How to Find a Business EIN Number for Another Company (2026)
How to find a business EIN number for another company depends on 1 thing: is the business public, nonprofit, or private? Search SEC EDGAR for public firms, IRS 990 data for nonprofits, or request a Form W-9 for a private company. Each route costs $0.
Finding another company's EIN splits by company type. A public company prints its 9-digit EIN on page 1 of every 10-K, free on SEC EDGAR for about 8,000 filers. A nonprofit lists its EIN in 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, sitting in 0 free databases, so the honest route is a Form W-9 where line 7 carries the number. Paid brokers charge $50 to $250 for scraped private records. To recover your own EIN instead, use the find a lost EIN number page.
How do you find a business EIN number for another company?
Pick 1 of 3 routes by company type. A public company lists its EIN on SEC EDGAR. A nonprofit lists it in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, 1.8 million records. A private company returns it only on a Form W-9, line 7, at $0.
This page covers another entity's EIN, not your own. The 2 tasks are different. Your own EIN is confidential to you but easy to recover: it sits on the CP-575, a filed tax return, or a free 147C letter. Another company's EIN is confidential to you, so a public source or the company itself must supply it. For self-recovery, the find a lost EIN number page lists all 13 places it prints.
The wider map of every free and paid source sits on the pillar EIN number lookup guide. This page walks the third-party routes field by field, then shows how to confirm the number is real.
Where is a business EIN number public information?
In 2 places only. A public company discloses its EIN on SEC filings under securities law. A 501(c) nonprofit discloses its EIN on Form 990 under tax law. Every other business keeps its EIN private under 26 U.S.C. § 6109.
Whether a business EIN lookup succeeds depends entirely on 1 question: did the company waive confidentiality through a mandatory filing? 2 filing rules create the only public EIN records. The table below routes each business type to its source, coverage, and cost.
| Business type | Where the EIN is | Coverage | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company | SEC EDGAR, 10-K page 1 | About 8,000 filers | $0 |
| Nonprofit | IRS TEO Search, Form 990 | 1.8 million orgs | $0 |
| Private vendor you pay | Form W-9, line 7 | Any private firm | $0 |
| Private firm, no relationship | Confidential, no public record | Over 30 million | $50–$250 |
Sources: SEC EDGAR, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, IRS Form W-9, 26 U.S.C. § 6109, verified August 2026.
How do you find a public company EIN number on SEC EDGAR?
Open efts.sec.gov, search the company name or ticker, and open any 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K. The 9-digit EIN prints on page 1 under "I.R.S. Employer Identification No." EDGAR covers about 8,000 active filers at $0.
Every SEC-registered company discloses its EIN on the cover of each periodic filing. Full-text search reaches back to 2001, and the filing index reaches back to 1993. A delisted company keeps every historical filing, so the lookup still works years after a stock stops trading, covering over 800,000 historical entities.
| Filing | Where the EIN prints | Frequency | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual report, 10-K | Page 1, cover block | 1 per year | $0 |
| Quarterly report, 10-Q | Page 1, cover block | 3 per year | $0 |
| Current report, 8-K | Page 1, cover block | As events occur | $0 |
| Foreign issuer, 20-F | Cover, if EIN assigned | 1 per year | $0 |
Sources: SEC EDGAR full-text search at efts.sec.gov, verified August 2026.
How do you find a nonprofit business EIN number for free?
Search IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov. It covers 1.8 million exempt entities, prints each 9-digit EIN beside the legal name, and updates monthly, all at $0. ProPublica and Candid mirror the same Form 990 data free.
A 501(c) nonprofit files Form 990 every year, and the Internal Revenue Code makes that return open to public inspection. That single rule puts 1.8 million EINs in a free database, printed next to the organization name. So 1 search returns the legal name, EIN, and address together.
3 tools query 1 dataset. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search is the primary source; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid repackage the same 990 filings with different search screens. All 3 cost $0, so a nonprofit EIN never needs a paid provider. The free EIN lookup guide compares every genuinely free source side by side.
How do you find a business EIN number on a W-9, invoice, or 1099?
Read a document the business already sent you. A Form W-9 carries the EIN on line 7. A 1099 or W-2 prints it in the payer box, top left. A contract or invoice frequently lists it in the header. Each shows the 9-digit number at $0.
The fastest business EIN lookup is often no lookup at all. If you already pay or contract with the company, its EIN is on paperwork in your files. A vendor paid $600 or more in a year must have returned a Form W-9, where line 7 carries the number in 2-7 shape.
| Document you hold | Where the EIN prints | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Form W-9 from a vendor | Line 7, Part I | $0 |
| 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC | Payer box, top left | $0 |
| W-2 from an employer | Box b, employer ID | $0 |
| Invoice or contract | Header or signature block | $0 |
Sources: IRS Form W-9, Form 1099-NEC, Form W-2 instructions, verified August 2026.
How do you ask a business for its EIN number directly?
Send a Form W-9 request in writing before the first payment. A vendor paid $600 or more per year must return it. If the vendor refuses, withhold 24 percent under Section 3406 backup withholding, and report it on Form 945.
The direct route is legal and standard. When you engage a contractor, you request a Form W-9, and line 7 returns the 9-digit EIN. Keep the completed form for 3 to 7 years. A vendor that supplies no W-9 forces you to withhold 24 percent of each payment and remit it to the IRS.
Report withheld tax on Form 945 by January 31 of the following year, and file the 1099 by the same date. 1 written W-9 request documents the compliance step. For a company with no payment relationship, no legal channel compels disclosure, so a public source or a paid broker is the only path.
What do paid EIN data providers cost?
$50 to $250 per record. Dun & Bradstreet, LexisNexis, and Equifax sell private-company EINs scraped from W-9s, credit files, and court records. The data is unverified and often stale. The same number is free on a Form W-9.
A paid aggregator does not query the IRS, because the IRS runs no public validator for private EINs. It resells scraped records at $50 to $250 each. The table below shows what each paid tier buys, and why the free Form W-9 route returns the same 9-digit number straight from the source.
| Route | Typical price | Source of the number | Verified? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form W-9 request | $0 | The company itself | Yes, authoritative |
| Single broker record | $50 to $100 | Scraped W-9 or filing | No, unverified |
| Premium business report | $100 to $250 | Aggregated credit data | No, often stale |
| Subscription database | $1,000+ per year | Bulk scraped records | No, bulk unverified |
Sources: Dun & Bradstreet, LexisNexis, and Equifax published business-data pricing tiers, verified August 2026.
Why can't you find most private business EINs for free?
Because a private EIN is confidential. The IRS issues about 5 million EINs a year, and most go to private firms that file no public document with the number. 26 U.S.C. § 6109 classifies a private EIN as confidential taxpayer information.
A private LLC, sole proprietor, or closely held corporation files nothing that discloses its EIN publicly. That leaves over 30 million private EINs in 0 free databases. The IRS releases a private EIN only to the responsible party, an authorized officer, or a Form 2848 designee, never to a stranger.
A site promising a free lookup of any private EIN signals 1 of 2 things. It returns only public and nonprofit records already free elsewhere, or it sells scraped data behind a $50 paywall. The honest free route for a private company stays a Form W-9 at $0, straight from the company.
How do you verify a business EIN number you find?
Run 3 checks. Confirm the number is 9 digits in 2-7 shape, match the legal name printed beside it, then confirm it against a second source. A payer filing a 1099 uses IRS TIN Matching, which verifies 25 records per session at $0.
A number is not proof by itself. The 2-7 format check catches a transposed digit, and the name match catches a wrong entity. For payers, IRS TIN Matching confirms the EIN and legal name agree with IRS records, checking 25 records per interactive session and up to 100,000 per bulk file, all at $0.
The full verification playbook, including TIN Matching enrollment and the 147C route, sits on the verify an EIN page. A mismatch on a 1099 triggers a CP2100 notice and 24 percent backup withholding, so confirming the number before filing prevents penalties.
What are the business EIN lookup facts at a glance?
One reference table for every fixed value a business EIN lookup relies on: the counts, the thresholds, the IRS contact lines, and the statutes. Business days exclude the roughly 11 US federal holidays each year.
| Reference | Value |
|---|---|
| Routes by company type | 3 (public, nonprofit, private) |
| EIN length and shape | 9 digits, as 2-7 |
| SEC EDGAR active filers | About 8,000 |
| EDGAR historical entities | Over 800,000 since 1993 |
| EDGAR full-text search from | Year 2001 |
| Public company forms | 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 20-F |
| Nonprofit EINs in IRS search | 1.8 million |
| Nonprofit disclosure form | Form 990 |
| Private EINs outstanding | Over 30 million |
| New EINs issued per year | About 5 million |
| Vendor route, private firm | Form W-9, line 7 |
| W-9 vendor threshold | $600 per year |
| Backup withholding, Section 3406 | 24 percent |
| Form 945 report deadline | January 31 |
| 1099-NEC filing deadline | January 31 |
| TIN Matching, interactive | 25 records per session |
| TIN Matching, bulk | 100,000 per file |
| Paid broker price per record | $50 to $250 |
| W-9 record retention | 3 to 7 years |
| Third-party authorization form | Form 2848 |
| Governing EIN statute | 26 U.S.C. 6109 |
| IRS domestic Business line | 800-829-4933 |
| IRS international line | 267-941-1099 |
| Your-own-EIN 147C fax | 1 to 2 business days |
| einnumber.co new-EIN filing | $67 Standard, $97 Fast |
Sources: IRS, IRS TIN Matching, 26 U.S.C. 6109, SEC EDGAR, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, verified August 2026.
What else do people ask about finding a business EIN number?
9 more questions on public sources, the W-9 route, paid brokers, and verification. Every legitimate route costs $0. A private company's EIN is free only through a Form W-9; brokers charge $50 to $250 for the same 9-digit number.
How do you find a business EIN number for another company?
Use 1 of 3 routes by company type. For a public company, search SEC EDGAR, where the 9-digit EIN prints on page 1 of every 10-K. For a nonprofit, search 1.8 million records in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. For a private company, request a Form W-9, where line 7 carries the EIN at $0.
Can you look up any business EIN number for free?
No. A free business EIN lookup works for only 3 groups: public companies on SEC EDGAR, 1.8 million nonprofits in IRS 990 data, and businesses that hand you a Form W-9. The other 30 million private EINs sit in 0 free databases, so scraped paid records cost $50 to $250 each.
Where does a business EIN number appear that I already have?
On 4 documents a vendor already sent you. A Form W-9 carries the EIN on line 7. A W-2 or 1099 prints it in the payer box, top left. A signed contract or invoice frequently lists it in the header. Each shows the 9-digit number in 2-7 shape at $0.
Does the IRS publish business EIN numbers?
Only for nonprofits. The IRS treats a private EIN as confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6109 and releases it only to the responsible party or a Form 2848 designee. It does publish 1.8 million nonprofit EINs through Tax Exempt Organization Search, updated monthly and drawn from Form 990 filings, all at $0.
How do you find a public company EIN number?
Search SEC EDGAR at efts.sec.gov by company name or ticker. Open any 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K and read page 1 under "I.R.S. Employer Identification No." EDGAR covers about 8,000 active filers plus over 800,000 historical entities, with the index reaching back to 1993, all at $0.
What if a business refuses to share its EIN number?
Withhold 24 percent on payments under Section 3406 backup withholding. A vendor paid $600 or more per year must return a Form W-9. If it fails to supply one, you withhold 24 percent and report it on Form 945 by January 31. Keep the written request for 3 to 7 years.
Can you find a business EIN number by company name?
Only for public and nonprofit entities. SEC EDGAR name search covers about 8,000 public filers. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search covers 1.8 million nonprofits. A private company returns 0 results by name, because its EIN is confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6109; you request a Form W-9 instead.
How do you verify a business EIN number after you find it?
Run 3 checks. Confirm the number is 9 digits in 2-7 shape, match the legal name printed beside it, then confirm it against a second source. A payer filing a 1099 uses IRS TIN Matching, which verifies 25 records per interactive session and up to 100,000 per bulk file at $0.
Is finding your own EIN the same as finding another business EIN?
No, they are 2 different tasks. Your own EIN sits on the CP-575, a filed Form 1120 return, or a 147C letter, and recovery is free by phone at 267-941-1099. Another company's EIN is confidential, so you use SEC EDGAR, IRS 990 data, or a Form W-9.