<P> The Employer Identification Number ( EIN ) , also known as the Federal Employer Identification Number ( FEIN ) or the Federal Tax Identification Number , is a unique nine - digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) to business entities operating in the United States for the purposes of identification . When the number is used for identification rather than employment tax reporting , it is usually referred to as a Taxpayer Identification Number ( TIN ) , and when used for the purposes of reporting employment taxes , it is usually referred to as an EIN . These numbers are used for tax administration and must be not used for any other purpose . For example , the EIN should not be used in tax lien auction or sales , lotteries , etc . </P>
<P> The Employer Identification Number ( EIN ) , also known as the Federal Employer Identification Number ( FEIN ) or the Federal Tax Identification Number , is a unique nine - digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) to business entities operating in the United States for the purposes of identification . When the number is used for identification rather than employment tax reporting , it is usually referred to as a Taxpayer Identification Number ( TIN ) , and when used for the purposes of reporting employment taxes , it is usually referred to as an EIN . These numbers are used for tax administration and must be not used for any other purpose . For example , the EIN should not be used in tax lien auction or sales , lotteries , etc . </P>
how many digits in an employer federal identification number
how many digits in an employer federal identification number
nine
nine