TIN Checker
Paste the names and TINs from your W-9s and see right away which numbers cannot be right: wrong length, masked digits, an EIN prefix the IRS never assigns, an SSN that could not exist.
Free · No account needed · Works in your browser. Export before leaving; entries are not saved.
“Name, TIN” or the number alone. SSN, ITIN, ATIN or EIN, with or without dashes. Up to 500 lines; checked as you type.
3 of 7 TINs have a problem
- Acme Plumbing LLC84-2917365EIN✓ Valid EIN format
- Jordan Lee123-45-6788SSN✓ Valid SSN format
- Rivera Design Studio07-1234567—✗ The IRS does not assign EINs starting with 07
- Sam Patel912-70-1234ITIN✓ Valid ITIN format
- Northside Cleaning98765432—✗ Has 8 digits; a TIN has 9
- Casey Morgan666-12-3456—✗ SSNs never start with 666
- Bright Path Tutoring451234567SSN or EIN✓ Valid as an SSN or an EIN; the W-9 says which
A valid format means the number could have been issued, not that it belongs to this payee. Only IRS TIN Matching checks the name and number together.
Ask these payees for a corrected W-9
Send each client or payee one upload link for their W-9. DokuTrak follows up until it arrives, and you accept every form yourself.
Request W-9s with DokuTrak →14-day free trial, no card. Add one only to keep going.
Your list stays on this page. Names and numbers are not sent to the app; you add the recipients there.
How to use it
- Paste one payee per line, “Name, TIN”, or just the numbers. Dashes are optional.
- Read the result as you type: each line shows the TIN type and whether its format is valid, with the reason when it is not.
- Download the CSV for your 1099 file, or copy the list of payees who need to send a corrected W-9.
- Run the numbers that pass through IRS TIN Matching if you are eligible, to confirm each name and number match.
What this check covers
It checks format only: nine digits, and the number ranges the IRS and the SSA publish for SSNs, ITINs, ATINs and EINs. A valid format does not mean the number was issued, or that it belongs to the name beside it; only IRS TIN Matching checks the name and number together. The check runs in your browser and nothing you paste is sent or stored.
Why check TINs before you file 1099s
A typo on a W-9 becomes a wrong number on a 1099, and the IRS answers months later. Catching it while the payee still answers your emails is cheaper.
When the name and TIN on an information return do not match IRS records, the IRS can send the payer a notice (CP2100 or CP2100A). If the payee does not send a corrected W-9, the payer may have to start backup withholding at 24% of future payments. Penalties for incorrect information returns can follow.
A format check catches the mistakes that need no IRS lookup: a digit missing, a masked number copied from a portal, an EIN prefix the IRS never assigns, an SSN that could not exist. A bookkeeper on r/Bookkeeping put the timing plainly: “For 1099s, just make sure you get a W9 before you pay them that way you or your bookkeeper isn’t chasing them for one in January.”
Check the list when the W-9s come in, ask for corrections right away, and keep the IRS TIN Matching run for the numbers that pass. Our guide to collecting W-9s from vendors covers the request itself; if a business has lost its EIN paperwork, the 147C letter is how it gets proof from the IRS.
How each TIN is built
Every TIN has nine digits. The dashes and a few digit ranges tell you which kind it is, and rule out numbers nobody was issued.
| Type | Written as | Format rule |
|---|---|---|
| SSN | 123-45-6788 | Never starts with 000, 666 or 9; the fourth and fifth digits are never 00 and the last four never 0000. |
| ITIN | 912-70-1234 | Starts with 9; the fourth and fifth digits fall in 50–65, 70–88, 90–92 or 94–99. |
| ATIN | 912-93-1234 | Starts with 9 with 93 as the fourth and fifth digits. Issued for a child in a pending adoption. |
| EIN | 84-2917365 | The first two digits are a prefix the IRS assigns. 00, 07–09, 17–19, 28, 29, 49, 69, 70, 78, 79, 89, 96 and 97 are not. |
Without dashes, many numbers fit both an SSN and an EIN; the box the payee ticked on the W-9 settles it. EIN prefixes come from the IRS list of valid EIN prefixes.
Format check vs. IRS TIN Matching
IRS TIN Matching tells a payer whether a name and TIN combination matches IRS records. It runs through IRS e-Services and is open to payers, and their authorized agents, who file information returns subject to backup withholding. Use this checker first to clean the list, then match what passes.
Questions about this tool
Can you verify a TIN number online?
You can check its format online, as this tool does. To confirm that a name and TIN match IRS records, payers who file information returns, and their authorized agents, use IRS TIN Matching through IRS e-Services.
Is a TIN the same as an SSN?
An SSN is one kind of TIN. TIN is the umbrella term for the numbers the IRS uses to identify taxpayers: SSN, EIN, ITIN, ATIN and PTIN. Individuals usually give an SSN or ITIN on a W-9; businesses usually give an EIN.
Can I search a TIN number or look one up by name?
Not for individuals: there is no public lookup of SSNs or ITINs. Some EINs are public, such as those of tax-exempt organizations in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. For a payee, ask for a signed Form W-9.
How can I tell if a number is an SSN or an EIN?
SSNs are written 123-45-6788 and EINs 12-3456789. Without dashes, many nine-digit numbers are valid as both; the box the payee ticked on the W-9 tells you which one it is.
What should I do when a TIN fails the check?
Ask the payee for a corrected W-9 before you file the 1099. A wrong name and TIN combination can lead to an IRS notice and, if the payee does not correct it, backup withholding at 24% of future payments.