How to Verify an EIN: Check That a Tax ID Is Real and Belongs to a Business

Which verification you actually need

“Verify an EIN” means four different things depending on who is asking. Find your row first.

IRS TIN Matching: the only verification the IRS runs

TIN Matching is an IRS e-Services tool for businesses that file information returns such as Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC and 1099-K. You submit a payee’s name and TIN, which can be an EIN or an SSN, and the IRS answers whether the combination matches its records. It does not reveal the correct number if yours is wrong; it only says match or no match. Interactive checks handle a short list at a time and bulk uploads handle large payee files.

You need an e-Services account, which requires identity verification, and you must be a payer with a filing obligation; the program is not open to the general public or to someone checking a single vendor out of curiosity. For a business that issues many 1099s it is worth setting up, because a name and TIN mismatch on a filed 1099 produces an IRS notice and backup withholding obligations later.

Verifying a business’s EIN without TIN Matching

Ask for the IRS letter

Every EIN was issued with a CP 575 notice, and any authorized person can get a 147C verification letter from the IRS by phone. Both show the EIN and the exact legal name on IRS letterhead. A legitimate business can produce one within a day; a business that cannot is the signal you were looking for. Check that the legal name on the letter matches the name on the contract or invoice, not just the trade name.

Collect a W-9

Form W-9 is the payee’s signed statement, under penalty of perjury, of its legal name, entity type and TIN. It is not IRS verification, but it shifts responsibility: if a payee gives you a wrong number on a signed W-9, the backup withholding penalty is theirs, not yours. Collect it before the first payment, not at 1099 time.

Check the format

An EIN is nine digits written 12-3456789. It never starts with 00, 07, 08, 09, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 49, 69, 70, 78, 79 or 89, because the IRS has not issued those prefixes. A number in SSN format (123-45-6789) is not an EIN. A format check catches typos, not fraud.

Match it against public records where they exist

• Nonprofits: the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lists EINs for organizations with a determination letter or a filed Form 990. The nonprofit lookup guide covers it, including the churches that are legitimately missing.
• Public companies: the EIN appears on the cover page of 10-K and 10-Q filings in SEC EDGAR.
• Employers: an EIN on a W-2 or 1099 you received is the issuer’s number; the IRS has already matched it to the filer.
• State business registries confirm a company exists and who runs it, but they do not hold EINs. A Secretary of State search verifies the business, not the number.

What “EIN verification” websites actually do

Private EIN databases are built from public sources: SEC filings, Form 990s, state filings, and numbers scraped from documents that businesses published themselves. They cover public companies and nonprofits reasonably well and private companies poorly, and none of them has access to the IRS master file. A “verified” badge from one of these sites means the number appeared somewhere, not that the IRS confirms it. They are useful for finding a candidate number to ask the business about, and no more.

Verifying your own EIN

Owners land here when a bank says the name and EIN do not match. The usual cause is a name mismatch, not a wrong number: the IRS has “Smith Consulting LLC” and the bank typed “Smith Consulting.” Call the Business and Specialty Tax Line, confirm the exact name on file, and ask for a 147C letter to hand to the bank. If the IRS has the wrong name, the name change guide covers the letter that fixes it.

Quick answers

Can I verify an EIN online for free?

For nonprofits and public companies, yes, through the IRS exempt organization search and SEC EDGAR. For a private company, no. The IRS TIN Matching program is free but only for payers with an e-Services account.

Can I call the IRS to verify someone else’s EIN?

No. The IRS will only discuss an EIN with an authorized person on that account. Ask the business for its letter instead.

What happens if I file a 1099 with a wrong EIN?

The IRS sends a notice, typically a CP2100, listing the mismatched payees. You then have to solicit a corrected W-9 and, if the payee does not respond, start backup withholding on future payments. That is the problem TIN Matching and a W-9 on file prevent.

Is an EIN confidential?

Less so than an SSN. It appears on W-2s, 1099s, W-9s and many public filings, and it is not treated as a secret. It is still the number used to open business credit in a company’s name, so businesses share it on request rather than publishing it.