The free ways to look up an EIN depend on whose number you need. For your own business, start with your records, then call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 to have the number confirmed in writing at no cost. For another entity, a W-9 request, the SEC’s EDGAR database, and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search cover most situations without a fee. No paid service has access the IRS and these public databases don’t already provide for free.
Find Your Own EIN in Your Records
Before calling anyone, dig through what you already have. The IRS itself recommends starting here, and in most cases the number turns up in a few minutes.
The IRS Assignment Notice (CP 575)
When the IRS approves an EIN application on Form SS-4, it issues a confirmation called the CP 575 Notice with the EIN near the top. Online applicants had the option to view, print, and save the notice at the end of the session, so check downloads and email archives first. Fax applicants received the number back within about four business days; mail applicants received the notice roughly four weeks later.1Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025) – Section: How To Apply for an EIN
Prior Tax Returns and Payroll Forms
Your EIN appears on every federal business return you’ve filed. It’s on the first page of Form 1120 for corporations and Form 1065 for partnerships, and on quarterly payroll returns (Form 941) and the annual federal unemployment return (Form 940).2Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. March 2026) If you e-file, the number is searchable inside your tax software account.
Bank Documents and IRS Mail
Banks collect the EIN when you open a business account as part of their customer identification requirements, so your original account application or recent statements may show it.3FFIEC BSA/AML Manual. Assessing Compliance with BSA Regulatory Requirements – Customer Identification Program If you can’t find it, ask the bank directly. Any letter the IRS has sent about your business uses the EIN as the account reference number, so your correspondence file is worth a look too.
W-2s and 1099s You’ve Issued
W-2 forms issued to employees list your EIN in Box B.4Internal Revenue Service. General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) – Section: Specific Instructions for Form W-2 Forms 1099 sent to independent contractors carry it in the payer’s identification box. If your own copies are missing, a current or former employee or contractor may still have theirs.
Get a Replacement Confirmation from the IRS
If the records search comes up short, the IRS will confirm your EIN in writing at no cost. There is no online self-service lookup; the IRS restricts retrieval to a live interaction for security reasons.
Call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Pacific time for Alaska and Hawaii callers).5Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers – Section: Business and Specialty Tax Line and EIN Assignment (800-829-4933) Ask the representative for Letter 147C, a replacement confirmation of a previously assigned EIN. The agent can fax it to you during the call, so you leave with a written record rather than only a verbal number.6Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number – Section: EIN Confirmation You can also request an Entity transcript through the IRS’s online transcript system, which includes the EIN.
Who the IRS Will Talk To
The IRS will only release the EIN to the responsible party listed on the original Form SS-4. A responsible party is an actual person who owns, controls, or manages the entity and its funds, and the specific role depends on business type:7Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees
- Corporation: the principal officer
- Partnership: a general partner
- Tax-exempt organization: the principal officer
- Trust: the grantor or trustor
- Estate: the executor or personal representative
- Sole proprietorship: the owner
What the Call Covers
Expect a thorough identity check. The representative will cross-reference what you give against the original SS-4 filing: business name, mailing address, entity type, and the name and Social Security number or ITIN of the responsible party. If a detail doesn’t match the IRS record exactly, the agent cannot release the number and will direct you to the person who filed the application. Federal law requires this caution. Internal Revenue Code Section 6103 protects return information, including EINs, as confidential and bars IRS employees from disclosing it to unauthorized individuals.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6103 – Confidentiality and Disclosure of Returns and Return Information
Having Your Accountant or Attorney Call
If you want a CPA, attorney, or enrolled agent to handle the call, file either Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) or Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) with the IRS first. Form 2848 authorizes someone to act on your behalf and receive your confidential tax information.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848 (Rev. September 2021) Form 8821 is a lighter alternative that lets a designated person inspect or receive your tax information without broader representation power.10Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization Either form must be on file before the representative calls.
Look Up Another Business’s EIN for Free
The IRS will not release another entity’s EIN over the phone, but several legitimate free paths exist. Which one works depends on whether the entity is a vendor you’ve paid, a public company, or a tax-exempt organization.
Ask the Business for a W-9
The simplest route is to request a completed Form W-9, the standard document for collecting a payee’s taxpayer identification number.11Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification For tax years beginning after 2025, an information return like a 1099-NEC is required when you pay a U.S. business or individual $2,000 or more during the calendar year, up from the longstanding $600 threshold.12Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Publication 1099 Businesses that cross that threshold with you expect the request and generally return the form without pushback.
Verify a Number You Already Have
If you’re a payer who files information returns, the IRS TIN Matching program lets you confirm that an EIN and business name match before you submit 1099s. You must be listed on the IRS Payer Account File and complete an enrollment application to get access.13Internal Revenue Service. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching This tool confirms a match or mismatch; it will not look up a number you don’t already have.
Publicly Traded Companies: SEC EDGAR
Publicly traded corporations disclose their EIN in SEC filings. Annual reports (Form 10-K) and quarterly reports (Form 10-Q) list the federal tax identification number on the cover page. Search the SEC’s EDGAR database by company name or ticker symbol, open the most recent 10-K, and the EIN is usually on the first or second page alongside the state of incorporation and the company address.14SEC.gov. EDGAR Company Search The database is free to use with no account required.
Nonprofits: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search
Tax-exempt organizations file Form 990 as their annual information return, and Form 990 is a public document with the organization’s EIN on the first page.15Internal Revenue Service. About Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax The IRS runs a free Tax Exempt Organization Search where you can look up any exempt organization by name or EIN and access copies of its filed returns.16Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search Smaller organizations with gross receipts normally under $50,000 may file only the electronic notice (Form 990-N), but their EIN still appears in the search results.17Internal Revenue Service. Exempt Organization Annual Filing Requirements Overview
State Licensing Databases
Some state regulators in industries like insurance, banking, and healthcare publish the federal EIN alongside state licensing details. Availability varies widely by state and industry, but a quick search of the relevant agency’s website is worth a few minutes if other routes fall short.
One Boundary Worth Knowing
Not every business has an EIN. Sole proprietors without employees or a retirement plan aren’t required to get one and may be using a Social Security number on W-9s and 1099s instead.18Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number If you’re trying to look one up for a vendor who operates this way, no EIN exists to find. Asking for a W-9 is still the right move; the form will come back with an SSN in the TIN field rather than an EIN.