What Is an EIN and When Might You Need a New One?

Short answer

An EIN is the federal tax identification number the IRS uses to identify a business entity. In general, a change in ownership or entity structure may require a new EIN; a business name, address or responsible-party change alone does not.

Who should pay attention?

• You form a new business entity
• Ownership or legal structure changes
• A business acquisition or reorganization occurs

What triggers a review?

Revisit this topic when one of the situations above occurs or your company profile changes.

Step-by-step checklist

1. Keep your EIN confirmation notice.
2. Check IRS guidance after a change to determine whether a new EIN is required.
3. If a new EIN is required, plan updates to related accounts and records.

Where does this live in StatePilot?

Official sources

• IRS — Employer Identification Number ↗

Last reviewed

Aug 22, 2026