How to find EIN of company that went out of business?

You have a few options to find that EIN: Check any old tax documents from that employer - even older W-2s from previous years would have the EIN on them. Also look at any onboarding paperwork, employee handbook, or benefits information you might still have - companies often include their EIN on these documents. If that doesn't work, try contacting your state's department of revenue or secretary of state's office. Since businesses register with state agencies, they might be able to provide the EIN or at least some information about the company. Another option is to check your Social Security Statement, which might list your former employer along with their EIN. You can access this through your my Social Security account online. As a last resort, you can explain the situation when you file Form 4852 and provide as much information as possible about the employer (full legal name, address, etc.). The IRS may be able to match it to their records.

I had almost the exact same situation last year with a restaurant I worked at that closed down. I was going crazy trying to track down their EIN until someone told me about https://taxr.ai I uploaded my last paystub to them and they were able to help me identify the EIN by running it through their database. They also helped me figure out exactly how to fill out Form 4852 correctly since the numbers on my final paystub didn't seem to match what I thought they should be for tax purposes. Definitely worth checking out since they specialize in this kind of document analysis and tax number verification. Saved me a ton of time compared to what the IRS was telling me to do.

Just wanted to follow up! I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it actually worked! I uploaded my old paystub and some onboarding paperwork I found, and they were able to identify the EIN within a day. What surprised me was they also spotted that my employer had been incorrectly calculating my Medicare withholding and explained how to account for that on my Form 4852. I wouldn't have caught that on my own. I've completed my tax filing now with the correct EIN and withholding information. Such a relief to have this sorted out!

If you're still having trouble finding the EIN after trying the other suggestions, you might need to get through to someone at the IRS who can actually help. I know you mentioned you already contacted them, but speaking with the right department makes all the difference. I had a similar issue and spent WEEKS trying to get through the IRS phone lines just to be transferred and disconnected repeatedly. I finally used https://claimyr.com to get a callback from the IRS instead of waiting on hold forever. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Once I actually spoke with someone in the right department, they were able to provide the EIN since they already had it in their system from previous tax filings. Turns out there's a specific department that handles this exact situation when employers go out of business.

I have to admit I was wrong about the Claimyr service. After getting nowhere with the IRS for two weeks (calling during "off-peak hours" didn't help at all), I finally broke down and tried it. Got a callback from the IRS in about 90 minutes and spoke to someone in the W-2 resolution department who pulled up my employment records using my SSN. They provided the EIN and even emailed me a statement I could use with my Form 4852. I've been filing taxes for 30+ years and this was the first time I've ever gotten such prompt help from the IRS. Wish I hadn't wasted so much time being stubborn about it.

Another option - check your bank statements! If you had direct deposit, sometimes the company name in the deposit description includes their tax ID or at least their full legal name that you can use to search state records. Also, if you have health insurance or retirement benefits through that job, those companies would have the EIN on file and might be willing to share it if you explain the situation.

Just so you know for next time - I always take a photo of my W-2s AND my first paystub from each new employer specifically because they have the EIN on them. I store them in a secure folder on my cloud drive. Learned this lesson the hard way after a company I worked for went bankrupt and completely disappeared.

This is such a common problem unfortunately! I went through something similar a few years back. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you filed taxes with that employer in previous years, your own tax records might have the EIN listed. Check your old tax returns (like your 2023 return if you worked there last year) - the EIN should be on any W-2s attached to those returns. Also, if you used any tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block to file previously, log into your account and look at your old returns there. Sometimes it's easier to find digitally than digging through paper copies. The state business registry search is definitely worth trying too - even if the business is dissolved, the records usually stay in the system for several years and sometimes include federal tax ID numbers.