Employer Identification Number

Applicable to the United States, an Employer Identification Number or EIN (also known as Federal Employer Identification Number or FEIN) is the corporate equivalent to a Social Security number, although it is issued to anyone, including individuals, who have to pay withholding taxes on employees. It is also issued to entities, such as states, government agencies, corporations, limited liability companies, and any other organization that must have a number for a purpose in addition to reporting withholding tax, such as for opening a bank or brokerage account.