and on a 147C letter the IRS reissues at $0 by calling 267-941-1099. A public company's EIN is free on SEC EDGAR, printed on page 1 of every 10-K. A registered nonprofit's EIN is free on IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, drawn from 1.8 million Form 990 filings. A private company's EIN is confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6109, so the only reliable route is a Form W-9 the business hands you directly.
An EIN number lookup is the process of finding a business's 9-digit Employer Identification Number. It splits into 2 jobs: recovering your own EIN, and finding a third party's EIN. The right route depends on which of the 2 you need.
An EIN, also called a Federal Tax ID, is assigned once and never expires. The IRS prints it as 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7 digits, for example 12-3456789. It identifies a business the way a Social Security Number identifies a person. Even closing a business never erases the number, which is why you cancel an EIN by closing the IRS account, not by deleting the digits. For the anatomy of those 9 digits, read the EIN number format guide, and for the definition itself see what is an EIN number.
The single fact that governs every lookup: there is no master public directory of all EINs. The IRS keeps private EINs confidential. Only 2 slices of the economy publish their EINs, both because a federal filing rule forces disclosure. The table below routes each need to its correct free source.
| Lookup source | What it covers | Records | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP-575 letter | Your own EIN, 1 per entity | 1 issued at assignment | $0 |
| Your filed tax returns | Your own EIN, box B | Every year filed | $0 |
| IRS Letter 147C | Your own EIN, reissued | 2 business days by fax | $0 |
| Form W-9 | Any vendor's EIN, line 7 | 1 per vendor request | $0 |
| SEC EDGAR | Public company EIN, 10-K | ~8,000 filers | $0 |
| IRS TEO Search | Nonprofit EIN, Form 990 | 1.8 million entities | $0 |
| Paid data providers | Private company EIN | Millions, unverified | $50–$250 |
Sources: IRS, SEC EDGAR full-text search, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, verified August 2026.
Answer 1 or 2 questions and the tool below points you to the correct free source. It is a guided router, not a database — it stores nothing, calls nothing, and never claims a lookup of a private EIN that no free source holds.
Pick the one that fits. There is no single public database of every EIN, so the right free route depends on who the number belongs to.
This tool routes you to the correct free source. It runs entirely in your browser, stores nothing, and queries no private database — none exists for every EIN.
Read it off 1 of 4 sources you already control: the CP-575 letter, any filed business return, a business bank statement, or a reissued 147C letter. All 4 cost $0, and 3 of them take under 5 minutes.
Recovering your own EIN is a search problem, not an application problem, because the IRS never deletes an assigned number. Start with paper you hold before you call anyone. The full 13-document checklist and the IRS phone script sit on the lost EIN number page; the 4 fastest sources appear below.
| Source | Where the EIN prints | Turnaround | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP-575 confirmation letter | Top block, beside legal name | Under 1 minute | $0 |
| Form 1120 / 1120-S / 1065 | Box B, page 1 header | 2 minutes | $0 |
| Business bank statement | Account header or tax page | 1 to 3 business days | $0 |
| IRS Letter 147C | First line of the letter | 1 to 2 business days | $0 |
When every document is gone, the IRS reissues your EIN as Letter 147C. Call 267-941-1099 for international callers, or the domestic Business & Specialty line at 800-829-4933, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday. The agent asks 5 verification questions, then sends the 147C by fax the same day or by mail within 4 to 6 weeks. The fax route resolves in 1 to 2 business days at $0.
Only an authorized person receives the number: a sole proprietor, a partner, a corporate officer, a trustee, an executor, or a representative named on Form 2848. Read the entity's exact legal name from line 1 of the original Form SS-4, because LLC and L.L.C. are 2 different records to the IRS.
Use 1 of 3 free routes matched to the entity type: a Form W-9 for any vendor, SEC EDGAR for a public company, and IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for a nonprofit. Each returns the 9-digit EIN at $0.
The route depends entirely on who the business is. A private LLC will never appear in a public search, so you request its EIN directly. A listed corporation and a registered charity both disclose their EIN in mandatory federal filings. The find EIN for a business page walks each route field by field; here is the decision rule.
Request a Form W-9 before the first payment. Line 7 carries the 9-digit EIN or the SSN of a sole proprietor. The IRS requires a W-9 from any vendor you pay $600 or more in a calendar year. Keep the completed form for 3 to 7 years. A vendor who refuses triggers 24 percent backup withholding under Section 3406, reported on Form 945 by January 31.
Every SEC-registered company prints its EIN on the cover of each 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K under the label "I.R.S. Employer Identification No." SEC EDGAR has hosted these filings since 1993 and covers roughly 8,000 active filers plus over 800,000 historical entities. Search by ticker or name, open the newest 10-K, and read page 1.
Exactly 2 free public databases return EINs: SEC EDGAR for about 8,000 public companies, and IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for 1.8 million nonprofits. GuideStar and ProPublica repackage the same IRS 990 data at $0.
Both databases exist because a filing rule forces disclosure, not because the IRS chose to publish. Public companies file 10-K reports with the SEC; nonprofits file Form 990, which federal law makes open to the public. Everything else stays private. The table pins down what each source holds.
| Database | Who is listed | Records | Where the EIN sits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC EDGAR | Public companies | ~8,000 active | 10-K cover, page 1 | $0 |
| IRS TEO Search | 501(c) nonprofits | 1.8 million | Form 990, next to name | $0 |
| ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer | Nonprofits, from 990s | 1.9 million filings | Org summary header | $0 |
| Candid / GuideStar | Nonprofits, from 990s | 1.8 million profiles | Profile detail line | $0 tier |
| Any private company | Not listed | 0 free records | Request a W-9 | $0 |
Sources: SEC EDGAR, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Candid, verified August 2026.
For a source-by-source breakdown of exactly what each free tool covers and where it stops, see the free EIN lookup guide, which pins down the limit of every $0 database.
Open efts.sec.gov, type the company name, and filter to form type 10-K. The cover page shows the EIN in XX-XXXXXXX form directly under the state of incorporation. EDGAR full-text search reaches back to 2001, and the filing index reaches back to 1993. A delisted company keeps every historical filing, so a lookup works years after the stock stops trading.
Because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 classifies an EIN as taxpayer identifying information. The IRS releases a private EIN only to the responsible party, an authorized officer, or a Form 2848 representative. No public directory of the other 30 million-plus private EINs exists.
The IRS issues roughly 5 million new EINs each year, and the vast majority belong to private LLCs, sole proprietors, and closely held corporations that file no public report. None of those numbers reaches a search engine. A site that claims a free lookup of any private EIN is scraping W-9s, court records, or credit files, not querying an IRS database.
Two groups escape the rule by their own filings. A public company waives EIN confidentiality the moment it files a 10-K with the SEC. A 501(c) nonprofit waives it by filing Form 990, which the Internal Revenue Code makes open for public inspection. That single legal distinction explains why 8,000 corporations and 1.8 million charities are searchable while 30 million private firms are not.
Run 3 checks: confirm the 9-digit format, match the legal name printed beside it, and request a 147C letter from the IRS at 267-941-1099. For bulk payroll checks, the IRS TIN Matching program confirms an EIN and name together.
Verification protects a 1099 filing. A wrong EIN on a Form 1099-NEC draws a CP-2100 notice from the IRS and, after 2 unheeded notices, 24 percent backup withholding. The full method to verify an EIN covers IRS TIN Matching for payers and the W-9 route for vendors; the EIN verification letter page covers the 147C request; the format checks below catch most errors first.
| Check | What valid looks like | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Digit count | Exactly 9 digits | 10 digits is a state ID |
| Shape | 2 digits, hyphen, 7 digits | 3-2-4 shape is an SSN |
| Prefix | 1 of 60 valid campus prefixes | 13 prefixes never issued |
| Name match | Matches line 1 legal name | Trade name means a DBA |
| Second source | 2 independent documents agree | 1 source is only a lead |
The first 2 digits once identified the IRS campus that assigned the EIN. That mapping ended in 2001, when the IRS centralized assignment. 60 prefixes are in use and 13 have never been issued, so a prefix outside the valid set flags a typo. The prefix reveals nothing about the state, age, or size of the business today.
Paid providers charge $50 to $250 per query for private company EIN data. Dun & Bradstreet, LexisNexis, Middesk, and Tomba sell what a free W-9 request delivers. The IRS itself charges $0 for every EIN service.
Paid data helps 1 narrow case: verifying a counterparty you cannot ask directly, at scale, during underwriting or KYC. For a single vendor, the W-9 is faster and free. The prices below are list rates for private business EIN records.
| Provider | Data sold | Price per record | Free alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dun & Bradstreet | EIN plus D-U-N-S profile | $50 to $200 | W-9, $0 |
| LexisNexis | Business identity report | $100 to $250 | W-9, $0 |
| Middesk | EIN verification, TIN match | $2 to $15 at volume | TIN Matching, $0 |
| Consumer EIN sites | Single EIN record | $50 or more | SEC EDGAR, $0 |
List prices verified August 2026; enterprise contracts vary. The IRS charges $0 for CP-575, 147C, and TIN Matching.
2 letters carry your EIN. The CP-575 is the one-time confirmation issued at assignment. The 147C is the official replacement when the CP-575 is lost. The IRS issues both at $0, and banks accept either.
The IRS prints exactly 1 CP-575 per EIN and never reprints it, so a lost CP-575 is replaced by a 147C rather than a duplicate. Read what the original document contains on the EIN confirmation letter page.
| Letter | When issued | How to get it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP-575 | Once, at assignment | Auto-issued, 0 requests | $0 |
| 147C | On request, any time after | Call, fax within 2 days | $0 |
Both letters print the same 9-digit EIN beside the same legal name. A bank, Stripe, PayPal, or Amazon seller account accepts either one. If you need the official replacement, the EIN verification letter page details the 147C request line by line.
The IRS online assistant issues an EIN in 1 session or shows a reference number on failure. Reference 101 flags a name conflict; 102, 103, and 109 flag system errors; 110 and 114 flag daily limits. Fax filers confirm in 4 business days.
The online assistant does not save progress, so a failed session shows a reference code instead of an EIN. The EIN application status page covers confirmation timing for each method; the codes below explain the most common stops.
| Reference number | What it means | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Name conflict across 50 states | File Form SS-4 by fax |
| 102 / 103 | SSN or ITIN mismatch | Recheck line 7b, retry in 24 hours |
| 109 / 110 | Technical or daily-volume error | Retry after 24 hours |
| 114 | 1 EIN per responsible party per day | Apply again the next day |
Reference 101 is the most common, and a fax filing of Form SS-4 clears the name conflict a human reviewer resolves. The full breakdown of every code sits on the EIN reference number 101 page. The IRS caps online issuance at 1 EIN per responsible party per day, which triggers reference 114. Learn the whole application in 4 methods on the how to get an EIN number page.
One reference table for every fixed value a lookup relies on: the IRS contact lines, the disclosure thresholds, and the statutes that govern each route. Business days exclude the roughly 11 US federal holidays.
| Reference | Value |
|---|---|
| EIN length and shape | 9 digits, as 2-7 |
| Valid campus prefixes | 60 in use, 13 unissued |
| New EINs issued per year | About 5 million |
| Private EINs outstanding | Over 30 million |
| SEC EDGAR active filers | About 8,000 |
| EDGAR historical entities | Over 800,000 since 1993 |
| IRS international phone line | 267-941-1099 |
| IRS domestic Business line | 800-829-4933 |
| IRS fax, international entity | 855-215-1627 |
| IRS fax, US-based entity | 855-641-6935 |
| 147C fax delivery | 1 to 2 business days |
| W-9 vendor threshold | $600 per year |
| Backup withholding, Section 3406 | 24 percent |
| Corporate tax rate | 21 percent |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3 percent |
| Social Security portion | 12.4 percent |
| Medicare portion | 2.9 percent |
| Form 945 filing deadline | January 31 |
| W-9 record retention | 3 to 7 years |
| Form SS-4 numbered fields | 18 fields |
| Form 5472 penalty, no EIN filing | $25,000 |
| EIN assignment centralized | Year 2001 |
| Governing EIN statute | 26 U.S.C. 6109 |
| Entity classification rule | 26 CFR 301.7701-3 |
| Third-party authorization forms | Form 2848, Form 8821 |
| Address or party change form | Form 8822-B, within 60 days |
Sources: IRS, 26 U.S.C. 6109, 26 CFR 301.7701-3, SEC EDGAR, verified August 2026.
9 more questions on lookup, verification, and cost. Every legitimate route costs $0. Your own EIN sits on 13 documents; public EINs are free on SEC EDGAR; 1.8 million nonprofit EINs are free on IRS search.
An EIN number lookup is the search for a 9-digit Employer Identification Number printed as XX-XXXXXXX. 2 kinds exist: finding your own EIN across 13 documents you already hold, and finding another entity's EIN through a W-9, SEC EDGAR, or the IRS nonprofit search. Every legitimate route costs $0.
Yes, for 2 categories only. SEC EDGAR lists the EIN of roughly 8,000 public filers on page 1 of every 10-K. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lists 1.8 million nonprofit EINs from Form 990. Private company EINs sit in 0 free databases, so the W-9 route is the reliable path.
Only for nonprofits. The IRS runs Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov, covering 1.8 million exempt entities and updated monthly. The IRS runs no public lookup for private company EINs, because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 treats them as confidential taxpayer data released only to the responsible party or a Form 2848 designee.
Check 4 sources, each at $0. The CP-575 confirmation letter prints it in the top block. Any Form 1120, 1120-S, or 1065 prints it in box B. A business bank statement carries it in the header. If all 3 are gone, call 267-941-1099 for a 147C within 2 business days.
Use 1 of 3 free routes. Request a Form W-9, where line 7 carries the 9-digit EIN. Search SEC EDGAR for a public company, where the 10-K prints it on page 1. Query IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for a nonprofit. Vendors paid over $600 a year must return a W-9.
Yes, through 3 checks. Confirm the format is 9 digits as 2, a hyphen, then 7. Match the legal name printed beside it. Then request a 147C letter by calling 267-941-1099, which the IRS reissues at $0 within 2 business days. The IRS TIN Matching program confirms an EIN and name in 1 batch.
Paid providers charge $50 to $250 per query. Dun & Bradstreet, LexisNexis, and Middesk sell private company EIN data that the W-9 route delivers at $0. A single Middesk business verification runs about $2 to $15 at volume, while consumer-facing lookups list $50 or more per record. The IRS charges $0.
Because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 classifies an EIN as taxpayer identifying information. The IRS releases a private EIN only to the responsible party, an authorized officer, or a Form 2848 representative. Public companies waive this by filing 10-K reports with the SEC, and nonprofits waive it by filing Form 990, so only those 2 groups appear in free databases.
No. einnumber.co files Form SS-4 for new EINs at 67 Standard or 97 Fast. Customers who misplace a CP-575 receive 147C retrieval bundled into Fast, and the call takes 1 to 2 business days. Third-party lookups use the free W-9 and SEC EDGAR routes described above, at $0.