How to find my EIN number after losing paperwork?

There are actually several ways to find your EIN without contacting your accountant (though they'd probably be happy to hear from you regardless!). First, check any previous tax filings for your LLC. Your EIN would be displayed prominently on any tax returns or correspondence with the IRS. If you can't find previous filings, look for the original EIN assignment letter (CP-575) that the IRS sent when you first received your EIN. They typically mail this within two weeks of issuing the number. Can't find that either? Call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. They can provide your EIN over the phone after verifying your identity. You'll need to be an authorized person (owner, officer, etc.) and they'll ask for identifying information. As a last resort, if you've ever opened a business bank account, applied for business loans, or filed state tax documents, your EIN would be on those forms as well.

After spending literally HOURS on hold with the IRS trying to get my EIN for my new business (and never actually speaking to anyone), I discovered taxr.ai and it was a game-changer. I uploaded my LLC formation documents and within minutes they identified where my EIN would likely be listed or how to recover it based on my situation. Check them out at https://taxr.ai - saved me from having to make the awkward call to my former accountant too!

Update on my situation: I was super skeptical about taxr.ai from my earlier comment, but I was desperate after waiting on hold with the IRS for 2+ hours. I gave it a try and wow - it actually pointed out that my EIN was listed on page 3 of my operating agreement (which I totally missed) and gave me exact instructions for retrieving it through the IRS if I hadn't found it. The document analysis feature is seriously impressive. Saved me from having to crawl back to my accountant!

If you're still struggling to get your EIN and need to speak with someone at the IRS (which is nearly impossible these days), try Claimyr.com. I was in your exact position last month, spent days trying to get through to the IRS Business line with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have this system that holds your place in line so you don't have to listen to that awful hold music. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - totally worth it when you're dealing with something as important as your EIN.

Well I'm eating my words now. After another full day of failed attempts to reach the IRS (kept getting disconnected after 2+ hours on hold), I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was connected to an actual IRS agent in 35 minutes. The agent looked up my EIN using my name and SSN, verified my identity, and gave me the number over the phone. Problem solved after weeks of frustration. Sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong, and I was definitely wrong about this service being sketchy!

Another option - check your bank records! When I lost my EIN paperwork, I remembered that I had to provide my EIN when I opened my business checking account. Called my bank and they had it on file. Saved me a ton of headache dealing with the IRS. Just make sure you talk to the business banking department.

Does anyone know if the Secretary of State keeps EIN records? I lost mine too and wondering if I can just look it up through state records since they have all my other LLC info.

Pro tip: If you filed for your EIN online through the IRS website, you would have received a confirmation PDF immediately. Search your email for "EIN Confirmation" or check your downloads folder from that time period. I almost paid an accountant to help me find mine before realizing I had the PDF saved in my Google Drive all along!

Lauren, don't feel embarrassed about reaching back out to your accountant! They've probably seen this situation many times before and would likely be happy to help you get back on track. Most accountants understand that business owners can get overwhelmed, especially in the first year. That said, if you really want to avoid that conversation for now, I'd definitely recommend calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 as Daniel mentioned. The wait times can be brutal, but they can absolutely provide your EIN over the phone once they verify your identity. One thing to prepare before calling: gather any documentation you do have about your LLC (Articles of Organization, Operating Agreement, any correspondence from your state, etc.). Having your business's exact legal name and formation date will help speed up the verification process. Also, don't beat yourself up too much about the paperwork situation. Starting a business is overwhelming and you're definitely not the first person to lose track of important documents. The important thing is you're taking steps to get organized now!

Hey Lauren! As someone who just went through this exact situation a few months ago, I totally get the embarrassment factor - but please don't let that stop you from getting the help you need! I ended up calling the IRS Business line (800-829-4933) after procrastinating for weeks. Yes, the hold times are absolutely brutal (I waited almost 3 hours), but they were super helpful once I got through. They didn't make me feel bad about losing my paperwork at all - apparently it happens more often than you'd think! Before you call, make sure you have your Social Security number, the exact legal name of your LLC, and your business formation date ready. They'll use these to verify your identity. Even if you're not sure about the address you used, they can still help you as long as you can confirm the other details. One thing that really helped me was calling right at 7 AM when they open - the wait times are much shorter early in the morning. Also, if you get disconnected (which unfortunately happens), don't give up! It took me three attempts but I finally got through. Hang in there - you've got this! And seriously, don't be too hard on yourself about the paperwork situation. Starting a business is overwhelming and you're definitely not alone in feeling lost with all the documentation.

Hey Lauren! Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I wanted to chime in because I literally just dealt with this exact same situation last month with my consulting business. First off, don't feel bad about the accountant situation - life happens and business paperwork can be absolutely overwhelming, especially when you're just starting out. Most accountants have seen this before and would probably be more understanding than you think. That said, if you want to handle this yourself, I'd recommend trying multiple approaches simultaneously since each method has its own challenges: 1. **Deep dive into your emails**: Search for terms like "SS-4", "CP575", "EIN assignment", or even your LLC's name with "federal" or "tax ID". Sometimes these confirmations end up in unexpected email threads. 2. **Check your business bank account setup**: Even if they won't give you the EIN directly, they might have other documents from when you opened the account that reference it. 3. **IRS phone line**: The 800-829-4933 number everyone mentioned is your best bet, but pro tip - if you can't get through during normal hours, try calling right at 7 AM or even try the Spanish language line (800-829-4933 press 2) as it sometimes has shorter wait times, then ask to be transferred to an English-speaking agent. You're definitely not alone in this - hang in there!

Hey Lauren! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say that your situation is SO much more common than you might think - you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed by all the business paperwork! I went through something similar with my small business last year. Here's what worked for me: I actually found my EIN buried in an email from my business bank where they had sent me account setup confirmations. It was in a PDF attachment I had never opened! If that doesn't pan out, I'd also suggest checking any business license applications you might have filed at the city or county level - they often require the EIN and you might have saved copies of those forms. One more tip from my experience: if you do end up calling the IRS, try Wednesday mornings around 8 AM. The wait times seem to be a bit shorter then compared to Mondays/Fridays. And don't worry about not remembering the exact address - they have other ways to verify your identity as the business owner. Honestly, don't stress too much about reaching back out to your accountant either. They've probably dealt with this exact scenario dozens of times and would likely be happy to help you get back on track. Sometimes we build up the awkwardness in our heads way more than it actually is! You've got this! 💪

Hey Lauren! As a newcomer to this community, I totally understand the embarrassment you're feeling - but honestly, this happens to SO many new business owners! The amount of paperwork when starting an LLC can be absolutely overwhelming. Here's a systematic approach that might help you track down your EIN: **Check these places first:** - Any emails with "SS-4" or "EIN Assignment Letter" in the subject line - Your business banking paperwork (loan applications, account opening documents) - Any business insurance applications you may have filled out - State business registration confirmations (sometimes they reference the federal EIN) **If you still can't find it:** The IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line (800-829-4933) really is your best bet. Yes, the wait times are brutal, but they can provide it over the phone. Call right at 7 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday for shorter waits, and have your SSN, LLC's exact legal name, and formation date ready. **About your accountant:** I know it feels awkward, but they've definitely seen this situation before! Most accountants understand that new business owners get overwhelmed. A simple "Hi, I got swamped with everything and lost track of my EIN - could you help me locate it?" would probably be totally fine. You're taking the right steps by addressing this now. Don't be too hard on yourself - the learning curve for new business ownership is steep for everyone! 🙂

Hey Lauren! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to reach out because I literally went through this exact same situation with my small business just a few months ago - the embarrassment, the lost paperwork, the avoidance of calling the accountant... all of it! First, please don't beat yourself up about this. The first year of running a business is like trying to drink from a fire hose, and getting overwhelmed with paperwork is honestly more of a rite of passage than an exception. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was in your shoes: **Quick wins to try first:** - Search your email for "CP575" - that's the actual form number for the EIN assignment letter - Check your business bank account opening paperwork one more time, specifically looking for any "business profile" or "account application" documents - If you filed any annual reports or business renewals with your state, sometimes those reference your federal EIN **The IRS call strategy that worked for me:** Call 800-829-4933 at exactly 7:00 AM on a Tuesday or Wednesday. I know everyone says this, but it really does make a difference. Have your SSN, LLC legal name, and formation date ready. Even if you're fuzzy on the address details, they can work with you. **About your accountant:** I totally get the embarrassment factor, but here's the thing - they've probably been wondering how you're doing and would likely be relieved to hear from you! A simple "Hey, I got overwhelmed with everything but I'm ready to get back on track. Could you help me locate my EIN?" is probably all you need. You've got this! This is just a speed bump, not a roadblock. 🙂

Hey Lauren! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say that your situation resonates with me so much - I went through almost the exact same thing with my consulting business earlier this year, including the whole "ghosting the accountant out of embarrassment" part! One approach that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you remember roughly when you applied for your EIN (you mentioned November), try checking your browser's download history from that time period. If you applied online through the IRS website, the confirmation PDF might still be sitting in your Downloads folder even if you forgot you saved it. Also, if you used any business formation services or legal document providers when setting up your LLC, they sometimes send follow-up emails weeks or months later with "next steps" information that might reference your EIN. I found mine in an unexpected email from my business registration service that was titled something like "Don't forget these important tax steps" - definitely not where I expected to find it! The IRS phone line advice everyone's giving is solid, but if you want to avoid that wait time, honestly consider just reaching back out to your accountant. I was dreading that conversation for months, but when I finally did it, they were actually relieved to hear from me and had my EIN within 5 minutes. Sometimes the anticipation of awkwardness is way worse than the actual conversation. You're definitely going to figure this out - this thread shows how supportive this community is and how common your experience really is! 😊