What is the difference between an EIN, TIN, and ITIN?
Written by Kristin Turner.
Updated May 16, 2019
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The acronyms that the IRS uses to identify the different types of taxpayer identification numbers can be confusing, and we get a lot of questions about these three in particular. Let's break it down:
EIN: This is a tax ID for businesses. It stands for "Employer Identification Number," and is a nine-digit number used to identify a business entity (like a corporation or an LLC) for tax purposes. There are nor really any hard-and-fast differences between an EIN and it's counterpart, a TIN, other than that TINs are generally only assigned to companies that have employees.
TIN: This is a tax ID for businesses. It stands for "Taxpayer Identification Number," and it is basically the same thing as an EIN. Usually TINs are assigned to businesses that have employees.
ITIN: This is a tax ID for individuals. It stands for "Individual Taxpayer Identification Number," and is a nine-digit number used to identify an individuals for tax purposes. An ITIN is only assigned to individuals who are required to have taxpayer identification but who are ineligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN).
For purposes of filing bankruptcy you would use
your Social Security Number or ITIN to identify yourself and
your EIN or TIN to identify your business.
