What's the easiest way to verify my business?
The fastest way to get your business verified with Routable is to upload a copy of your "EIN Assignment Letter". Oftentimes, companies will colloquially refer to the assignment letter as Form SS-4, even though they aren't quite the same thing.
What's the difference? And how do I get an EIN assignment letter?
The IRS sends these letters to companies that have applied for an employer identification number, have submitted the required documents, and have been certified by the federal government.
The most common way to receive an EIN is to submit Form SS-4, which is the "Application for Employer Identification Number". Therefore, in most situations, most businesses that have an EIN also have a copy of form SS-4 that they submitted in order to qualify for the former. Because most companies that have one also have the other, their names are used interchangeably.
What if I don't have or want to apply for an EIN?
If you’re a sole proprietor with no employees, you might have skipped getting an EIN altogether. If so, don’t worry. There is no need to get an EIN or complete Form SS-4.
To verify your business on Routable you can upload:
Filed and stamped Articles of Organization or Incorporation
Sales/Use Tax License
Business License
Certificate of Good Standing
Sole Proprietors using a fictitious name can use:
Fictitious Name Certificate/Statement
Certificate of Assumed Name
Business License
Sales/Use Tax License
Registration of Trade Name
What if I misplaced my EIN assignment letter?
You might have a copy of your letter on your hard drive or in your cloud-based filing system and not even realize it. If you applied for your EIN online, you likely received the letter as a PDF.
If you’ve been in business for a while you might not be able to locate your letter, even if you applied online. And that’s okay, too! You can get a copy of your EIN assignment letter from the IRS.
Before you call the IRS for a copy of your EIN assignment letter, there are two more things you should try:
US-based banks require a copy of your EIN assignment letter in order to open business bank accounts. Contact your banker and ask if they can provide you with a printout of the copy they have in their records.
If you hired an accountant right when you first started your business, your accountant might have completed your SS-4 for you. At the very least, they probably asked for a copy before completing your first tax return. Ask your accountant if he or she has a copy of your assignment letter in their files.
If all your attempts to recover a copy have failed, you’ll have to request a copy of your EIN assignment letter from the IRS. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to do.
You can request a replacement copy by calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line. The phone number is (800) 829-4933. The line is open from 7 am to 7 pm, taxpayer local time, Monday through Friday.
The Tax Specialist will ask you to provide your EIN and some identifying information about your business for security purposes. They’ll also ask for your title within the business in order to prove you’re authorized to receive a copy of the EIN assignment letter.
Once you’ve satisfied the security requirements, the Tax Specialist will make arrangements to send you a copy of your business’s EIN assignment letter by mail or by fax. For security purposes, the letter will be sent to the address or fax number the IRS has on file for your business.
Requesting a copy of your EIN assignment letter is easy, but it will take some time to receive the copy, especially if the IRS has to mail it to you. The Tax Specialist will be able to tell you how long to expect to wait.
For everything you need to know about applying for an EIN, go here.