How Do You Verify Your Own EIN?
Call the IRS Business and Specialty line at 800-829-4933 and request a 147C letter. It restates your exact 9-digit EIN and legal name at $0, and only the responsible party listed on the account can receive it.
The 147C letter is the official confirmation the IRS issues after the original CP-575 is lost, because the IRS never reprints a second CP-575. An EIN prints as XX-XXXXXXX, a 2-digit prefix plus a 7-digit serial, and the 147C restates all 9 digits. The line runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The agent faxes the 147C during the call or mails it in 4 to 6 weeks, and a third party requests it with Form 2848 or Form 8821 on file. Full detail on the 2 letters sits on EIN verification letter and LLC CP-575 letter.
| Method | Who uses it | Cost | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| 147C letter | The business itself | $0 | Fax same call, or 4 to 6 weeks |
| TIN Matching | A payer filing 1099s | $0 | Seconds to 24 hours |
| Tax Exempt Org Search | Anyone, nonprofits only | $0 | Under 2 minutes |
| Paid data broker | Anyone, disclosed EINs | $10 to $100 | Minutes, no IRS match |
Source: IRS 147C procedure and TIN Matching program, verified August 2026.
No SSN. No passport upload.
How Do You Verify a Vendor's EIN?
Collect a signed Form W-9, then run the vendor's name and 9-digit EIN through IRS TIN Matching. The tool confirms the pair against IRS records before you file a 1099, so a verified match removes the 24% backup withholding requirement.
A payer must request a W-9 from any vendor paid $600 or more in a year, or a W-8 series form from a foreign vendor. Enrollment in IRS TIN Matching through e-Services is free, and the tool checks the name and EIN pair the way the IRS reads it. Interactive matching accepts up to 25 pairs per session; bulk matching accepts up to 100,000 pairs in a single file. A 1099-NEC is due to the IRS and the recipient by January 31, any payer with 10 or more returns must e-file, down from a 250-return threshold before 2024, and Form 8809 buys an automatic 30-day extension. More on collecting the number sits on find an EIN for a business and EIN number finder.
| Mode | Max pairs | Result | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive | 25 per session | On screen | Seconds |
| Bulk | 100,000 per file | Downloadable file | Within 24 hours |
| Enrollment | 1 e-Services account | Access granted | 2 to 5 business days |
Source: IRS TIN Matching e-Services limits, verified August 2026.
What Happens If an EIN Fails Verification?
A name and EIN mismatch on a filed 1099 triggers a CP2100 notice from the IRS. You must send the payee a B-notice within 15 business days and start backup withholding at 24% of every payment until the correct TIN is supplied.
Backup withholding under 26 U.S.C. 6109 forces the payer to hold 24 cents of every dollar and remit it to the IRS; the 2018 tax law cut that rate from 28% to 24%. The IRS sends a CP2100 or CP2100A notice, and IRS Publication 1281 governs the B-notice steps. A first CP2100 draws the first B-notice; a second mismatch within 3 years requires a second B-notice and IRS validation. Ignoring a match failure can draw a Notice 972CG penalty, so payers keep the records 4 years. Running TIN Matching before filing catches the mismatch at $0 and avoids all 3 penalty steps entirely.
| Trigger | IRS action | Your action | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name and EIN mismatch | CP2100 notice | Send B-notice in 15 days | 24% |
| No W-9 on file | CP2100 notice | Request W-9 at once | 24% |
| 2nd mismatch in 3 years | 2nd CP2100 | IRS validation of TIN | 24% |
| Verified TIN Match | No notice | File 1099 clean | 0% |
Source: IRS backup withholding rules and CP2100 procedure, verified August 2026.
How Do You Verify a Nonprofit's EIN?
Search the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, a free tool that lists every active 501(c)(3) by name and 9-digit EIN. The same EIN prints on the nonprofit's annual Form 990, which is public at $0.
A nonprofit is the 1 case where a name-to-EIN search works, because the IRS publishes tax-exempt status openly. GuideStar and ProPublica mirror Form 990 data across more than 1.8 million organizations, so a donor confirms both the EIN and the exemption in under 2 minutes. Understanding the number itself sits on what is an EIN and IRS EIN number.
A 501(c)(3) files Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or the 990-N postcard each year, and the 9-digit EIN prints in the header of page 1 on all 3 versions. A church is exempt from the annual filing yet still holds an EIN, so a name search returns nothing for many faith groups; request the number in writing from the organization instead. The 2 mirror sites refresh their data within 30 days of an IRS 990 release, which keeps a donor within 1 filing cycle of the current record. The rules for a charity's own number sit on EIN for nonprofit, and the ways a group puts that 9-digit number to work sit on using your EIN.
| Source | Covers | Cost | Where the EIN appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Exempt Org Search | 501(c)(3) nonprofits | $0 | Organization record |
| Form 990 | Filing nonprofits | $0 | Header of page 1 |
| GuideStar | 1.8 million+ nonprofits | $0 | Mirrored 990 profile |
| ProPublica | 1.8 million+ nonprofits | $0 | Mirrored 990 profile |
Source: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and Form 990, verified August 2026.
Can You Verify Any Business's EIN by Name?
No. The IRS keeps private EINs confidential under 26 U.S.C. 6109, so no free public tool matches a company name to its EIN. The 2 exceptions are public companies in SEC EDGAR and nonprofits in the Tax Exempt Organization Search.
For a private company, the reliable route is a Form W-9, which the business must supply to a payer who sends it $600 or more in a year. A public company is the 1 open case: SEC EDGAR has listed the EIN on the cover of every Form 10-K since 1993 across more than 800,000 filers under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A private EIN also sits on a filed Form 1065, 1120, or 1040 Schedule C, and a responsible-party change is reported on Form 8822-B within 60 days. Paid brokers charge $10 to $100 but cannot read the IRS master file, so they return an EIN only when it was already disclosed. If you still need to obtain a number, the routes are on how to get an EIN and lost LLC EIN. For a name-based search, see LLC EIN number lookup.
This page states federal rules current as of August 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. Confirm your position with a licensed CPA or attorney.