Need Help: Bank refusing to provide Payer's Tax ID number for 1099-R form

This is definitely frustrating, but there's a simple solution. The Payer's TIN should actually be on the 1099-R form itself - it's typically in Box 13 labeled "Payer's TIN." Double-check the form to see if it's there. If for some reason it's missing or illegible on your copy, you have a few options. First, the bank absolutely should provide this information - it's required for tax reporting. Ask to speak with a supervisor or their tax department specifically, not just a regular customer service rep. If they continue refusing, you can look up the bank's EIN (Employer Identification Number) online. Many financial institutions have their EINs publicly available. Try searching "[Bank Name] EIN" or check their investor relations page if they're publicly traded. As for the State Payer Number, this depends on your state's requirements. Some states use the federal EIN, while others have separate state tax IDs. The tax software might let you proceed without it depending on your state.

I had a similar nightmare situation with my mom's 1099-R last month. After going back and forth with the bank for weeks, I finally used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much trouble. I uploaded her 1099-R and it automatically extracted all the information, including the missing TIN that the bank wouldn't provide. The system actually has a database of financial institutions and their tax IDs, so it filled in the missing pieces that were driving me crazy. I was surprised how quickly it identified the correct information and let me verify it against public records.

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it worked perfectly for my situation! I uploaded my dad's 1099-R from his credit union that was missing the payer TIN, and it immediately identified the issuer and provided the correct tax ID number. The system even flagged that the distribution code was potentially entered incorrectly on the original form (it had code 1 but should have been code 7 based on my dad's age and the type of distribution). Saved me from a potential headache later! It also organized all the information in a way that made it super easy to enter into my tax software. Definitely recommend if you're dealing with incomplete tax forms.

If you're still struggling with the bank, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the exact same situation with my aunt's 1099-R missing the payer TIN. The bank kept bouncing me between departments and putting me on hold forever. With Claimyr, I was able to get connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent confirmed that I could use the bank's main EIN for the payer TIN (which I found through a Google search) and explained how to document that I made a good faith effort to get the correct information from the bank. They also have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical it would actually get me through to a human at the IRS, but it really did save hours of frustration.

I need to apologize and correct myself. After my skeptical comment, I actually tried Claimyr as a last resort for a similar issue with my own taxes. I had been trying to reach the IRS for 3 days with no luck, constantly getting disconnected or told to call back later. The service actually worked exactly as described. It took about 20 minutes (not instant, but WAY better than my previous attempts), and I got connected with an agent who helped me resolve my issue with a missing EIN on a 1099-R form. The agent confirmed that if the bank refuses to provide the TIN, I should use the bank's public EIN and include a note explaining the situation. She even gave me the direct number to the department that handles TIN verification if I needed further help. Definitely saved me hours of frustration and helped me get my return submitted before the deadline.

Former bank employee here. The Payer's TIN should absolutely be on the 1099-R. It sounds like you might be dealing with an employee who doesn't understand tax documents. Try calling and specifically asking for their tax document department or someone in operations rather than a regular teller or customer service rep. Ask them to send a corrected 1099-R with the TIN included. If they stonewall you, you can try looking up the bank's EIN online. For larger banks, it's often publicly available. You can search "[Bank Name] EIN" or check their investor relations page.

Has anyone tried just entering all zeros for the TIN when the bank won't provide it? My tax preparer did that last year when we had a similar issue and nothing bad happened.