An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns in the following format: XX-XXXXXXX. It is used to identify the tax accounts of employers and certain other taxpayers. The IRS uses the number to identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns. However, for employee plans, an alpha (for example, P) or the plan number (for example, 003) may follow the EIN.
If you are an employee and need to enter or change the EIN in your TaxAct® return:
Contact your employer if you have any questions related to the EIN that appears in Box (b) on your W-2.