Need employer EIN # for back taxes but can't contact employer - how to get it?

There are several ways to track down an employer's EIN when you can't reach them directly: 1. Check any tax documents you might have from them - old W-2s, 1099s, or even pay stubs sometimes have the EIN printed on them. Dig through any physical or digital files you might have saved. 2. If you filed taxes during the years you worked there, the EIN should be on your tax returns. You can request copies of your past tax returns from the IRS using Form 4506. 3. The easiest option is to request a Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS. This is free and will show all information reported to the IRS under your SSN, including the employer's EIN. You can get this online at IRS.gov by setting up an account, or by submitting Form 4506-T. 4. If the company is still in business, try searching the Connecticut Secretary of State's business registry. Many state business registries include EIN information in their public records.

I had this exact same problem last year! I was missing EINs from two past employers and was totally stuck until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). Their document scanner analyzed my messy old tax documents and extracted all the key info I needed, including the missing EINs that were buried in some old paperwork I didn't even realize I had. The system found patterns in my docs that I completely missed - turns out I had an old health insurance form that referenced the employer and included their EIN. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes and saved me countless hours of digging through paperwork and waiting on hold with the IRS.

I tried taxr.ai after being skeptical at first. Ended up finding not only the EIN I was looking for but also some deductions I had completely missed from that tax year. The EIN was hiding in an obscure benefits statement I wouldn't have thought to check. The system highlighted it right away along with other potentially useful tax info. Saved me from having to wait for the IRS transcript and I was able to file my back taxes the same day. The document analysis was way more thorough than my own searching through papers had been.

If you're still having trouble getting your EIN after trying those other methods, Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) literally saved my sanity last year. I was in the same boat - needed an EIN for an old employer that went out of business. After weeks of being stuck in IRS phone tree hell and never reaching a human, I used Claimyr and got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. They have this smart system that navigates the IRS phone maze for you and calls you back when they've got an agent on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to look up the employer's EIN using just the company name and address. Completely worth it after spending hours getting nowhere with the automated system.

I need to follow up on my skeptical comment earlier. After weeks of getting nowhere with other methods, I reluctantly tried Claimyr as a last resort. I was connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes (which is miraculous compared to my previous attempts). The agent was actually able to help me. While they didn't directly give me the EIN over the phone, they were able to confirm the one I thought might be correct based on some old documents. They also explained exactly which form I needed to request (Form 4506-T) and the fastest way to process it for my situation. The call saved me weeks of back-and-forth and helped me finally file those back taxes. I'm honestly shocked at how helpful it was after all my frustration.

Don't forget to check your bank statements from that time period! If you had direct deposit, sometimes the employer name and even EIN show up in the transaction details. I found an old employer's EIN this way when I was doing some catch-up filing last year. Also, if you had health insurance through them, your insurance company might have records with the employer's EIN. Worth giving them a call too.

Have you tried simply googling the company name + EIN? Sometimes this works because companies list their EINs publicly in various places online. Also check LinkedIn to find current employees who might be able to help.

Another option that's worked for me in the past - if you still have access to your old 401(k) or retirement account from that employer, log into that account online. The plan documents and statements often include the employer's EIN since it's needed for retirement plan administration. Also, if you filed for unemployment benefits after leaving that job, your state unemployment office should have the employer's EIN on file. You might be able to request that information from them, though the process varies by state. One more thing - if the company used a payroll service like ADP or Paychex, sometimes you can still access old pay stubs through their online portals even years later if you remember your login credentials. Those pay stubs would definitely have the EIN.

One more resource that might help - if you remember the approximate dates you worked there, you can also try contacting your state's Department of Labor or Workforce Commission. They maintain records of employers in the state for unemployment insurance purposes, and these records typically include EINs. In Connecticut specifically, you'd want to reach out to the Connecticut Department of Labor. They might be able to provide the EIN if you can give them the company name, address, and approximate timeframe of your employment. Also, if the company had any professional licenses or certifications relevant to their industry, those are often searchable through state licensing boards and sometimes include EIN information in the public records. The combination of checking your 401(k) account (as mentioned above) and doing a quick Google search for the company name + EIN seems to work for most people before having to go the official transcript route.

Based on my experience dealing with similar situations, I'd recommend starting with the fastest options first before moving to the more time-consuming methods: 1. **Check your 401(k) or retirement account** - As StarStrider mentioned, this is often the quickest win. Log into any old retirement accounts from that employer. 2. **Search your email** - Look for any automated payroll emails, benefits enrollment confirmations, or tax document notifications. These sometimes contain EINs in the fine print. 3. **Contact your tax preparer** - If you used a professional tax preparer during those years, they often keep copies of all documents including W-2s with the EIN. 4. **IRS Wage and Income Transcript** - This is your most reliable backup plan. It's free and will definitely have the information, though it takes a bit longer. The key is to exhaust the quick options first since you're dealing with back taxes and probably want to get this resolved as soon as possible. I've found that most people can locate their EIN through one of the first three methods without having to wait for official transcripts. Also, once you do find it, make sure to save it somewhere secure along with other important tax information for future reference!