07/10/2025
Have you received a notice from your bank or payment card processor about a TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number), also known as EIN (Employer Identification Number), mismatch? This mismatch occurs when a business attempts to e-file/file tax documents with the federal government's tax collector, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and the name they have on file does not match the EIN/TIN presented to them.
Don't let this get you stressed out. Instead try the following to resolve the issue.
- Verify that the TIN/EIN provided to your bank or processor is correct. Look on the EIN letter, also known as a CP575 notice, to make sure that the one they have on file is correct.
- Verify that the spelling of your business' legal name on file with your bank or processor is correct. These days most filing is done electronically and since the IRS matches the EIN to the name they have on file it may be simply a matter of the incorrectly spelled name causing this issue.
Please note that the legal name is the same as the name of the LLC (Limited Liability Company) or corporation. Please don't confuse this with your trade name or the name under which you operate, also known as an assumed name.
For Sole-Proprietorships, the legal name is the owner's name while the TIN may be either the social security number or an EIN issued for the business.
Your bank or processor may ask you to fill out a W-9. Please make sure that you double check the information that you're putting on this form since it will be used to submit tax docs to the IRS.
Kind regards,
Paul
