What does FEIN stand for?
FEIN stands for Federal Employer Identification Number. It is the EIN with the word Federal added to stress that the IRS, a federal agency, issues it. The extra word changes nothing about the 9 digits.
The letters unpack cleanly. F is Federal, E is Employer, I is Identification, N is Number. Drop the F and the same 3 words spell EIN. The IRS uses EIN on Form SS-4; the word Federal is a clarification other parties add, not a second number.
EIN
Employer Identification Number. The base name on IRS Form SS-4. It carries the same 9 digits in the pattern XX-XXXXXXX.
FEIN
Federal Employer Identification Number. The same number, with Federal added. It carries the same 9 digits in the pattern XX-XXXXXXX.
FEI number
Federal Employer Identification number. The same number, abbreviated differently. It carries the same 9 digits in the pattern XX-XXXXXXX.
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
Are a FEIN and an EIN ever different numbers?
No. A business holds 1 federal number, and both names point to it. There is no separate FEIN to apply for and no separate EIN. The IRS issues 1 EIN per responsible party per day, and that number is the FEIN.
The confusion is pure vocabulary. A vendor form asks for a FEIN, a bank asks for a federal tax ID, and a W-9 asks for a taxpayer identification number, and the correct entry in all 3 boxes is the same 9-digit value from the CP-575 letter.
A related abbreviation completes the set. Some state and industry forms print FEI number, dropping the second N. It expands to Federal Employer Identification number and names the identical value. Read that variant on the FEI number lookup page.
Why does 1 number carry 2 names?
Because 2 audiences name it differently. The IRS writes EIN on Form SS-4 and every federal return. States and banks add Federal, making it a FEIN, to separate it from the state employer number a business holds.
A business with employees runs 2 payroll identifiers at once: 1 federal and 1 state. The word Federal in FEIN exists to point at the first and rule out the second. Without that word, an employer form fails to separate the IRS number from the state one.
The plainest synonym drops the employer language entirely: federal tax ID number. Read how that label maps to the same 9 digits on the federal tax id number page, and see the formal IRS category on the ein vs tin page.
Is a FEIN the same as a state tax ID?
No. A FEIN is the federal number the IRS issues. A state tax ID is a separate number a state agency issues for withholding or unemployment tax. A business with employees holds 1 of each.
| Number | Issuer | Format | Used on |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEIN (the EIN) | IRS | XX-XXXXXXX, 9 digits | Form 941, W-2, W-9, federal returns |
| State employer ID | State labor or revenue agency | Varies by state | State payroll and unemployment returns |
| State sales tax ID | State department of revenue | Varies by state | Seller's permit, resale certificate |
Sources: IRS and state agencies, verified July 2026.
How do you read a FEIN’s format?
A FEIN prints 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7, in the pattern XX-XXXXXXX. That is 9 digits total, identical to the EIN. The 2-then-7 grouping separates it from an SSN’s 3-then-2-then-4.
The leading 2 digits once encoded the IRS campus that issued the number. The system changed in 2001 for online issuance, so the prefix no longer maps to a location and carries no meaning about the business. The 9-digit total has never changed.
Read the number against a real example on the EIN number example page, and confirm the name control the IRS builds from your legal name on the IRS name control page.
Where does your FEIN appear?
In 6 places: the CP-575 assignment letter, a 147C replacement letter, a filed federal return, a business bank record, a payroll report, or a past W-9. All 6 show the same 9 digits, because a business holds 1.
The CP-575 is the original proof, mailed once when the IRS assigns the number. A business that lost it requests a 147C letter as the replacement, because the IRS issues the CP-575 a single time. Both letters print the identical FEIN.
Walk through all 6 sources on the how to find your EIN number page, and read the replacement-letter route on the 147C letter page.
What does a FEIN cost?
A FEIN costs $0 from the IRS, and it never renews, so year 2 costs $0. The only charge is a filing service that prepares Form SS-4, reviews it, and files it for you.
| FEIN filed by | Price | Total turnaround | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct to the IRS | $0 | Not stated | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Standard | $69 | 2–3 weeks, filed by fax within 8 business days | $0 |
| ein-number.com, Fast | $99 | 7 business days, filed within 24 hours | $0 |
The IRS fee is $0 on all 4 of its routes, and stays $0 in year 2 because an EIN never renews.
How do you get a FEIN?
File Form SS-4 with the IRS. Because a FEIN is an EIN, the routes are identical: 15 minutes online with an SSN, or 4 business days by fax. Line 7b accepts Foreign when no SSN exists.
Have an SSN? irs.gov, free, 15 minutes.
The IRS online tool issues the number in the same session at $0.
No SSN? The fax route, or we file it.
Form SS-4 goes by fax to 855-641-6935 for US-based entities and 855-215-1627 for international applicants. The IRS international phone line is 267-941-1099. No passport upload is involved.
The IRS charges $0 through every method. The $69 Standard tier covers preparation, a senior error review, and fax filing within 8 business days, 2–3 weeks in total. The $99 Fast tier files within 24 hours, 7 business days in total. Use the EIN application walkthrough to file it yourself, or begin the accuracy-guaranteed EIN filing service.