A Non-Profit Requirement -
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Every exempt organization must
have an EIN, whether or not it
has any employees. An EIN is
required before an exemption
application is submitted.
Also known as the Tax
Identification Number (TIN),
Federal Employer Identification
Number (FEIN) or the Federal Tax
Identification Number, the EIN
is a unique nine-digit number
assigned by the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) to business
entities operating in the United
States for the purposes of
identification. When the number
is used for identification
rather than employment tax
reporting, it is usually
referred to as a TIN, and when
used for the purposes of
reporting employment taxes, it
is usually referred to as an EIN.
The issuance of an EIN to a
non-profit organization is
separate and distinct from the
organization's actually
obtaining tax-exempt status from
the IRS. Each chapter of a
national non-profit organization
must have its own EIN, but the
central organization may file
for a group tax exemption.
Before donating monies to a
charity, it is always
advisable to verify its proper
registration and IRS Form 990
tax-exempt status.
An EIN is usually written in the
form 00-0000000 whereas a Social
Security Number is usually
written in the form 000-00-0000
in order to differentiate
between the two.
EINs do not expire. Once an EIN has been issued to an entity, it will not be reissued.
An EIN may be applied for:
-
Online—Click on the Employer ID Numbers (EINs) link at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/. The EIN is issued immediately once the application information is validated.
-
By telephone at 1-800-829-4933 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the organization's local time zone.
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By mailing or faxing Form SS-4.
Use only one method for each entity so you do not receive more than one EIN for an entity.
If you previously applied for an EIN and have not yet received it, or you are unsure whether you have an EIN, please call our toll-free customer account services number, 1-877-829-5500, for assistance.
