EIN Validator
Finance & Global IDsValidate US Employer Identification Numbers (EIN) for correct XX-XXXXXXX format instantly. Checks structure and prefix — free, client-side, nothing stored.
What is a EIN?
The EIN Validator checks whether a US Employer Identification Number (EIN) follows the correct 9-digit format assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. An EIN — also called a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) — identifies a business entity for US federal tax purposes, and must appear in the correct XX-XXXXXXX structure on tax forms, payroll documents, and vendor agreements.
An EIN consists of a 2-digit prefix (the IRS Campus code that assigned the number) followed by a hyphen and a 7-digit sequence. The validator checks:
- The input contains exactly 9 digits (stripping any hyphens or spaces)
- The first two digits form a valid IRS-assigned campus prefix
- The formatted output is XX-XXXXXXX
This is a format check only. The validator cannot confirm that the EIN is registered to an active business in the IRS database — that requires a real-time IRS query. For Indian business context, this is equivalent to validating the structure of a GSTIN using the GST Number Validator — the format can be checked locally, but authenticity requires official verification.
All validation runs client-side. The EIN is never transmitted to any server.
How to use this EIN calculator
- Enter the EIN in the 'EIN' field — with or without a hyphen (12-3456789 or 123456789).
- Check the Valid/Invalid badge — it updates instantly.
- Read the details panel — shows formatted EIN, prefix, and sequence; or the specific error (wrong digit count, invalid prefix).
- Format raw EIN digits using the EIN Formatter if you have unformatted 9-digit strings.
- Proceed to IRS verification for confirmed active status if needed — the validator checks structure only.
Formula & Methodology
Format rules: 1. Strip all non-digit characters. 2. Digit count must equal exactly 9. 3. First two digits (prefix) must be in the set of assigned IRS campus codes: 01–06, 10–16, 20–27, 30–32, 35–39, 41–48, 50–55, 57–68, 71–77, 80–88, 90–95. 4. No Luhn checksum — EINs have no check digit algorithm. Valid and invalid examples: | EIN | Valid? | Note | |---|---|---| |12-3456789| ✓ | Correctly formatted, valid prefix | |123456789| ✓ | Hyphens optional — 9 digits, valid prefix | |00-1234567| ✗ | Prefix 00 is not assigned | |12-345678| ✗ | Only 8 digits — one digit missing | |12-34567890| ✗ | 10 digits — one digit too many | |123-45-6789| ✗ | SSN format entered — 9 digits but wrong structure |
Frequently Asked Questions
An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also called a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN), is a unique 9-digit number assigned by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify a business entity for tax purposes. It is the business equivalent of a Social Security Number — used on tax returns, payroll filings, business bank accounts, licences, and vendor agreements.
An EIN is 9 digits formatted as XX-XXXXXXX — a 2-digit IRS campus prefix followed by a hyphen and a 7-digit sequence number. Examples: 12-3456789, 98-7654321. The first two digits (the prefix) identify which IRS Campus assigned the EIN. Prefixes run from 01 to 99, but not all values in that range are assigned.
The first two digits identify the IRS Campus (formerly called Service Center) that processed the EIN application — for example, prefix 01 is the Andover (Massachusetts) campus, prefix 02 is the Atlanta (Georgia) campus. They do not identify the geographic location of the business. Some prefix values are unassigned: 00, 07–09, 17–19, 28, 49, and others are reserved or retired.
A Social Security Number (SSN) is assigned to individuals by the Social Security Administration and formatted as XXX-XX-XXXX (9 digits in 3+2+4 groups). An EIN is assigned to business entities by the IRS and formatted as XX-XXXXXXX (9 digits in 2+7 groups). SSNs identify people; EINs identify businesses, trusts, estates, and other legal entities. Sole proprietors may use either their SSN or an EIN for business tax purposes.
No — the validator checks format only: 9 digits in the XX-XXXXXXX structure with a valid IRS campus prefix in the first two digits. It does not verify that the EIN is currently assigned to an active business or registered in the IRS database. Real-time EIN verification requires accessing the IRS EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) or requesting a 147C letter from the IRS.
No — all validation runs entirely in your browser. The EIN is never sent to any server, stored, or logged. This is important because EINs are sensitive business identifiers that should not be exposed to unnecessary third-party services.
HR teams collecting EINs from contractors and vendors for Form 1099 filing; accounting teams verifying EINs before processing payments; developers building US payroll, invoicing, or tax software who need to validate EIN format in form inputs; and Indian companies with US subsidiaries or partnerships who receive EINs from US business entities.
India's GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) is a 15-character alphanumeric identifier, while a US EIN is a 9-digit numeric code. Both serve as unique tax identifiers for businesses, but they belong to entirely separate tax systems — India's GST regime and the US federal tax system. A business operating in both countries may have both a GSTIN and an EIN. Use the [GST Number Validator](/gst-validator/) to validate GSTINs.
Enter the EIN in the input field — with or without the hyphen (12-3456789 or 123456789). The validator strips non-digit characters, checks that the result is exactly 9 digits, and verifies the 2-digit prefix is a known IRS campus code. The Valid/Invalid badge updates instantly. The details panel shows the formatted EIN, the prefix, and the sequence number.
A company's EIN appears on IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number), Form 1099, Form W-2, tax returns (Form 1120 for corporations), business bank statements, and official correspondence from the IRS. Publicly traded companies list their EIN in SEC filings (Form 10-K, Form 10-Q) available at SEC EDGAR. A company is not obligated to share its EIN publicly.
Non-profit organisations (501(c)(3) and other exempt entities) have EINs in exactly the same XX-XXXXXXX format as for-profit businesses. The EIN format itself does not indicate whether an organisation is non-profit. Non-profit EINs are publicly accessible through IRS Form 990, which exempt organisations must file annually and which is available on the IRS website and ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.
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