# EIN verification: how to check a business’s EIN before you pay it

[Home](/) / [Letter templates](/letters) / EIN verification

By [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul), Founder, DokuTrak. Published 2026-10-28, updated 2026-10-28.

> **In brief:** EIN verification for a vendor means getting a signed Form W-9, then confirming the name and EIN pair through IRS TIN Matching, which only payers that file information returns can use ([IRS: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/taxpayer-identification-number-tin-matching)). When they do not match, ask the vendor for its IRS EIN letter, such as Letter 147C.

## The letter: Vendor letter: your name and EIN do not match IRS records

**Not advice.** This page is general information, not tax, legal or HR advice. Rules change: check the cited source and ask your own professional before you rely on it. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.

Send this when TIN Matching returns a mismatch before you pay or report a vendor. It asks for the legal name and an IRS EIN letter without accusing anyone. It is not a B notice: once the IRS sends you a CP2100, use the Publication 1281 wording.

```text
[Your company or firm name]
[Address]
[Date]
[Vendor legal name as on your records]
Attn: [Accounts receivable / owner]
[Vendor address]
Re: Taxpayer identification number on file, vendor ID [number]

Dear [Vendor contact name],

Why we are writing
Before we file information returns, we check each vendor’s name and taxpayer identification number with the IRS. The name and EIN you gave us on Form W-9 dated [date] did not match IRS records: [Name on file], EIN ending in [last four digits].

The usual cause
This often happens when a trade name or “doing business as” name is entered instead of the legal name the IRS holds for the EIN. It can also be a typing error on either side.

What we need from you
Please send, by [date]: (1) a new Form W-9 with your legal name on Line 1 and any trade name on Line 2; and (2) a copy of your IRS EIN letter, either Letter 147C or the CP575 notice. The name on the letter should match Line 1 of the W-9.

How to get the EIN letter (optional)
If you do not have it, eligible businesses can download a digital CP575 from the IRS Business Tax Account. Otherwise, call the IRS business line and ask for Letter 147C.

Payments in the meantime (optional)
We will [continue to pay invoices as usual / hold payment of invoice (number)] while we update our records. If the IRS later tells us the information is incorrect, the law may require us to withhold tax from future payments.

How to send it
Please upload the documents through the upload link in this message, or mail them to the address above. Do not send your EIN by unencrypted email.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Phone] | [Email]
```

Download: [Word](https://dokutrak.com/downloads/pseo-v2/f4-letters/ein-verification.docx) · [PDF](https://dokutrak.com/downloads/pseo-v2/f4-letters/ein-verification.pdf)

## Four checks, from weakest to strongest

Each check answers a different question. A format check says the number could exist; only the IRS can say it belongs to that name.

The starting point is the W-9. **Form W-9** is the form a payee uses to give its correct TIN to a payer that files information returns ([IRS: About Form W-9](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9)). Keep the signed copy: it is your record of what the vendor certified.

| Check | What it proves | What it does not prove | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Signed Form W-9 | The vendor certified its name and TIN to you | That the IRS has the same pair | IRS W-9 page ([IRS: About Form W-9](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9)) |
| Format and prefix | Nine digits with a prefix the IRS assigns | Ownership of the number ([IRS: Valid EINs](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/valid-eins)) | IRS valid EINs page |
| IRS TIN Matching | The name and EIN match IRS records | That the sender works for the business ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Publication 2108 |
| Vendor’s Letter 147C or digital CP575 ([IRS: Understanding your CP575 notice](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp575-notice)) | The IRS issued that EIN to that legal name | Current standing or tax compliance ([IRS: Understanding your CP575 notice](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp575-notice)) | IRS notice page |

## The format check

The first two digits of an EIN show the IRS campus that assigned it, or that it came from the online application ([IRS: Valid EINs](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/valid-eins)). For example, a number starting 00 or 07 is not on the IRS prefix list, so it cannot be valid ([IRS: Valid EINs](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/valid-eins)).

A format check looks at shape only. A well-formed number can still belong to someone else.

## IRS TIN Matching: who can use it

**TIN Matching** is the IRS e-Services check that compares a name and TIN pair with IRS records before you file information returns ([IRS: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/taxpayer-identification-number-tin-matching)). It covers payments subject to backup withholding, and only payers of them, and those authorized to act for them, can use it ([IRS: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/taxpayer-identification-number-tin-matching)).

The payer must be in the IRS Payer Account File and needs an IRS online account to apply ([IRS: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/taxpayer-identification-number-tin-matching)). An **authorized payor** is a payer that has filed information returns with the IRS in at least one of the two preceding tax years ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)). It does not need to have reported any backup withholding.

That leaves two gaps. A new business that has never filed information returns cannot enroll yet, so it cannot check a first vendor this way ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)). Employers that file only Forms W-2 cannot enroll either; the IRS points them to the Social Security Administration’s SSNVS for employee numbers ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).

- Interactive: up to 25 name/TIN pairs per session, answered on screen ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).
- Bulk: a .txt file of up to 100,000 pairs, answered within 24 hours through a secure mailbox ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).
- The IRS never returns the correct name or TIN; it only says whether your pair matches ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).

## Reading the match result

Each request returns one numeric indicator ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)). Codes 6 to 8 appear only when you submitted the TIN type as unknown ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).

| Indicator and meaning | What to do next |
| --- | --- |
| 0: the name/TIN combination matches IRS records ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | File the W-9 and the result with the vendor record. |
| 1: TIN missing or not nine digits ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Ask the vendor for a complete W-9. |
| 2: TIN not currently issued ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Check the digits against the W-9, then ask the vendor. |
| 3: the name/TIN combination does not match ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Ask for the legal name and an IRS EIN letter. |
| 4: invalid request, such as letters or symbols in the TIN ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Fix the input and run it again. |
| 5: duplicate request ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Use the answer from your first request. |
| 6, 7 or 8: matched on SSN, on EIN, or on both ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)) | Note which TIN type matched in the vendor record. |

## After a mismatch

The usual cause is a trade name entered where the legal name belongs. Ask the vendor for its legal name exactly as the IRS holds it, and a copy of its EIN letter. The letter below does that.

If the IRS later sends you a CP2100 notice for that payee, Publication 1281 sets the B notice steps ([IRS Publication 1281 (Rev. 12-2023), Backup Withholding for Missing and Incorrect Name/TINs](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1281.pdf)). The 147C request page explains what the payee does after a second one.

## Questions people ask

### Can I look up another company’s EIN with the IRS?

No. The IRS releases an EIN by phone only to people it can tie to the entity ([IRM 21.7.1.4.7.1, EIN verification and Letter 147C](https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-007-001r)). TIN Matching confirms a pair you already have and never returns a name or number ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)).

### Is there a free EIN verification check online?

IRS TIN Matching is free, but only payers that have filed information returns in one of the two prior tax years can use it ([IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf)). Anyone can check the prefix against the IRS list ([IRS: Valid EINs](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/valid-eins)).

### What is an EIN verification letter?

It is Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned, which the IRS issues on request to a business that needs proof of its own EIN ([IRS: Employer identification number](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-number)). A payer can ask a vendor for a copy, and must have one after a second B notice ([IRS Publication 1281 (Rev. 12-2023), Backup Withholding for Missing and Incorrect Name/TINs](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1281.pdf)).

### How do I verify my own EIN?

Download the digital CP575 in Business Tax Account, or request Letter 147C by phone ([IRS: Employer identification number](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-number)). The [EIN letter guide](/letters) compares the two.

## Sources

- [IRS: About Form W-9](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9): Form W-9 is used to give a correct TIN to the person who must file an information return with the IRS.
- [IRS: Valid EINs](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/valid-eins): The first two digits of an EIN show the IRS campus that assigned it or the online application; the page lists the valid prefixes.
- [IRS: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/taxpayer-identification-number-tin-matching): TIN Matching is only for payers that file information returns subject to backup withholding, and those authorized to act for them, listed in the IRS Payer Account File, with an IRS online account.
- [IRS Publication 2108 (Rev. 11-2024), TIN Matching Program](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2108.pdf): An authorized payor has filed information returns in at least one of the two preceding tax years; W-2-only payers cannot enroll; the program is free; interactive matching takes up to 25 name/TIN pairs, bulk files up to 100,000 with results within 24 hours, and returns indicators 0 to 8.
- [IRS: Understanding your CP575 notice](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp575-notice): The digital CP575 is available only through Business Tax Account, substitutes for the CP575A-J series and Letter 147C, and the original CP575A-J cannot be duplicated.
- [IRS Publication 1281 (Rev. 12-2023), Backup Withholding for Missing and Incorrect Name/TINs](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1281.pdf): After a second B notice, an EIN payee writes to its IRS service center for Letter 147C and sends it to the payer, which backup withholds if it is not received within 30 business days.
- [IRM 21.7.1.4.7.1, EIN verification and Letter 147C](https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-007-001r): IRS phone staff establish the caller’s relationship with the entity, accept Form 2848 or 8821 notated for the 147C, give the EIN verbally or in writing by fax or mail to the address of record, quote 10 to 14 business days by mail, and require a written request after a second B notice; the transmittal dates the digital CP575 in Business Tax Account to 06-25-2026.
- [IRS: Employer identification number](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-number): Lists the three ways to confirm an EIN, the fax and mail application timings, the 800-829-4933 line and its hours, and says a name, address or responsible-party change needs no new EIN.

## More on this topic

- [Free TIN checker](/tools/tin-checker)
- [Form W-9](/documents/w-9)
- [Collect W-9s from vendors](/blog/collect-w9-from-vendors)

## About the author

Arthur Teboul (Founder, DokuTrak) is building DokuTrak after watching professionals lose hours chasing clients for documents over email. [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul).

How this page was made (methodology): it is built from the primary sources listed under Sources, and every rule and figure on it links to the source it comes from. Last updated October 25, 2026. Spotted an error or a rule that changed? [Contact us](/contact).

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