Lost Your EIN?

You do not need to apply again

The IRS only issues one EIN per business. If you apply again, the system will likely catch it (or give you a duplicate number that creates problems later). Recover the existing one instead.

Three places to find your EIN

Method 1: The original IRS confirmation letter (Form CP 575)

When the IRS issued your EIN, they sent you a confirmation letter or PDF. Search for:

• "CP 575" or "EIN" in your email
• "IRS" in your downloaded files
• Your business filing folder, if you keep paper
• Your accountant or attorney's records, if they helped you apply

Method 2: Past tax returns or business documents

Your EIN appears on:

• Past business tax returns (Form 1065, 1120, 1120-S, Schedule C with EIN listed)
• Past payroll tax returns (Form 941, 940)
• 1099s YOUR business issued to contractors
• W-2s YOUR business issued to employees (look for "Employer's EIN" box b)
• Bank account opening paperwork
• Any state license or registration that uses your federal EIN

Method 3: Call the IRS

If methods 1 and 2 fail, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.

The IRS will only release the EIN to an authorized person. That means:

• The owner, partner, or officer of the business
• A corporate officer of a C corp or S corp
• A general partner of a partnership
• An authorized representative with a Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) on file

What if the business is closed or sold?

If you are looking for an EIN for a closed or sold business (for example, you need it to file a final return), you can still recover it through any of the three methods above. The EIN does not get deleted.

If the business was sold, the new owner typically had to get a NEW EIN (not inherit yours), so the original EIN is yours to recover for final returns.

What if I never had a confirmation letter?

If you applied online and somehow never saved the PDF, the IRS can re-send a Letter 147C. Call the same number (800-829-4933) and ask for it. They will mail it to the address on file.

This takes about two weeks. If you need the EIN faster, banks and lenders will sometimes accept other documents (like a past tax return) showing the EIN.

Can I look up an EIN by business name?

For your own EIN: yes, through the methods above. For someone else's EIN: not really.

Public companies have EINs in their SEC filings (try EDGAR). Nonprofits have EINs in their Form 990 filings (try GuideStar or Candid). For privately-held companies, there is no public lookup. If you need a vendor's EIN to file a 1099, ask them directly with a W-9. See the verify EIN page.