EIN Number Format: What an EIN Looks Like
Last updated November 1, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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Start Now →The format, digit by digit
- Digits 1 and 2: the prefix. The IRS campus that issued the number, or one of the prefixes reserved for the online application. The table below is the IRS’s own list.
- The hyphen. Always after the second digit on IRS notices and forms. Many systems store the number without it, which is fine; what matters is that there are nine digits.
- Digits 3 to 9. A serial number. They carry no information about the business, the state, the entity type or the year, and there is no check digit to validate them.
Valid EIN prefixes
The IRS publishes which prefixes it uses and where. If the first two digits of a number are not on this list, it is not an EIN. Some prefixes appear under both a campus and the online application; the IRS lists them in both places.
| Issued by | Prefixes |
|---|---|
| Andover | 10, 12 |
| Atlanta | 60, 67 |
| Austin | 50, 53 |
| Brookhaven | 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 11, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 25, 34, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 65 |
| Cincinnati | 30, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 61 |
| Fresno | 15, 24 |
| Kansas City | 40, 44 |
| Memphis | 94, 95 |
| Ogden | 80, 90 |
| Philadelphia | 33, 39, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 98, 99 |
| Internet (online application) | 20, 26, 27, 33, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 92, 93, 99 |
| Small Business Administration | 31 |
Most EINs issued to new businesses today come from the online application, so a recent number usually begins with one of the internet prefixes: 20, 26, 27, 45, 46, 47, 81 through 88, 92, 93 or 99. An older number, or one issued by fax or mail, carries a campus prefix. None of this affects what the number is for or how it is used.
EIN vs SSN vs ITIN at a glance
| Number | Format | Who has one | Issued by |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIN | 12-3456789 | Businesses, estates, trusts, nonprofits, household employers | IRS |
| SSN | 123-45-6789 | Individuals | Social Security Administration |
| ITIN | 9XX-XX-XXXX | Individuals who cannot get an SSN | IRS |
All three are taxpayer identification numbers, which is why a form that asks for a “TIN” will take whichever one applies. Which one a given form wants is in EIN vs TIN vs SSN.
Where your EIN is printed
- The CP 575 notice, top right and again in the body, next to the legal name the IRS recorded. The CP 575 guide shows where your copy went.
- A 147C letter, the IRS replacement when the CP 575 is gone.
- Every federal business return: the top of page one of Form 1120, 1120-S, 1065 or 941.
- W-2 box b and the payer box of any 1099 the business issued.
- Part I of the W-9 the business gave its clients, in the row labeled employer identification number.
If none of those is to hand, the EIN lookup guide walks through the rest, and the confirmation letter guide has the call that always works.
How to tell whether an EIN is valid
The format tells you only two things: there are nine digits, and the prefix is one the IRS uses. It cannot tell you that the number belongs to the business in front of you, because there is no check digit and no public register of private company EINs. Proof that a number is real and matches a name is the CP 575 or 147C letter, a W-9 under signature, or for payers, the IRS TIN Matching program. The verify an EIN guide covers each route.
Formatting mistakes that get forms rejected
- The dropped leading zero. An EIN beginning 01 to 06 becomes eight digits the moment a spreadsheet treats it as a number. Store it as text, or with the hyphen.
- Entered as an SSN. Payroll and bank systems that ask for an SSN layout reject a nine digit EIN, and the reverse. If a form has separate boxes for each, use the right one.
- Hyphen in the wrong place. 123-45-6789 is an SSN layout. An EIN is 12-3456789.
- A state number instead. State tax IDs, sales tax permits and secretary of state filing numbers have their own formats and are not the EIN. The state tax ID guide sorts them out.
- Eight or ten digits. A transcription error. Check the number against the CP 575 before contacting anyone.
Quick answers
How many digits is an EIN?
Nine, written as two digits, a hyphen and seven digits: XX-XXXXXXX. An SSN is also nine digits but is written XXX-XX-XXXX, so the position of the hyphen tells the two apart.
Can an EIN start with 0?
Yes. Prefixes 01 through 06 are valid Brookhaven campus prefixes. Spreadsheets drop the leading zero, which is the most common way an EIN gets corrupted; store it as text or with the hyphen.
Is there a check digit in an EIN?
No. The only format test is whether the first two digits are a valid prefix. A number with a valid prefix can still be wrong, so proof that an EIN belongs to a business is the CP 575 or 147C letter, not the digits.
Is a FEIN formatted differently from an EIN?
No. FEIN, federal tax ID number and employer identification number are the same nine digit number in the same XX-XXXXXXX format. The federal tax ID guide covers the vocabulary.
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Related guides
- What Is a TIN Number? EIN vs TIN vs SSN vs ITIN A TIN is the family; EIN, SSN and ITIN are members of it. Which one a form is really asking for, and when a business uses the owner's SSN instead of its own EIN.
- How to Verify an EIN: Check That a Tax ID Is Real The IRS has no public lookup, but payers can use TIN Matching, anyone can ask for the CP 575 or 147C letter and a W-9, and nonprofits and public companies are on the public record. Which route fits, and what verification sites actually do.
- Lost EIN? How to Get an IRS 147C Verification Letter The 147C is the letter the IRS sends to confirm an existing EIN when the CP 575 is gone. Who may ask, the exact call, fax or mail delivery, and the five places your EIN is already written down.
- IRS CP 575 Letter (Your EIN Letter): What It Is and Where to Find Yours The EIN letter the IRS issues when it assigns the number, created once and never reissued. What it contains, where your copy went depending on how you applied, and what banks accept instead.
- EIN Lookup: How to Find Your EIN (or Another Company's) Your own EIN is on five documents you already have. Another company's EIN is public only in specific cases. Where to look, in order, and the one route that always works.
- Federal Tax ID Number for a Business: What It Is and How to Get One A federal tax ID number for a business is the EIN. Which businesses need their own, when the owner's SSN is enough, what the number looks like, and the state numbers that are not the same thing.
Sources
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.