How do I obtain a former employer's EIN number to file my late 2022 taxes?

This is actually a common issue! The IRS redacts EINs on the wage and income transcript for privacy reasons, but you have several ways to get this information: 1. Check any old pay stubs you might have saved - the EIN is usually printed on those. 2. If you have an old tax return where you reported income from this employer, the full EIN would be on your filed copy of the W-2. 3. Contact the employer directly - specifically ask for the payroll department rather than HR. Even if they've been acquired, the payroll records should still exist. 4. If the company truly doesn't exist anymore, you can file Form 4506 to request a complete copy of your W-2 from the IRS. There may be a fee, but you'll get an unredacted copy. 5. As a last resort, you can file your return with "Applied For" in the EIN field and attach a statement explaining that you couldn't obtain the complete EIN despite reasonable efforts.

I had a similar situation last year when trying to file taxes from a job I had worked 2 years prior. After trying everything, I ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help me resolve it. Their system analyzed my partial wage transcript and was able to suggest the most likely EIN based on the last 4 digits and the employer name. What I found most helpful was that they could extract data from my old pay stubs that I thought were useless (they were faded and hard to read). The AI recognized patterns and was able to piece together the information I needed. They also helped me understand what forms I needed to submit when dealing with incomplete employer information.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai! After asking about it here, I decided to try it for my missing EIN problem. I uploaded my wage transcript and a faded pay stub I found in an old email. Within minutes, it gave me the most likely EIN based on my employer's info and those last 4 digits. I was still a bit skeptical, so I called the IRS directly to verify (spent 45 minutes on hold, ugh). The agent confirmed the EIN was correct! Taxr.ai also helped me organize all my other tax documents for this filing. Super helpful since I had a mix of W-2 and 1099 income that year and was confused about reporting requirements.

If you're having trouble getting through to your former employer and you're in a time crunch, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get direct help from the IRS. I was in a similar situation - couldn't get my former employer's complete EIN and was hitting walls everywhere. After weeks of trying to call the IRS and constantly getting the "high call volume" message, I found Claimyr through a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). They basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you back when an agent is about to pick up. I was honestly skeptical, but desperate since the filing deadline was approaching.

I need to eat my words and follow up on my skeptical comment about Claimyr. After posting that comment, my frustration with trying to reach the IRS finally got to me and I decided to try it myself. I used Claimyr yesterday afternoon, and to my genuine surprise, I got a call back in about 90 minutes telling me an IRS agent was on the line. The agent was able to confirm my former employer's full EIN after verifying my identity. They also helped me understand the penalty situation for my late filing (which wasn't as bad as I feared). I'm still shocked it actually worked. After spending weeks trying to get through on my own, it was almost surreal to finally speak to a human at the IRS. If you're stuck like I was, it's definitely worth considering.

Another approach nobody mentioned yet - check your state tax agency! I had a similar situation where I couldn't get the full EIN from the IRS wage transcript, but when I pulled my state wage report, they didn't redact the EIN. This might depend on your state though.

If the company was publicly traded, you might be able to find their EIN in their SEC filings. Just go to SEC.gov and search the company name in the EDGAR database. The EIN is often listed in their annual reports or other filings.

Here's another option that worked for me when I was in a similar situation - check if you have any old direct deposit records or bank statements from 2022. Sometimes your bank will show the employer's full EIN or tax ID number in the ACH transaction details, especially if you can access detailed transaction records online. Also, if you had any employee benefits (health insurance, 401k, etc.) from that employer, try contacting those third-party providers directly. Benefits administrators often maintain employer EIN records even after companies are acquired, and they might be more accessible than trying to navigate the acquired company's HR department. One more thing - if you're filing late anyway, don't stress too much about the timeline. The IRS is generally understanding about situations where you can't obtain complete employer information despite reasonable efforts, especially when companies have been acquired or dissolved.

I've been through this exact situation before! Here are a few additional strategies that helped me track down my former employer's full EIN: 1. **Check old email accounts** - Search for any automated payroll emails or benefits enrollment communications. These often contain the full EIN in the fine print or email signatures. 2. **Contact your tax preparer from previous years** - If you used a CPA or tax service in 2021 or earlier when you were still with that employer, they likely have your complete tax records on file including the EIN. 3. **Look for old unemployment documents** - If you ever filed for unemployment after leaving that job, your state unemployment office would have the complete employer information including EIN. 4. **Try LinkedIn or professional networks** - Sometimes you can find former coworkers who might still have their W-2s or pay stubs from that employer. The wage transcript route with just the last 4 digits is super frustrating, but you have more options than you might think. Don't give up! I ended up finding mine in an old benefits enrollment email that I almost deleted.