Lost or Misplaced EIN Number? How to Get it Back

Napoleon

Aug 6, 2024 — 8 min read

It’s easy to lose or misplace your PIN, bank PIN, or critical documents like an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Even though you don’t remember misplacing it, you may be unable to find it when you need it most. But how do you get it back? Just like you can forget a rarely used password, it’s not strange to forget your EIN since you use it once a year during the tax season.

Your EIN is used to file taxes or on tax forms when paying employees or individual contractors. The number is essential to your business’s daily operations, such as opening a bank account and incorporating the company.

Have you lost or misplaced your EIN and wondered how to return it? Worry not, because it happens to many. Many business owners forget or misplace essential company documents, and if you’re currently sailing in this boat, you have caught the right bus. We have covered the different ways to get your EIN back and how to keep it safe for use during the tax season.

What is an Employer Identification Number?

An employer Identification Number and a Social Security Number (SSN) are used for tax purposes. The Internal Revenue Authority (IRS) uses the EIN to identify a business, whereas individual taxpayers use the SSN.

The EIN or tax ID number is a nine-digit number that appears on all business interaction documents and forms a company file with the IRS. So, when a business reports a team member’s income, they send the form to the IRS showing the employee’s SSN and the business’s EIN.

The EIN is crucial for all businesses (corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies), and it is how the IRS identifies them. Thus, it’s a critical requirement for all business owners, especially during the tax season.

Individuals running a sole proprietorship business don’t need an EIN because their SSN is what they use to pay taxes. How come? You may ask. Before the law, a sole proprietorship and the owner were the same. Hence, their tax returns only need their SSN.

Other business structures are considered separate from the owner, hence the need for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). So, what happens when you lose or misplace your EIN? Our guide is about to answer this question for you. But first, here’s why you should keep your EIN safe.

Why You Need to Keep Your EIN Safely

Your EIN must remain SAFE for your business’s security and regular operations. But if you can’t find your EIN and the wrong person does, they can access your IRS records.

As a result, your private and vital financial information is at risk, and you don’t want that for your business ever again! Fraudsters using your private details to access your bank account could harm your business credit score or lead to losses. So, you should always keep your business documents safe.

So, what do you do when you lose or misplace your EIN? Mostly, your EIN is somewhere around you in your business paperwork, where even the prying eye can’t find it, including yours. Funny right? Losing or misplacing your EIN can mean you can do stuff like:

Opening a new business bank account
Estate banking
Business license application for your LLC
Update business registration
Trust banking
Reporting employee information
Application of a business license for an LLC
Pay independent contractors (Form 1099)
File business taxes, or
Apply for a business loan
Hiring employees
Alcohol, Firearm, and tobacco returns

Ways to Get Your Lost or Misplaced EIN

Do you need to get a lost or misplaced EIN? No, applying for a new EIN number is unnecessary if you can’t find the old one. Instead, don’t panic because you can find it within your business documents. Here’s how:

1. Check Your EIN Confirmation Letter

When applying for the EIN, you fill out Form SS-4, and the IRS sends a confirmation letter. So, if you can find the confirmation letter, it will save you further trouble.

How you received the letter depends on the method you used to request the confirmation letter, whether online or via mail. Your confirmation letter would be in your company documents if it were by mail. An online request means you can access it digitally because it’s likely to be stored somewhere on your computer.

2. Your Email

You need the EIN to open your bank account, issue a 1099 Form to individual contractors, or apply for business funding. If you carried out any of these operations through your email, the email could still be in your mailbox. Search your email using words like “EIN or Form 1099” and see if it turns up. This will only work if you don’t delete emails frequently.

3. Business Records

Most business records have your EIN as the nine-digit number that remains the same for your business. But you might have to dig through numerous places to find it. Look closer in these places to find your lost or misplaced EIN:

Federal Tax Returns have your EIN at the top right corner of your federal income tax return on Form 11020. Alternatively, you can check your Employer Quarterly Federal Tax Return Form at the top right corner of Form 941.
Notices from the IRS have your EIN, business name, and address. So, if you have any IRS notices, you’ll find the EIN there.
Business Bank Account Statements have your EIN alongside other pertinent business information. Sometimes, the statement may only display the last four digits of the EIN, meaning you have to contact your bank.
Business Loan applications and approvals have the full EIN. So, if you’ve applied for a business loan before and it got approved, your EIN must be on those approval letters.
Business Credit Report. A copy of your business credit report for a loan application will have your EIN. Other agencies, like Credit bureaus (Experian and Equifax) have the full EIN on the credit reports.
Payroll Paperwork has the employee’s social security number and EIN, making it the most open place to find your EIN.

4. Contact Your Bank

If you already have a business bank account, call or visit your bank to request the full EIN. It will not be a walk in the park because they’ll need more information to verify if you’re the valid owner of the EIN. They can ask for details like:

Your business bank account number
Address
The branch you opened the account
The type of business you run, or
Some financial information must be provided before they provide the EIN

If you’re too lazy to look through your emails or can’t access them for any reason, contacting your bank is an easy way out.

5. Call the IRS

Your company documents are the most accessible place to find your EIN if you lost or misplaced it. However, if the above methods prove futile in finding your EIN, calling the IRS directly might be the only viable way to get the number.

Contact the IRS on the phone between Monday and Friday during business hours, and the representative will provide you with the EIN. Although it sounds easy, it may turn out differently. WHY? You may be one of many people calling the agency, and you should be prepared to wait long in the queue to speak to an IRS agent.

Plus, once the agent gets on the phone, you need more patience since they’ll not just read the number to you. They’ll ASK numerous questions to identify if you’re the right person to seek such information.

Remember, accessing an EIN means you can access sensitive company information. So, if this number falls into the wrong hands, your company’s financial status can be exposed or mishandled.

Additionally, the IRS customer representative will only release the information to you under specific circumstances. You must be authorized to access and own an EIN. Authorized persons to receive an EIN on call include:

A partner in a partnership business
An estate executor
Corporate officer
Sole proprietor or
A trust trustee

When to Get a New EIN

If you can’t get your EIN, do you get a new one? NO. First, look for your EIN in the different ways outlined above. However, you can apply for a new EIN under specific circumstances, even when it’s not lost or misplaced.

According to the information on the IRS website, a business EIN stays with the company as long as it exists. However, there are some circumstances when a business EIN can change or get canceled:

Change of business structure or ownership.
Another company buys the business.
The business is dissolved or lost.
When a business files for bankruptcy.
Creating a new corporation after a merger.
The company gets a new corporate charter.
The business partnership comes to an end.

How to Get a New EIN

Any new business in the United States must apply for Employer Identification Number EIN for the IRS to identify it and to file business taxes. Obtaining EIN is easy on the IRS website service. While on the site, download Form SS-4 and begin the process by providing all necessary information, then send it to the IRS. However, there are different ways to get your EIN, and they include the following:

Download Form SS-4 from www.irs.gov.
Call the IRS directly.
Fax the completed form to the IRS.
Mail the completed form to the IRS.

Regardless of the method you use among the above, you must submit Form SS-4 to the IRS when complete. Applying for EIN online is the fastest and easiest way. Fill the necessary fields, then submit the form to the IRS online by clicking on “submit”.

Comparing Application by Mail, Fax, and Online

An online application means you’ll have your EIN in minutes, but if you submit the application by fax, it may take more time (up to five working days) to process.

Applying for EIN by mail takes the longest, 4-6 weeks. Keep your EIN safe because your business needs it for many operations.

The IRS has an agency to help anyone who may feel overwhelmed when applying for any tax identity. If you need help, feel free to get it on the IRS website.

Non-US residents looking to launch a business in the United States can apply for an EIN by calling the IRS at 267-941-1099, faxing, or mailing the application. All companies owned by non-US residents need EIN to commence operations, such as owning a business bank account and avoiding encountering problems when getting paid.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get a letter to replace EIN?

If you do not have a copy of the Employer Identification Number (EIN) Certification Letter that was sent to you when your business was assigned an EIN (Example A), please contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Business & Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 to request a replacement certification letter.

Is TIN different from EIN?

Tax Identification Number (TIN) is different from Employer Identification Number. The IRS uses TIN to identify people who can be taxed within the United States, whereas EIN identifies companies. Their primary difference is how both numbers are used for tax purposes.

Can I download the EIN confirmation letter online?

You can’t download a copy of the IRS EIN confirmation letter online. Neither will the IRS email or fax the letter, but they will send it to you via mail within eight to ten weeks after issuing a Federal Tax ID Number to your company.

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In Summary

As a business owner, you may need more numbers and codes to memorize or keep track of. As a result, you may end up losing or misplacing those you don’t use often, such as EIN. So, what should you do for a lost or misplaced EIN?

Your Employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number is essential for filing taxes with the IRS. The unique nine-digit number issued by the IRS identifies your company and is integral to your daily business operations. Some of these operations that need your EIN include business registration, opening a business bank account, or applying for a business loan. Do you have any question on how to get back your lost EIN? Kindly contact one of our experts here.