Your tax ID number is a string of digits the IRS uses to distinguish your business from the millions of other small businesses in the United States.
Why do I need it?
Melio requires your tax ID number to legally verify your business. You only need to provide it once when making or receiving your first payment.
The 3 types of tax ID numbers
Most small business owners have one or more of the following tax ID types:
- Employer identification number (EIN)
- Social Security number (SSN)
- Individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN)
NOTE: The difference between tax ID numbers.
The numbers you have will mostly depend on immigration status.
| Taxpayer Identification Number | Abbreviation |
Who needs it? |
|
Employer identification number |
EIN |
Used by employers, corporations, partnerships, and multi-member LLCs. |
|
Social security number |
SSN |
Used by individuals, sole proprietors, and single-member LLCs. |
|
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number |
ITIN | Used by nonresident and resident aliens, their spouses, and dependents who cannot get an SSN. |
When do I need to provide my tax ID number?
When you make your first payment or get paid for the first time, you’ll need to provide your tax ID number as the last step in the process, when entering your company’s legal information.
NOTE: Entering your tax ID number.
It's only required to enter once and is only used internally to verify your business for legal purposes.
Learn more about entering your business’s legal details.