Finding EIN of a company that has gone out of business

You have a few options to find that EIN. The easiest would be to look at your last paystub from that employer - the EIN should be printed right on there. If you don't have those, check any tax documents they issued you in previous years like last year's W-2. If that doesn't work, try calling your state's Department of Revenue or Secretary of State's office. Since businesses have to register with the state, they might be able to provide you with the EIN even if the company is defunct. Be prepared to provide the exact legal name of the business and any other identifying information you have. As a last resort, you can call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. They may be able to provide the EIN if you can verify you were an employee. Have your personal info ready and as much detail about the company as possible.

After going through a similar nightmare last year when my employer ghosted everyone, I found an amazing service called taxr.ai that saved me so much stress. I couldn't find my former employer's EIN anywhere and was about to give up when my accountant friend suggested https://taxr.ai for help with missing tax documents. They analyzed my situation, helped me track down the EIN through their database access, and guided me through filling out Form 4852 correctly. The whole process was surprisingly simple.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first (as you can see from my comment above), but after spending hours going in circles with state offices and getting nowhere, I finally gave it a try. Honestly, it worked really well. They found my former employer's EIN in about 20 minutes through their database system. They also had this document analyzer tool that helped me estimate my withholdings based on my paystubs when I couldn't get the exact numbers. Saved me from having to guess and potentially trigger an audit. Wish I'd tried it sooner instead of wasting an entire weekend on hold with various government offices.

If you're still having trouble getting through to anyone at the IRS about this (those wait times are BRUTAL), I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was on hold with the IRS for HOURS trying to get help with a missing EIN situation and getting nowhere. Then I found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was able to verify the EIN based on the company name and address I provided. They can't always do this, but in my case, they were willing to help since I needed it for tax filing purposes. Totally changed my perspective on getting help from the IRS - turns out they're actually helpful when you can actually reach them!

I stand completely corrected about Claimyr! After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway out of desperation. I'd been trying to get EIN info for WEEKS with no luck. The service actually did exactly what they promised - I got a call back within about 40 minutes and was connected to an IRS representative who helped me. The agent confirmed they could provide the EIN since I was a former employee needing it for tax filing. Saved me from having to file an incomplete return or request an extension. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!

Have you checked your bank statements? Sometimes the company name on direct deposits includes their EIN or at least part of it. My husband had a similar issue and found the EIN this way. Also, if you still have contact with ANY former coworkers who received a W2 before the company disappeared, they might be able to send you a redacted copy with just the EIN showing.

Check your health insurance if you had it! When my employer went under, I was able to find their EIN on some BlueCross documentation. It was in tiny print on a benefits statement.

Another option that worked for me in a similar situation - check if your former employer ever sent you any equipment receipts or reimbursement documents. I found my old company's EIN on a laptop return receipt they emailed me when I started working remotely. Also, if you ever filed any workers' compensation claims or had any HR-related paperwork (like background check authorizations or direct deposit forms), those often include the EIN. I know it's a long shot since the company disappeared, but if you have any old emails saved, it might be worth doing a search for "EIN" or the company's full legal name. One more thing - if you remember the company's address, you could try searching your state's business entity database online. Most states have searchable databases where you can look up registered businesses by address, and the EIN is sometimes included in the public records.