What is an EIN?

"EIN", or Employer Identification Number, is defined as a nine digit number that the IRS assigns to organizations. The IRS uses the number to identify taxpayers who are required to file various business tax returns. EINs are used by employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofit associations, trusts, estates of decedents, government agencies, certain individuals, and other business entities.

Because the EIN is a unique identifying number, it is especially useful when searching for a particular foundation's tax return, the Form 990-PF. An EIN number helps when you don't know the precise name of a foundation or to distinguish it from other foundations with similar names.

For more information on this topic, see the IRS publication "Understanding Your EIN - Employer Identification Numbers" or IRS Form SS-4—"Application for Employer Identification Number" (you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to access these documents).

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