EIN Validator

Type or paste an EIN with or without the hyphen. The validator checks that it has nine digits and that the first two are a prefix the IRS actually assigns. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

How to use the EIN validator

Paste the number in any common form: 12-3456789, 123456789, or with spaces. The validator strips the punctuation and runs two checks:

1. Length. An EIN has exactly nine digits. Eight digits usually means a spreadsheet dropped a leading zero. Ten or more usually means the number was copied with something extra, such as a suffix from a state account number.
2. Prefix. The first two digits must be one the IRS has assigned. Some two-digit combinations, such as 07, 08, 09, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 49, 69, 70, 78, 79 and 89, have never been used, so an EIN that starts with one of them is almost certainly a typo or made up.

If both checks pass, the validator shows the number in the standard XX-XXXXXXX format, ready to paste into a form.

What an EIN is

An Employer Identification Number is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS gives to businesses and other entities. Despite the name, you do not need employees to have one. Corporations, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, trusts, estates, nonprofits and many sole proprietors use an EIN on tax returns, payroll filings, bank account applications and information returns such as Form 1099-NEC.

The IRS issues EINs for free, online, by fax or by mail, usually instantly online. Once assigned, an EIN stays with that entity for good. It is never reused, even if the business closes.

What the prefix means

The first two digits used to show which IRS campus issued the number, such as Andover, Atlanta, Cincinnati or Ogden. Since the IRS started issuing EINs online, a separate set of prefixes has been used for internet applications, and others are kept for particular programs. The validator knows every prefix the IRS lists as assigned, so you do not need to look them up.

The prefix tells you nothing about where the business is today. A company now based in California may well have a 04 or 13 prefix because it was formed in the Northeast decades ago, and a business formed last year anywhere in the country probably applied online. Do not treat an unfamiliar prefix as a warning sign as long as the validator accepts it.

How to read the result

Each check gets a pass or fail mark. Two passes mean the number is well formed. A fail on length almost always means a copying error, so go back to the source document rather than guessing the missing digit. A fail on the prefix with nine digits usually means two digits were swapped or one was misread, for example a 1 read as a 7 on a faxed form. If the business’s own paperwork shows the same failing number, ask them to check it against their IRS notice. Businesses do sometimes give out a number with a typo, and it is better to catch that before a 1099 is filed.

What the validator can and cannot tell you

An EIN has no check digit. Bank routing numbers and credit card numbers do have one, and a typo in one digit makes them fail. An EIN does not work that way, so most single-digit typos still produce a number with nine digits and a valid prefix. The validator can catch:

• missing or extra digits,
• an impossible prefix,
• letters or other characters mixed into the number.

It cannot tell you whether the number has been issued, or to whom. The IRS does not publish a public list of EINs. To confirm that a number belongs to a particular business, you need one of the methods below.

How to confirm an EIN belongs to a business

• Ask for a Form W-9. Before you pay a contractor or vendor, the standard practice is to get a signed W-9 with their legal name and taxpayer ID. The signature certifies the number under penalty of perjury.
• Use IRS TIN Matching. If you file Forms 1099, you can register for the IRS e-Services TIN Matching program. It checks whether a name and TIN combination matches IRS records before you file, which helps avoid B-notices and backup withholding.
• Search for nonprofits. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lists charities and other exempt organizations by EIN, and shows whether their status has been revoked.
• Check SEC filings. Public companies list their EIN on the cover page of filings in the EDGAR database.
• Ask for the IRS confirmation. A business can show you its CP 575 notice or a 147C letter, which the IRS sends to confirm the EIN.

Common reasons a valid-looking EIN gets rejected

• The name does not match. IRS systems compare the EIN with the exact legal name on file. “ABC Plumbing” filed under an LLC named “Smith Holdings LLC” will fail a match even if the EIN is correct.
• The number is a Social Security number. A sole proprietor without an EIN uses their SSN, which is also nine digits. SSNs are written XXX-XX-XXXX, but once the hyphens are gone they look like EINs. Always confirm which one you were given.
• A disregarded entity used the owner’s number. A single-member LLC may report under its owner’s SSN or EIN instead of its own.
• The number belongs to a parent company. Large groups often have separate EINs for each subsidiary.

When you need to check an EIN

You are likely to use the validator when you:

• set up a new vendor in your accounting system,
• prepare Forms 1099 at year end,
• fill in a bank, lender or payment processor application,
• review a donation receipt from a charity,
• enter your own EIN on a form and want to rule out a typo.

A quick format check at data entry time catches the mistakes that otherwise surface months later as IRS notices. The other tools on this site can help with the same paperwork: the routing number validator checks the bank details a vendor sends for ACH payments, and the check amount in words converter writes out the amount for a paper check. For invoices that include tax, the sales tax calculator splits the total.

Keeping EINs clean in your records

Most EIN problems start in a spreadsheet. Excel and Google Sheets treat a column of EINs as numbers, which removes leading zeros and sometimes the hyphen. Format the column as text before you paste, or store EINs with the hyphen so the software leaves them alone. When you export vendor data for 1099 filing, run a few numbers through the validator as a spot check. It is also worth recording the date you received each W-9, because a vendor that changes its legal structure may change its EIN, and you will want a fresh form when that happens.

Privacy

The check runs entirely in your browser. EINs you type are not sent to our server, logged or stored, so you can use it with real client data.

Learn more

EIN number format explains the prefix table and what the number is used for. How to verify an EIN covers W-9s, the IRS lookup tools and what to do when a number does not match.

Frequently asked questions

How many digits is an EIN?

Nine, written as two digits, a hyphen and seven digits, for example 12-3456789. Forms and software often take it without the hyphen. If you have eight digits, a leading zero was probably dropped. Prefixes 01 to 06 are common on older businesses.

Can the validator tell me which company an EIN belongs to?

No. The IRS does not publish EINs or offer a public lookup by number. The validator only checks that the format and prefix are possible. To find out whose number it is, ask the business for a W-9, search the IRS exempt organization list for nonprofits, or check SEC filings for public companies.

What is the difference between an EIN and a TIN?

TIN, taxpayer identification number, is the umbrella term. An EIN is one kind of TIN. The others are the Social Security number, the individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) for people who cannot get an SSN, and the adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN). Forms that ask for a TIN accept whichever applies to you.

Why does an EIN fail the prefix check?

Because its first two digits are a combination the IRS has never assigned, such as 07, 19 or 89. That nearly always means a typo, often two digits swapped. Check the number against the original document. If the document itself shows that prefix, ask the business to confirm its EIN from its IRS notice.

Does a sole proprietor need an EIN?

Not always. A sole proprietor with no employees and no excise or pension filings can use their Social Security number. Many get an EIN anyway, because it is free and lets them give clients a number other than their SSN on Form W-9. An EIN is required once you hire employees.

Can two businesses share an EIN?

No. Each legal entity has its own EIN. Related companies under the same owner each need their own, and a business that changes its structure, for example from a sole proprietorship to a corporation, usually needs a new one. A business that simply changes its name keeps its EIN.