FEIN vs EIN is a wording question, not a difference of numbers. FEIN and EIN are the same 9-digit IRS number in XX-XXXXXXX form. "FEIN" spells out Federal Employer Identification Number; "EIN" drops the "F". The IRS issues 1 number per entity for $0.
Both names point to 1 value on Form SS-4. einnumber.co files that form in 5 business days at 67, or 24 hours at 97 with the IRS call included. No SSN is required for non-US founders.
A FEIN and an EIN are the same number. The "F" adds "Federal" to "EIN" — nothing else changes. Same 9 digits, same XX-XXXXXXX format, same Form SS-4, same $0 IRS fee. The IRS writes "EIN"; some states and banks write "FEIN". A business gets 1 per entity.
There is no difference in the number. A FEIN and an EIN are 1 identical 9-digit ID in XX-XXXXXXX form. The "F" stands for Federal and is added by states and banks; the IRS drops it and writes "EIN" on 100 percent of its forms.
"FEIN" expands to Federal Employer Identification Number. "EIN" expands to Employer Identification Number. The 2 acronyms describe the exact same 9 digits the IRS assigns under 26 U.S.C. § 6109. You apply once on Form SS-4, pay $0, and receive 1 number that every agency then labels either FEIN or EIN.
| Attribute | FEIN | EIN |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Federal Employer ID Number | Employer ID Number |
| Issuer | IRS | IRS |
| Digits | 9 | 9 |
| Format | XX-XXXXXXX | XX-XXXXXXX |
| Application | Form SS-4 | Form SS-4 |
| IRS fee | $0 | $0 |
| Same number? | Yes, 1 value | Yes, 1 value |
For the broader umbrella question, see EIN vs federal tax ID, which maps all 5 tax ID types.
FEIN stands for Federal Employer Identification Number. The "F" for Federal exists to separate the 1 IRS number from a state-issued employer number. Drop the "F" and you have the EIN — the same 9-digit ID the IRS assigns to 1 entity.
States run their own payroll and unemployment accounts. Each state can issue a state employer number, so state forms add "Federal" to clarify they want the IRS number, not the state one. That is the entire reason FEIN exists. The IRS never adopted the "F"; it uses "EIN" on the CP-575 letter and on all 4 application routes.
The 3 common spellings resolve to 1 number: FEIN, EIN, and "federal tax ID number". About 90 percent of the FEIN vs EIN confusion comes from a form that prints 1 label while a founder holds a document printing the other. The 9 digits never change. Compare the individual-side terms at EIN vs SSN and EIN vs ITIN.
Yes, in 100 percent of cases. A FEIN and an EIN are 1 number, 1 application, and 1 fee of $0. There is no scenario where a business holds a FEIN that differs from its EIN. Duplicate filings collapse to the first-issued 9-digit number.
The IRS issues 1 EIN per entity and never a second parallel FEIN. If 2 applications reach the IRS for the same legal entity, the system merges them to the EIN issued first. A business may separately hold a state tax ID for sales or payroll, but that is a different number from a different agency — not a second federal number.
Non-US founders receive the identical result. The IRS assigns 1 nine-digit EIN whether Line 7b of Form SS-4 carries an SSN, an ITIN, or the word Foreign. State forms in all 50 states then call that 1 number a FEIN. See how to apply without an SSN.
FEIN and EIN are 1 number. FTIN means Foreign Tax Identification Number — a non-US number, not a US EIN. TIN is the umbrella of 5 US taxpayer numbers. The EIN is the business member of the TIN family, and FEIN is just its longer name.
The single trap in this map is FTIN. A Foreign Tax Identification Number is the tax ID your home country issues — a PAN in India, a UTR in the UK, a BN in Canada. It is not a FEIN, not an EIN, and not accepted on US forms in place of the 9-digit IRS number. Line 7b of Form SS-4 handles that gap with the word Foreign.
| Term | Stands for | Issuer | Digits | Same as EIN? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EIN | Employer Identification Number | IRS | 9 | It is the EIN |
| FEIN | Federal Employer ID Number | IRS | 9 | Yes |
| Federal tax ID | Federal Tax ID Number | IRS | 9 | Yes |
| TIN | Taxpayer ID Number (5 subtypes) | IRS or SSA | 9 | Sometimes |
| FTIN | Foreign Tax ID Number | Non-US authority | Varies | No |
| SSN | Social Security Number | SSA | 9 | No |
Full family breakdown: EIN vs taxpayer ID covers all 5 TIN members and their 9-digit formats.
The IRS writes "EIN" on 100 percent of its documents. State agencies write "FEIN" on about 80 percent of payroll and sales-tax forms. Banks split roughly 60/40 between "tax ID" and "EIN". All 3 groups want the same 9-digit number.
The label depends on who printed the form, not on the number itself. Match the context to the word and the confusion clears in 1 step. The table below maps where each term shows up and who uses it.
| Context | Term used | Who uses it | Enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form SS-4, CP-575, 147C | EIN | IRS | 9 digits |
| State payroll registration | FEIN | State agency | 9 digits |
| State sales-tax permit | FEIN | State agency | 9 digits |
| Business bank account | Tax ID or EIN | Bank | 9 digits |
| Form W-9 to a vendor | EIN or TIN | Payer | 9 digits |
| Payroll software setup | FEIN | Provider | 9 digits |
The 1 place FEIN and EIN diverge from a state tax ID is the issuer. See state tax ID vs EIN for the 2-layer split.
A FEIN prints as 2 digits, a hyphen, and 7 digits — the XX-XXXXXXX layout, identical to an EIN. An example is 12-3456789. The first 2 digits are the IRS campus prefix. There is no check digit and no state code in the 9 digits.
The leading 2-digit prefix once mapped to the IRS service center that issued the number. Since 2001, prefixes are assigned across campuses, so a prefix like 20, 26, or 27 no longer pins a location. A FEIN and an EIN share this format exactly, because they are the same number. For the full prefix breakdown, see EIN number format.
Do not confuse the 9-digit XX-XXXXXXX FEIN with the 9-digit XXX-XX-XXXX SSN. Both hold 9 digits, but the hyphen sits after 2 digits for a FEIN and after 3 digits for an SSN. That single hyphen position is the fastest way to tell a business FEIN from an individual SSN on any form.
$0 at the IRS through all 4 routes: online, fax, mail, and phone. Because a FEIN and an EIN are 1 number, there is only 1 fee. Form SS-4 downloads free. einnumber.co files it for 67 on Standard or 97 on Fast.
| Route | IRS fee | Timeline | SSN needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (IRS Assistant) | $0 | 15 minutes | Yes |
| Fax to 855-215-1627 | $0 | 4 to 7 business days | No |
| Mail to Cincinnati, OH 45999 | $0 | 6 to 11 weeks | No |
| Phone 267-941-1099 | $0 | 1 call | No (non-US only) |
Competitor filing fees for the same $0 FEIN: Rocket Lawyer $59.99, ZenBusiness $99, Northwest $200. The IRS fee stays $0 in all 4 rows.
IRS forms say "EIN" in 100 percent of cases. State payroll and sales-tax forms say "FEIN" in about 80 percent. Whatever the label, you write the same 9 digits from the CP-575 letter into 1 field.
Line B of Form 1120 and the header of Form 1120-S both read "Employer identification number". Form 1065 for partnerships and Forms 941 and 940 for payroll read the same. State registration portals read "FEIN". All of them want your 1 EIN.
| Form | Label printed | Filed with | Value entered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form SS-4 | EIN | IRS | 9 digits |
| Form W-9 | EIN / TIN | Payer | 9 digits |
| Form 1120 | EIN | IRS | 9 digits |
| Form 941 | EIN | IRS | 9 digits |
| State payroll form | FEIN | State agency | 9 digits |
| Form 5472 | EIN | IRS | 9 digits |
Corporate tax rate: 21 percent. Self-employment tax: 15.3 percent. Social Security: 12.4 percent. Medicare: 2.9 percent. A late Form 1099-NEC costs $60 to $310 per form.
Penalties keyed to your 1 FEIN: a late Form 1120 runs $220 per month for up to 12 months; a late Form 1065 or 1120-S runs $235 per partner per month; a missing Form 5472 starts at $25,000; a late Form 990 runs $20 per day. Form 940 is due January 31, and a Form 1099-NEC is required at $600 per vendor. The IRS coined the term "EIN" in 1974, and campus-based prefixes ended in 2001.
9 more answers on FEIN vs EIN. Short version: a FEIN and an EIN are 1 number, 1 application, and 1 fee of $0. The "F" adds "Federal" and nothing else. The IRS issues 1 per entity in 9-digit XX-XXXXXXX form.
Yes. A FEIN and an EIN are the identical 9-digit number in XX-XXXXXXX form. "FEIN" adds "Federal" to "EIN" for emphasis; the IRS issues 1 number per entity. There is no separate FEIN application, no second fee, and no different format. Both come from Form SS-4 at $0.
FEIN stands for Federal Employer Identification Number. EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. The only difference is the leading "F" for Federal, added to separate the IRS number from a state EIN. Both label the same 9-digit ID issued under 26 U.S.C. § 6109. All 50 states recognize the 1 federal number.
State agencies write "FEIN" to distinguish the federal number from a state tax ID they also issue. The IRS itself writes "EIN" on 100 percent of its forms and on the CP-575 letter. Banks use either label. Whichever word a form prints, you enter the same 9 digits from your 1 IRS confirmation.
Yes. FEIN, EIN, and "federal tax ID number" are 3 names for the same 9-digit business number the IRS issues. Each prints in XX-XXXXXXX format on the CP-575 letter. The 3 labels resolve to 1 value under 26 U.S.C. § 6109, and the IRS fee stays $0 across all 4 filing routes.
No. Because a FEIN and an EIN are 1 number, there is 1 fee: $0 at the IRS. Form SS-4 downloads free through all 4 routes — online, fax, mail, and phone. einnumber.co files it for 67 on Standard or 97 on Fast; competitors charge $59.99 to $200 for the same $0 filing.
No. The IRS issues 1 EIN per entity, and that 1 number is the FEIN. A business never holds 2 different federal numbers. Duplicate SS-4 filings get merged to the first-issued EIN. A company may hold a separate state tax ID for payroll or sales tax, but its federal number stays the single 9-digit EIN.
The same number, under both names. The IRS issues 1 nine-digit EIN regardless of SSN status. Line 7b of Form SS-4 accepts the word Foreign. Non-US founders fax the form to 855-215-1627 and receive the CP-575 in 4 to 7 business days; state forms then call that number a FEIN.
A FEIN prints as 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7 digits — the XX-XXXXXXX layout, exactly like an EIN. An example is 12-3456789. The first 2 digits are the IRS campus prefix. All 9 digits carry no state code and no check digit, so a FEIN and an EIN are visually identical.
No. On the CP-575 confirmation and the 147C verification letter, the IRS prints only "EIN". The word "FEIN" appears solely on some state and bank forms. The 9-digit value never changes between the 2 labels. If a vendor asks for a FEIN, supply the same EIN, and it clears in 100 percent of business cases.