Individuals have social security numbers, which are nine digits, usually represented as ###-##-####. Businesses have federal ID numbers, which are also nine digits, usually represented as ##-#######. Is there a way to distinguish an SSN from an FID besides the placement of the hyphens?
Federal ID numbers? That’s a new one on me; at least that term and number of digits. The military contractor I used to work for had two different gov’t id numbers.
One was called, FSCM for Federal Standard Code of Manufacturers. The other was, CAGE for Commercial and Government Entity. They both alpha-numeric and only five characters.
“Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I’m worried about the difference between wrong and fun.”
~P.J. O’Rourke~
I think the “##-#######” is a Federal Employer number (what you use when you pay the witheld income tax to the IRS). I had one of those once and I had a hell of a time trying to get rid of it 'cause the Feds wouldn’t believe that I had closed the office and had no employees.
JB
Lex Non Favet Delicatorum Votis
There seem to be a lot of names for them. I’ve seen Federal Identification Number (FIN), Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), and Employer Indentification Number (EIN). They’re real though, and they do have the form ##-#######. They usually start with 95, but not always. I’m sure there is a hard and fast rule to distinguish them from SSNs, but I’m having a hard time finding the right people to ask. I could just call the IRS, but I’d be on hold for two hours and probably get the wrong answer anyway. Now that the TMs have let me down though, that might be my best bet.