DUNS Number vs EIN: What's the Difference? (2026)

What Is the Difference Between a DUNS Number and an EIN?

A DUNS number is issued by Dun & Bradstreet for business credit; an EIN is issued by the IRS for federal tax. Both are 9 digits and both cost $0, but they run in 2 separate systems.

Source: IRS and Dun & Bradstreet documentation, verified August 2026.

The overlap that confuses people is the shared 9-digit length. An EIN prints as XX-XXXXXXX, for example 12-3456789, while a DUNS number is a plain 9-digit string with no fixed hyphen pattern. The wider family of tax IDs, including SSN and ITIN, is mapped on TIN vs EIN.

The 2 systems never share data. Dun & Bradstreet builds its file from trade references, public filings, and payment history. The IRS builds its record from Form SS-4 and the returns the entity files afterward. A change of address updates 1 system but not the other, so a business keeps both records current on its own. Lenders and net-30 suppliers pull the D&B file and the Paydex score. Banks, payroll processors, and state agencies pull the EIN and match it against IRS records. Losing 1 number has no effect on the other, since they sit in separate systems. A firm can hold an EIN for 5 or 10 years before it ever requests a DUNS number. The EIN also carries the name FEIN, a point mapped on what is a FEIN.

Do You Need Both a DUNS Number and an EIN?

Most businesses need an EIN and add a DUNS number later. The EIN handles the 3 core tasks of tax, banking, and payroll; the DUNS number handles business credit and vendor terms.

A new business gets the EIN first because banks require it on day 1, one of the benefits of an EIN for an LLC. The account-opening steps sit on EIN for an LLC bank account. A DUNS number is added only when the business seeks credit lines or supplier accounts.

The order matters for cash flow. An EIN unlocks a business bank account, and that account is where revenue lands from day 1. A DUNS number unlocks trade credit, which most firms use only after the first sales close. Federal contractors follow a third path: they skip the DUNS number and register a 12-character UEI inside SAM.gov, using the EIN as the tax anchor. A sole proprietor with no employees can run on an SSN, yet an EIN still shields that SSN from vendors and clients. Once the EIN is in hand, adding a DUNS number costs $0 and builds a second, credit-side identity. The steps that follow the EIN sit on using your EIN and what is an EIN.

How Do You Get a DUNS Number?

Request a DUNS number free from Dun & Bradstreet. Standard processing takes up to 30 business days, and paid expedited service returns the 9-digit number in about 8 business days.

Source: Dun & Bradstreet, D-U-N-S Number request, verified August 2026.

The request needs the legal business name, physical address, and entity structure. D&B assigns 1 DUNS number per physical location, so a company with 3 offices ends up with 3 numbers. The EIN, by contrast, stays as 1 number for the whole entity, as detailed on the IRS EIN number page.

Verify first whether a DUNS number already exists. D&B pre-assigns numbers to many registered businesses, so a lookup on the D&B site returns the existing 9-digit number the same day at $0. If none exists, the standard request runs up to 30 business days, and the paid iUpdate route returns the number in about 8 business days. The form asks for the legal name, physical address, phone, and start date. A home-based business uses its home address, and D&B ties the number to that 1 location. The EIN follows a faster clock: it issues in about 15 minutes online or 4 to 7 business days by fax on Form SS-4. That path is detailed on how to get an EIN and in the LLC EIN application.

Is the DUNS Number Still Used?

The US federal government retired the DUNS number on April 4, 2022, and replaced it with the 12-character Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov. Dun & Bradstreet still issues the 9-digit DUNS for private business credit.

Source: GSA SAM.gov Unique Entity ID transition, verified August 2026.

Any entity that bids on federal contracts or grants now registers in SAM.gov and receives a 12-character UEI, generated at no cost. The 9-digit DUNS number keeps its role in the private credit market, where lenders and suppliers pull a D&B report. The EIN sits in neither of those systems: it is the IRS tax identifier, and it is required before a SAM.gov registration can complete.

The transition finished on April 4, 2022, after a multi-year notice period from the GSA. Every active SAM.gov registrant received a 12-character UEI at $0, and the government stopped generating new DUNS numbers for federal use. The UEI mixes letters and digits, so it never collides with a 9-digit DUNS or a 9-digit EIN. Outside the federal space, the DUNS number still anchors D&B credit reports that banks and suppliers read. The EIN remains the 1 identifier every path shares, and no SAM.gov registration finishes without it. A business bidding on contracts holds an EIN and a UEI, and it holds a DUNS number only when it also wants private trade credit. Founders can confirm which number a bank wants on EIN for an LLC bank account.

How Do You Get an EIN?

There are 4 ways: online in 15 minutes with an SSN, by fax in 4 to 7 business days, by mail in 6 to 11 weeks, or by phone for international applicants. All 4 cost $0 at the IRS.

Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, verified August 2026.

Applicants with no SSN cannot use the online tool, so they fax Form SS-4 with the word Foreign on line 7b to 855-641-6935 within the US or 855-215-1627 from abroad, and the IRS returns the CP-575 letter in 4 to 7 business days. einforllc.co files that route for $97, or $127 within 24 hours. The full walkthrough sits on how to get an EIN, how to get an EIN for an LLC, and the LLC EIN application. Pricing detail sits on LLC EIN cost.

This page states federal rules current as of August 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. Confirm your business's position with a licensed CPA or attorney before filing.