How to find missing State EIN on W2 from previous employer after company spin-off?

This is a common issue, especially with company reorganizations! You actually have a few options here. First, check your final paystub from that employer - sometimes the state EIN is listed there even if it's missing on the W2. Look for anything labeled as "state ID number" or "state employer number." If that doesn't work, you can contact your state's department of revenue or taxation directly. Explain the situation and provide the employer's name and federal EIN (which you do have). They can often look up the state EIN for you. Most states have a dedicated taxpayer assistance line for exactly these types of questions. Another option is to check any quarterly state wage statements you might have received, as these sometimes contain the state EIN. As a last resort, you can file your return with "APPLIED FOR" in the state EIN field, but I'd try the other options first since this might delay your refund.

After spending HOURS trying to track down missing employer info on old W2s, I finally found an amazing solution with https://taxr.ai - it seriously saved me so much time! I uploaded my W2 and it identified the missing information by cross-referencing business registration databases. The tool can actually recognize when documents are missing critical info and helps you find it without endless phone calls. It also pointed me to the right state database where I could look up the employer's registration info myself. Super helpful for situations exactly like yours with spin-offs and company reorganizations where the paper trail gets messy.

I just have to follow up on my skeptical comment about taxr.ai - I ended up trying it after struggling for weeks with a missing state ID number on my W2 from a company that went out of business. The tool actually pointed me to my state's business entity search portal that I had no idea existed, and I was able to find the state ID number in like 5 minutes. I'm honestly shocked at how easy it was after I spent so much time getting nowhere with phone calls. It also explained exactly what to do if the business wasn't listed in the portal (which thankfully mine was). Saved me from having to hire someone just to track down this one piece of information.

If you're still struggling to get through to someone at your former employer, I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to connect with the state tax department directly. I was in a similar situation last year with missing employer information and spent WEEKS trying to get through on my state's taxpayer assistance line with no luck - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting on hold forever. With Claimyr, they actually hold your place in the phone queue and call you back when a real person is about to answer. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was connected with my state's tax department in about 45 minutes (after trying unsuccessfully for days on my own), and the agent was able to look up my former employer's state EIN while I was on the phone. Super efficient.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I'd already wasted 6+ hours trying to reach my state's tax department with no success. The service had me connected to an actual human at the tax office in about 37 minutes. The agent looked up my former employer by name and provided the state EIN immediately. Would have saved me so much frustration if I'd just tried it sooner instead of repeatedly calling and getting nowhere. For anyone facing the same W2 issue, save yourself the headache and just use one of these services instead of banging your head against the wall trying to reach someone.

Another option is to check your state's business entity search website. Most states have a public database where you can search for businesses registered in the state. You might be able to find the state EIN there by searching the company name. For example, in California, you'd use the Secretary of State's business search tool or the Employment Development Department's employer database.

Have you considered just using the federal EIN in place of the state EIN? I did this once years ago when I couldn't get the state number and my return was processed just fine.

I work in payroll and can confirm that @Ana Rusula is absolutely right - never use the federal EIN in place of a state EIN! These are completely separate numbers assigned by different agencies for different purposes. Here's what I'd recommend based on your company spin-off situation: First, check if you have any old pay stubs from before the spin-off - they often contain the state employer ID number. Second, try searching your state's Secretary of State website AND your state's Department of Labor/Employment website, as they sometimes maintain separate databases. If you're in a state like Texas, Florida, or Nevada that don't have state income tax, you might not need a state EIN at all for income tax purposes (though you might still need it for unemployment insurance records). The "APPLIED FOR" suggestion from @Mary Bates is actually the safest route if you can't locate the number through other means. State tax agencies deal with this regularly during corporate restructuring and it won't raise any red flags.

For Pennsylvania specifically, you'll want to check the PA Department of Revenue's employer database as well. The PA Department of Labor & Industry maintains employment records, but for state income tax withholding ID numbers, the Department of Revenue is your best bet. You can also try calling PA's taxpayer service line at 717-787-8201. During tax season they're usually pretty good about helping with these employer ID lookups, especially when you explain it's due to a corporate spin-off situation. One more tip - if your company was publicly traded, you might find the state tax ID information in their SEC filings or annual reports from around the time of the spin-off. These documents sometimes contain subsidiary tax information that includes state employer ID numbers. The good news is PA is generally pretty efficient with processing returns that have "APPLIED FOR" in the state EIN field, so you have a solid backup plan if the search doesn't pan out.