How to Find Your EIN: 7 Places to Look Before Calling the IRS

Is There a Free EIN Lookup Database?

Let's clear up the most common misconception: there is no public EIN lookup database. Unlike your state business registry — where anyone can search your LLC and see its registered agent — the IRS does not publish EINs. The number is treated as tax information, and access is restricted to the entity itself and authorized parties.

That means two things:

• You can't search it on the IRS website. There's no "forgot my EIN" portal. Any site claiming to look up EINs for a fee is either scraping unreliable sources or scamming you.
• Recovery means finding your own records — or proving your identity to the IRS directly.

The good news: an EIN touches almost every financial document your business produces, so there are many places to look. Work through this list in order — most people find it by step three.

7 Places to Find Your EIN Before Calling the IRS

Work through these in order — they're arranged from fastest to slowest, and most people find their number by step three. Each one takes under five minutes to check.

1. Your IRS Confirmation Letter (CP 575)

When you first got your EIN, the IRS issued a confirmation notice — CP 575 (or letter 147C if you received it by phone). It's a one-page document with your nine-digit number at the top.

Where it usually lives:

• The downloads folder of the computer where you applied (if you applied online, it was a PDF)
• Your business records folder, alongside your Articles of Organization
• Your email, if a formation service obtained the EIN for you — search for "EIN," "CP 575," or "confirmation"

Search your email and cloud storage for "EIN" before anything else. If a service like LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, or Northwest obtained it for you, it's also in your account dashboard with that provider.

2. Your Business Bank Account Records

Your bank collected your EIN when you opened the account — it's on the signature card and in the account file. Two ways to retrieve it:

• Check your online banking documents. Some banks show the EIN on account statements or in the account details/profile section.
• Call or visit your branch. An authorized signer can request the EIN on file. Bring ID and proof you're an owner/signer on the account.

This is often the fastest path if the CP 575 is lost — banks keep this information permanently and can verify it same-day.

3. Past Tax Returns

Every business tax return you've filed carries your EIN at the top of page one:

• Form 1065 (partnership return) — top of page 1
• Form 1120 / 1120-S (corporation returns) — top of page 1
• Schedule C on your Form 1040 — if your single-member LLC reports on your personal return, the EIN appears on the Schedule C (though some filers use their SSN there)
• Form 941 / 940 (payroll tax returns) — if you've ever had employees

Check your tax software account (TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, etc.) or your accountant's files. Even a return from years ago contains the same EIN — the number never changes.

4. Business Licenses, Permits, and Registrations

Your EIN appears on most government registrations you completed after formation:

• State tax registrations — sales tax permits, employer registrations, and state revenue department correspondence usually reference your federal EIN
• Local business licenses — city and county license applications typically require it
• State annual reports — some states ask for the federal EIN on the report itself

Log into your state's tax or licensing portal — the EIN is often displayed in your business profile. Your state page links to the relevant portals.

5. Vendor and Client Paperwork

Any W-9 you've ever sent to a client contains your EIN — it's in Part I of the form. Look for:

• W-9s you emailed to clients or platforms (Upwork, Amazon, Stripe, and similar services collect them)
• 1099s you've received from clients — the payer prints your EIN on the form they send you
• Vendor credit applications and lease agreements you filled out

Search your sent email for "W-9" — for most freelancers and agencies, that ends the hunt immediately.

6. Your Formation Service Dashboard

If a formation service obtained your EIN as part of a package, the number lives in your account with them:

• Log into the service you used (check your email for the order confirmation if you don't remember which one)
• Look under "My Companies," "Documents," or "Compliance" — the EIN confirmation is typically stored there
• If it's not displayed, their support team can retrieve it after verifying your identity

Same applies if your accountant or attorney obtained it — they keep it in your client file.

7. Call the IRS to Retrieve Your EIN (Last Resort)

If every record is gone, the IRS will give you your number by phone — after verifying your identity:

1. Call the Business & Specialty Tax Line: 800-829-4933 (7am–7pm local time, Monday–Friday).
2. Verify your identity. Expect questions about the entity: legal name, formation state, business address, responsible party's SSN, and possibly details from your last filing.
3. Get the number. The agent reads it to you over the phone. Have a pen ready.

Only someone authorized by the entity — an owner, officer, or authorized representative — can retrieve it. Hold times vary; calling right at opening tends to be fastest. Note: the IRS will not reissue the CP 575 letter itself, but the number plus your formation documents satisfies banks in virtually all cases.

How to Find Another Company's EIN

Sometimes you need a different business's EIN — to fill out a 1099 for a contractor, or to vet a vendor. Here's what's actually available:

• Ask them for a W-9. The legitimate, standard path. Any business you pay $600+ in a year should provide one, and it contains their EIN.
• SEC filings for public companies. Publicly traded companies' EINs appear on SEC filings (EDGAR database) — free to search.
• Nonprofit filings. Tax-exempt organizations' EINs are public via the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and Form 990 databases.
• Everything else: not public. Private LLCs' EINs are not published anywhere official. Sites claiming to sell them are scraping unreliable data — don't rely on them for tax forms.

If a contractor won't give you a W-9, the IRS backup-withholding rules apply (24% withholding) — that's your leverage to get the form.

How to Keep Your EIN Safe Once You Find It

Once you've recovered your EIN, make sure you never hunt for it again:

1. Store the CP 575 PDF in two places — cloud storage and your business records folder.
2. Add it to your password manager as a secure note alongside your state filing credentials.
3. Keep a formation file — Articles of Organization, EIN confirmation, operating agreement, and state receipts in one folder. Banks and investors ask for these together.
4. Tell your accountant where it lives — so tax season never depends on a memory search.

And if you're still at the formation stage and haven't gotten an EIN yet, our EIN walkthrough covers the free five-minute application — including the paths for non-US owners.

EIN Recovery by Situation

Different business situations change where your EIN is likely hiding. Find the scenario that matches yours and start there — it's usually faster than working the generic list from the top.

You Used a Formation Service

If LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee, Northwest, or a similar service obtained your EIN, it's in your account dashboard — usually under "My Orders," "Documents," or "Company Details." If you've lost login access, recover the account first; their support can also verify your identity and resend the confirmation. This resolves most cases within a day. One tip: search your email for the original order confirmation to identify which service you used — most people forget within a year, and the confirmation email names the provider and links straight to your account.

Your Accountant Handles Your Taxes

Any CPA or tax preparer who has filed a return for your business has your EIN in their client file. A single email to them usually ends the search. If you've switched accountants, the previous one is still obligated to retain records — and most will share your EIN after verifying your identity. This is also the right moment to ask them to store your EIN confirmation letter in their document portal, so next year's search never happens. Accountants expect this request; it's one of the most common questions they get in January.

You Have Employees or Had Payroll

Your payroll provider (Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks Payroll, or similar) has your EIN on file — it's on every quarterly filing they've made for you. Log into the payroll dashboard or ask their support. Your state workforce agency account also displays it, since unemployment and withholding registrations are keyed to your federal EIN. Even if you let payroll lapse months ago, the account and its records still exist — providers retain tax data for at least seven years because the IRS can audit that far back.

You Sell on a Marketplace or Use a Payment Processor

Stripe, PayPal, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify Payments, and similar platforms collect your EIN during onboarding and display it in your tax settings (where they manage your 1099-K). Check the tax or business profile section of any platform you receive payouts through. If you never entered an EIN — many sole proprietors onboard with their SSN — that itself is your answer: the platform has no EIN on file, and you may not actually need one yet. Our EIN walkthrough covers when a marketplace seller genuinely needs a separate number.

You Closed the Business and Need the EIN for Final Filings

The same recovery paths apply — old tax returns and bank records don't expire. If you're filing a final return to formally close the entity, your accountant or the IRS phone line will get you the number. Don't skip the final return just because the business is done: without it, the IRS keeps expecting filings under your EIN, and missed returns can generate notices and penalties against an entity you thought was dead. A final return marked "FINAL" closes the account cleanly — and you'll need the EIN to file it.

Mistakes to Avoid When Searching for a Lost EIN

The urgency of a lost EIN pushes people toward bad shortcuts. Avoid these:

• Don't pay "EIN lookup" websites. There is no legitimate paid lookup service for private entities. Sites charging for this are either selling scraped, unreliable data or harvesting your information. The only authoritative sources are your own records and the IRS.
• Don't apply for a second EIN. If you submit a new application for an entity that already has one, the IRS may assign a duplicate number — creating a mess where your filings, bank accounts, and tax history are split across two IDs. Cleaning that up takes letters and months.
• Don't guess or reuse another entity's number. Filing a return or opening an account with the wrong EIN attaches your activity to someone else's record. Both entities then face correction work.
• Don't share your EIN with unverified callers. Scammers exploit "we're helping you find your EIN" as a pretext to collect it plus other details. The IRS will never call you offering to look up your number.

The disciplined path is always the same: search your own records top to bottom, then call the IRS yourself at 800-829-4933. Anything else adds risk without adding speed.

Where Your EIN Appears on Key Documents

Once you've recovered your EIN, here's exactly where it should appear going forward — a useful checklist for keeping your records complete:

If you maintain a single "formation file" — Articles of Organization, EIN confirmation, operating agreement, and state receipts — every future lookup becomes a thirty-second task instead of an afternoon hunt. Store it in cloud storage plus one local copy, and tell your accountant where it lives.

What Happens to Your EIN When Your Business Changes

Understanding the EIN's lifecycle helps you know which records to keep and when the number matters most. The short version: the EIN is permanent for the life of the entity — but what happens around it changes with each major business event.

When You Dissolve the LLC

The EIN doesn't get "cancelled" — it simply becomes inactive. The IRS closes your business tax account after your final return (marked "FINAL") is processed. The number is never reassigned to another entity, so old records referencing it remain valid. Keep your dissolution documents alongside the EIN confirmation; if you ever reform a similar entity, you'll want the history clean.

When You Sell the Business

In an asset sale, the buyer gets their own EIN — yours stays with you and your entity's final filings. In an entity sale (selling the LLC itself), the EIN travels with the entity to the new owner. Either way, document the transition in your records so future tax notices make sense.

When You Convert Entity Type

Converting an LLC to a corporation (or vice versa) through a statutory conversion usually keeps the same EIN if the entity is legally continuous. A fresh formation, however, gets a fresh number. Your state's conversion filing and your accountant's records should note which path you took — this is exactly the kind of detail that saves hours during a future audit or bank review.

When You'Re Audited or Reviewed

Bank compliance reviews, IRS inquiries, and investor due diligence all start with your EIN. Having your confirmation letter, formation documents, and tax history organized around that number turns a potentially weeks-long scramble into a same-day response. This is the strongest practical argument for the "one formation file" habit: the EIN is the index key to your entire business paper trail.

The 15-Minute EIN Recovery Plan

If you need your EIN today, here's the fastest realistic sequence — most people finish it inside fifteen minutes:

1. Minutes 1–3: Email and cloud search. Search your email (including the account you used for formation) for "EIN," "CP 575," and "confirmation." Search your cloud storage for the same terms. If a formation service handled it, log into that dashboard.
2. Minutes 3–6: Check tax records. Open your tax software account or your accountant's last filed return. The EIN is on page one of any business return. Even a years-old return works — the number never changes.
3. Minutes 6–10: Check the bank. Look at your online banking documents, or call your branch as an authorized signer. Banks keep the EIN on file permanently and can verify it same-day.
4. Minutes 10–15: Check licenses and W-9s. Log into your state tax portal (sales tax or employer account) and search your sent email for "W-9." Either one usually surfaces the number.

If all four come up empty, you're in IRS-phone territory — call 800-829-4933 right at opening for the shortest hold. But in practice, step one or two resolves the overwhelming majority of cases. The EIN touches too many documents to be truly lost; it's almost always one search away.

Frequently Asked Questions