What to do if you're assigned an employer identification number (EIN) you did not request

If you've been assigned an Employer Identification Number (EIN) that you didn't request, you should first determine if someone acted legitimately on your behalf.

It's important for you to determine why the EIN was assigned to you before assuming you're a victim of identity theft. A third party may have requested an EIN on your behalf for a legitimate business purpose.

Verify if a third party requested an EIN on your behalf for a legitimate business purpose

Note: These lists are not all inclusive.

Third parties can include:

• spouse or other family member,
• a community club or association,
• an accountant,
• business partner/associate, or
• any other third party on your behalf (such as a fiscal agent, bank or executor of a trust).

Legitimate business purposes include:

• Requesting an EIN to pay for home health care or other services in your household.
• You joined a partnership or participated in the creation of a company where you provided your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
• You provided your TIN to a community association or accountant to prepare tax returns on your behalf for the community association.
• You created a trust or other fiscal entity through a bank or executor.

If you determine your identity has been misused and an EIN has been improperly assigned to you

Consider filing a Form 14039-B, Business Identity Theft Affidavit PDF or contact us for specialized assistance, toll-free, at 800-908-4490.