Are FEIN numbers public? For most businesses, no. Federal law classifies an Employer Identification Number as confidential tax data, and the IRS keeps no public directory you can search. The exceptions matter, though: nonprofits, publicly traded companies, and any business that has ever issued a W-2 or 1099 have effectively put their EIN into someone else’s hands.
The Law That Keeps EINs Confidential
The confidentiality rule comes from 26 U.S.C. § 6103, which protects tax returns and “return information.” That definition sweeps in a taxpayer’s identity, and identity is defined to include any “taxpayer identifying number” under Section 6109. EINs fall inside that definition.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 6103 – Confidentiality and Disclosure of Returns and Return Information So the IRS treats an EIN the way it treats every other line on a return: it does not share it unless a specific legal exception applies.
The rule has teeth. Unauthorized disclosure by anyone who accesses return information through authorized channels is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. Federal employees convicted of the offense are also terminated.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 7213 – Unauthorized Disclosure of Information
When an EIN Is Actually Public
Several categories of organizations sit outside the general rule, either because a different statute requires disclosure or because normal business practice puts the number in circulation.
Nonprofits and Other Tax-Exempt Organizations
Tax-exempt organizations have to make their annual information returns available for public inspection. That means Form 990, Form 990-EZ, and Form 990-PF, each of which lists the EIN on the first page. Returns must remain available for three years after filing, and organizations must provide copies on request.3Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organization Returns and Applications – Public Disclosure Overview The IRS also runs a Tax Exempt Organization Search that lets you look up nonprofits by name or EIN and view their filings directly.4Internal Revenue Service. Search for Tax Exempt Organizations
Publicly Traded Companies
Public companies routinely list their EIN in SEC filings. Annual reports on Form 10-K, IPO registration statements on Form S-1, and material event disclosures on Form 8-K often show the number in the header or company information section. The SEC’s EDGAR full-text search covers electronic filings back to 2001 and is free to use. Not every filing displays the EIN prominently, so you may need to open a few before you find it.
Employees and Contractors
Every W-2 an employer sends to an employee shows the employer’s EIN. Every 1099 issued to a contractor does the same. Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code requires the identifying number to appear on those statements.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 6109 – Identifying Numbers The forms themselves aren’t filed anywhere the public can see, but they mean that everyone who has ever been paid by the business has the EIN sitting in their own records.
Routine Sharing Isn’t Public Access
You can’t run a business without giving your EIN to some outside parties. Vendors and clients that report payments to the IRS will ask you to complete a Form W-9, which collects the number.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification Banks require it to open a business account. State licensing agencies collect it during registration. These are targeted disclosures to specific counterparties, not open publication.
Some state business registration databases include EINs in their public records, but practice varies widely, and the databases are typically searchable by business name or entity number rather than by EIN. No national registry aggregates the numbers.
Finding Your Own EIN
If you’re searching because you’ve lost track of your own number, work through the easy sources first:
- The original CP 575 confirmation notice the IRS sent when it assigned the EIN.
- The bank that holds your business account.
- Any prior business tax return.
- State or local license applications where you provided the number.
If none of those turn it up, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. After identity verification, an agent can give you the number by phone. You can also request a Letter 147C or an entity transcript as written confirmation.7Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Why Confidentiality Matters
The rule against public EIN disclosure isn’t abstract. A criminal who obtains a business EIN can file fraudulent returns seeking refunds or impersonate the business in other financial fraud. The IRS lists several warning signs that an EIN has been compromised:
- An e-filed return is rejected because a return with the same EIN was already submitted.
- A routine extension request is rejected for the same reason.
- Expected IRS notices stop arriving because someone changed the address on file.
The IRS also warns about phishing schemes that impersonate company executives to extract employee W-2 data.8Internal Revenue Service. Identity Theft Information for Businesses If you suspect misuse, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit.
Protecting Your EIN
Treat the number with the same caution as a Social Security number. Share it only when there’s a legitimate business or legal reason: a W-9 for a client, a bank account application, a government filing. Verify unexpected email or phone requests before responding. Keep the CP 575 and any 147C copies in a secure location, and restrict access to accounting software and cloud tax tools to people who need it. Most EIN theft doesn’t come from a sophisticated attack; it comes from a phishing email that worked or a document left where it shouldn’t have been.