For example, you may need the EIN of your child’s babysitter or child care facility so you can claim the child care credit on your taxes. It is customary for child-care services to put their EIN on invoices and sometimes even on letterhead. Nonprofit organizations also typically list their EIN on any official correspondence. If you have made a charitable contribution and need the EIN for tax purposes, the number may be located on the receipt you received from the organization.
On the company’s website, look for an “about” or “legal information” page. That’s typically where you’ll find the EIN if they’ve published it on their website.
If the company has gone out of business, there will be someone in charge of wrapping up the business, typically an attorney or one of the owners. You can find their contact information by searching the business directory of the website of the secretary of state for the state where the company was located. If you’re trying to get the EIN or TIN of a business or independent contractor who has done work for your business, have them fill out a Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, available here: https://www. irs. gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9. pdf.
For a publicly traded company, use the EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system) maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). EINs can be found on the company’s 8-K, 10K, or 10-Q reports. Melissa Data provides information about nonprofit organizations, including their EIN. Make sure you search using the corporate office’s zip code rather than the zip code of a local office. You also may be able to find a business’s tax ID number using the website of the relevant tax authority of the state where the business is located.
When you talk to an IRS agent, explain your situation and the steps you’ve taken to attempt to find the company’s federal tax ID number. The agent should be able to help you, or will at least give you some additional assistance in how to find it yourself.
Before you hire someone, consider whether the deduction or other benefit you would receive are worth paying a private investigator or attorney. Keep in mind you may be charged several hundred dollars for this service to be performed for you. Attorneys also will have access to legal search engines, which they may be able to use to help you find the EIN of a private company. [7] X Research source
You can also fill out this application and bring it to a Social Security office, along with a birth certificate and photo ID. [11] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source
If you received a letter telling you to renew your ITIN, or if you have not used an ITIN since before 2013, fill out form W-7 to request a new ITIN. It takes about 7 weeks to get a new one. [15] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U. S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source
You can also look up the company using its name or ticker symbol at sec. gov’s EDGAR search.
A business switches to a new EIN if it goes bankrupt, changes ownership (for sole proprietorships or partnerships), or has a major change in organization (for instance, it incorporates or merges). [18] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U. S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source Do not rely on forms from before one of these events.
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