Why do I have to provide EIN, TIN and other documents?

Documents for Business Verification

If we are unable to verify your business programmatically, we might need to request additional Proof of Business documentation in order to verify legal entities.

Below are guidelines to what business information commonly matches with the IRS, sorted by business type.

Common Identification Guidelines by Business Type

• Individual: Individual Name and Social Security Number (SSN)
• Sole Proprietorship: Individual Name and SSN (or EIN, if your Sole Prop has one)
• Single Member LLC that is disregarded for federal tax purposes:
  • If owned by an individual: the owner’s individual name and SSN or EIN. The LLC’s name or EIN should not be used.
  • If owned by a corporation or partnership: the owner’s name and EIN. The LLC’s name or EIN should not be used.
• LLC that is treated as Corporations or Partnerships for federal tax purposes: The LLC’s name and EIN
• Corporation: Business Name and Entity’s EIN
• Partnership: Business Name and Entity’s EIN
• Tax Exempt Organization (e.g. Non-Profits): Organization Name and Entity’s EIN as found on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool.
• Other Entities: Enter your name and EIN as shown on required U.S. federal tax documents. This name and EIN should match the name and EIN shown on the charter or other legal document creating the entity.

Document Requirements

Your document must meet specific requirements in order to be accepted for verification.

The information in this document must include the business name, business address, and company registration number or VAT number. It also must be matched to the information in your Online Payments account, so it is best to first confirm that the business information listed on your account is correct before a document is uploaded. You can view your business information in your Online Payments settings and make any changes by clicking “Edit” beside your business details. Your Proof of Legal Entity document upload must be successfully reviewed and matched to the information on your Stripe account before your business can be verified. Reviews can take up to 24 hours for our team to complete.

Signing up for an account without a tax ID or employer ID number?

You must enter a verifiable tax ID number (Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number) in order to use Online Payments.

If you do not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and are an individual (not an LLC, Sole Proprietor, etc.) you can generally use your Social Security Number in place of the EIN.

The link below might be useful: Why do I have to provide Date of birth and Social Security Number?

Last updated:
Jul. 25, 2022