The federal tax identification number for a company is also known as the employer identification number (EIN) and it is necessary for a company to file taxes or hire employees. It is a number issued by the IRS, and it is used by companies for a variety of reasons. Non-profit and for-profit companies both must have EINs assigned, but there are different ways of acquiring that information if you need to find a company’s EIN.
For-Profit Companies
The easiest way to find the EIN for a for-profit company is to go to the website for the <a href=”https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html”>Securities and Exchange Commission</a> and use that website’s lookup feature. The feature is called EDGAR, and it presents you with several form options you can explore for the company you are investigating. All you have to do is choose the option that suits your needs and EDGAR will show you the EIN.
Non-Profit Companies
There is a company called Melissa Data that is easy to find online. This company collects all of the EIN information for non-profit companies, and offers a database of the information that is easy to search. Since the EIN information is not considered confidential, it can be displayed easily for any for-profit or non-profit organization.
If You Work For The Company
If you work for a company and you want to know that company’s EIN, then all you need to do is check your W-2. Federal law states that all companies, public and private, must display their EIN on all employee W-2s. Some companies display the information prominently, while others make you do a little hunting. But the information is there if you need to find it.
Call The Company
If you have a well-defined reason for wanting a company’s EIN, then you can call the company and ask for the information. Many investors require EIN information before they will make any kind of proposal to a company, which makes companies more than willing to provide the information. It is important to remember that a company is not obliged to reveal its EIN if it prefers not to. If you do not have a good reason for needing the EIN, then you might have a hard time getting it.
Ask A Research Specialist
Did you know that the librarians in your local library are trained to do research on your behalf for a variety of subjects? If you go to the reference section of your public library, you can ask one of the research specialists in that section to help you find the EIN for a company. There are business directories published each year that have the information you need, and an experienced librarian can help you to find that information quickly.
While the EIN for a company is not necessarily a secret, it is not data you will easily be able to get by just making a phone call. But there are plenty of resources available to help you find an EIN and get almost any other kind of data you need on the company you are researching.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!