An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is a nine-digit tax identification number assigned to your business by the Internal Revenue Service. It works in the same way that a Social Security Number works for an individual, except it belongs to your business entity.
The IRS issues an EIN when a business registers for federal tax purposes. It is used on tax filings, business bank account applications, payroll records, and a wide range of other official documents. Almost every business in the United States that operates as anything other than a sole proprietor with no employees will have one.
When you go through corporate identity verification, we ask for your EIN so we can confirm that the tax identification number you have provided matches what the IRS has on file for your business. This is a standard step in business account onboarding and is required by federal regulations.
Part of verifying a business is confirming that it is properly registered with the IRS and that the name and tax ID number on your application are consistent with official government records. A mismatch between your EIN and your legal business name is one of the most common reasons business applications are delayed.
Providing an IRS-issued document that clearly shows your EIN and your business name as they appear in IRS records allows us to complete this step quickly and accurately.
The document you submit must clearly display all of the following:
Required information | Details |
|---|---|
Legal business name | The exact name of your business as it appears in IRS records. This may include the owner name for certain entity types such as single member LLCs. |
Employer Identification Number | Your nine-digit EIN in the format XX-XXXXXXX. |
IRS issuing confirmation | The document must be issued directly by the IRS, not a third party. Unofficial EIN lookup results or online summaries are not accepted. |
The IRS sometimes records business names in unexpected ways. For single member LLCs, it is common for the IRS to list both the owner name and the business name together on the same line. For example, your EIN letter might read ACME LLC JOHN SMITH SOLE MBR rather than simply ACME LLC.
When submitting your application, enter the name exactly as it appears on your IRS document, including any additional text above the business address. If there are multiple lines above the address, enter them all on one line separated by single spaces. This ensures your information matches IRS records and avoids unnecessary delays.
Any of the following will be accepted, provided they include all of the required information listed above:
If you have lost your original EIN confirmation letter, you can request a 147C letter by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933. They will mail or fax it to you at no charge.
Below is an example of an acceptable document. Use this as a reference when preparing your submission.
If you are unsure which document to submit or need help locating your EIN confirmation, contact our onboarding support team before submitting. We can help you identify the right document and avoid delays in your verification.