FEIN Number Lookup
A FEIN number lookup is an EIN lookup: FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) and EIN are the same 9-digit IRS number, written XX-XXXXXXX. Find your own FEIN on the CP-575 notice, a filed return, a W-2, a W-9 or the bank file, or recover it with 1 call to the IRS at 800-829-4933. Public companies are on SEC EDGAR and nonprofits in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, at $0.
The short answerA FEIN number lookup is an EIN lookup: FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) and EIN are the same 9-digit IRS number, written XX-XXXXXXX and issued on Form SS-4 at $0. A business finds its own FEIN on the CP-575 notice, a filed return, a W-2 it issued, a signed W-9 or its bank file, or recovers it as Letter 147C by calling 800-829-4933. A public company's FEIN is on its Form 10-K cover page in SEC EDGAR and a nonprofit's is in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search; a private company's is confidential and comes only on a signed Form W-9.
Is a FEIN number lookup the same as an EIN lookup?
Yes. The IRS issues 1 nine-digit number per entity and calls it an EIN; the F is added by banks and state agencies to mark it as the federal number. Every lookup route for 1 is the lookup route for the other.
| Whose FEIN | Where to look | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own business | CP-575 notice; page 1 of Form 1120, 1120-S or 1065; W-2 box b; signed W-9; bank file | 1 to 5 minutes | $0 |
| Your own business, no document left | IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line 800-829-4933, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time: Letter 147C | 1 call, faxed on the call | $0 |
| A public company | SEC EDGAR: cover page of Form 10-K or 10-Q (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | Under 3 minutes | $0 |
| A nonprofit | IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search; Form 990 page 1 | Under 3 minutes | $0 |
| A private company | A signed Form W-9, Part I, from the company itself | Depends on the company | $0 |
| A vendor you pay, to confirm a pair you hold | IRS TIN Matching (e-Services): 25 pairs per session, 100,000 per bulk file | Seconds to 24 hours | $0 |
Sources: IRS, Employer Identification Number; IRS Taxpayer Identification Numbers; SEC EDGAR [1], [2].
The full method-by-method guide, with the document locations and the IRS call script, is the EIN lookup page. The name-to-number search is on the EIN search by company name page and the number-to-name search on the reverse EIN lookup page.
Which documents print the FEIN?
Eight documents a business files, issues or receives carry the FEIN, and any 1 of them ends the lookup. The CP-575 is the first; the rest repeat the same 9 digits every year.
| Document | Where the FEIN prints | When it exists |
|---|---|---|
| CP-575 notice | Top block, beside the legal name | Once, when the EIN is assigned |
| Form 941 | Employer identification number field, page 1 | Quarterly: April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31 |
| Form 940 | Employer identification number field, page 1 | Annually by January 31; FUTA applies to the first $7,000 of each employee's wages |
| Form W-3 | Employer identification number box e, transmitting all W-2s | By January 31 with the W-2 copies; 10 or more information returns must be e-filed |
| Form W-2 | Box b | By January 31 for each employee |
| Form 1099-NEC and Form 1096 | Payer's TIN box; transmittal summary | By January 31 for contractors paid $600 or more |
| Forms 1120, 1120-S and 1065 | Identification block, page 1 | Annually: April 15 (Form 1120), March 15 (Forms 1120-S and 1065) |
| Form W-9 | Part I, Employer identification number row | Whenever a client requests it |
| Form 8822-B | Employer identification number field | Within 60 days of an address or responsible-party change |
| Form 2553 and Form 8832 | Employer identification number field at the top of each election | Form 2553 within 75 days of the tax year start; a Form 8832 election locks the classification for 60 months |
| Form 7004 | Identifying number field on the extension request | By the original return due date; extends Forms 1120 and 1065 by 6 months |
| Form 2848 and Form 8821 | Taxpayer identification number field | No deadline; valid until revoked, and required before an agent can request Letter 147C |
Sources: Instructions for Form SS-4; IRS form instructions for 941, 940, W-2, 1099-NEC, 1120, 1065, W-9, 8822-B [1], [3].
Which IRS line answers a FEIN question?
Five IRS numbers cover every FEIN situation, and all 5 are free to call or fax. The Business and Specialty Tax Line is the 1 that reissues a lost number.
| IRS line | Number | Hours | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Specialty Tax Line | 800-829-4933 | Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time | Letter 147C; confirming a FEIN you hold |
| International EIN line | 267-941-1099 | Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time | Applicants with no US residence; FEIN issued on the call |
| Fax, US-based entities | 855-641-6935 | 24 hours | Form SS-4; FEIN returned in 4 business days |
| Fax, no US residence, sent from inside the US | 855-215-1627 | 24 hours | Form SS-4 with Foreign on line 7b |
| Fax, no US residence, sent from outside the US | 304-707-9471 | 24 hours | Form SS-4 with Foreign on line 7b |
Sources: Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025), Where To File or Fax; IRS, Telephone assistance contacts for business customers [3].
Why does the form say FEIN, FEI or federal tax ID?
To separate the IRS number from a state-issued account number on the same form. The label changes; the 9 digits do not.
Florida’s Division of Corporations prints FEI/EIN Number on every Sunbiz entity record, state payroll and unemployment registrations print FEIN, bank onboarding forms print Federal Tax ID, and Form W-9 prints Employer identification number. The FEI number lookup page covers the Florida label and the what is a FEIN page the definition; the FEIN vs EIN page compares the 2 labels attribute by attribute.
What if there is no FEIN to look up yet?
Then the business applies for 1: $0 from the IRS on Form SS-4, 15 minutes online with an SSN or ITIN, or 4 business days by fax with the word Foreign on line 7b without one.
ein-number.com prepares and files the form for $69 (Standard) or $99 (Fast, filed within 24 hours), with every line checked by a second reviewer and a full refund if an error on our side causes a rejection.
Get a FEIN filed right, from $69What else do people ask about a FEIN number lookup?
Is a FEIN number lookup different from an EIN lookup?
No. FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) and EIN are 2 names for the same 9-digit IRS number in the format XX-XXXXXXX, issued under 26 U.S.C. § 6109. The IRS writes EIN on Form SS-4 and the CP-575 notice; banks and states add the word Federal. Every lookup method for 1 works for the other, at $0.
How do I look up my own FEIN number?
Check 5 documents in order: the CP-575 notice, page 1 of any filed business return, box b of a W-2 you issued, a signed Form W-9, and the bank account file. If none survives, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and request Letter 147C, which restates the FEIN at $0.
How do I look up another company's FEIN?
Only 2 groups are searchable, both at $0: SEC registrants, whose FEIN prints on the cover of every Form 10-K and 10-Q on EDGAR, and tax-exempt organisations, whose FEIN appears in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search once their Form 1023 or 1024 application is approved. A private company's FEIN is confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6103; request a signed Form W-9 instead.
Is there a free FEIN lookup database?
Two official ones, both $0: SEC EDGAR for public companies and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for nonprofits. No free or paid database covers private companies, because the IRS publishes no list of them. Sites that promise a free FEIN lookup for any business either repackage those 2 sources or sell records scraped from W-9s and credit files.
Why do some states say FEI or FEIN instead of EIN?
State forms add the word Federal to separate the IRS number from the state's own employer or sales-tax account number. Florida's Division of Corporations labels the field FEI/EIN Number on every Sunbiz record, and most state payroll registrations print FEIN. Whatever the label, the box wants the same 9 digits the IRS assigned on Form SS-4.
Can I verify a FEIN number is real?
Yes, in 3 steps: count 9 digits with no letters, confirm the first 2 digits are 1 of the 83 valid IRS prefixes, then match the number to a legal name against IRS records. For your own FEIN that match is Letter 147C; for a vendor's it is IRS TIN Matching, which checks 25 pairs per interactive session at $0 and protects you from 24% backup withholding under 26 U.S.C. § 3406.
How long does a FEIN number lookup take?
Between 1 minute and 1 phone call. The CP-575 or a filed return gives the number in 1 to 2 minutes; EDGAR or the IRS exempt-organisation search returns a public FEIN in under 3 minutes; the IRS 147C call takes 1 call, with the letter faxed while you hold. Only a request for a private company's W-9 depends on someone else's speed.
What does a FEIN number lookup cost?
$0 through every official route: your own documents, the IRS 147C call, SEC EDGAR, the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and IRS TIN Matching all cost nothing. The IRS also charges $0 for a new FEIN. ein-number.com charges $69 or $99 only to prepare and file a new Form SS-4, with a second-reviewer accuracy check.
Which primary sources back this page?
Every fee, deadline, form number and phone line above is taken from the 3 official documents below. No third-party blog is cited.