Can a Plan's Tax ID be found on the internet?

Can a Plan's Tax ID be found on the internet? The 5500's only show the employer's.  Are Plan Tax ID's kept private?

There is a phone number to get it if you don't know it.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/lost-or-misplaced-your-ein

Thank you, can this be used to get someone else's plan tax id, or only my own? A CPA and I are disagreeing on the original tax id of a Plan. I thought this might be a way to verify.

A large plan will usually have to report it on Schedule R.

I see.  The one I need is an EZ

17 hours ago, C. B. Zeller said:

A large plan will usually have to report it on Schedule R.

But if the assets are at a recordkeeper, doesn't the Schedule R usually reflect the payor ID of the recordkeeper?  So, it's not really the ID of the plan, but of the custodian who paid the benefits.

On 10/6/2021 at 4:38 PM, RayJJohnsonJr said:

Thank you, can this be used to get someone else's plan tax id, or only my own? A CPA and I are disagreeing on the original tax id of a Plan. I thought this might be a way to verify.

I believe they ask you enough questions to get an idea you are some how related to the plan.   It has been a very long time since I have called that number.   However, EINs aren't like SSNs.   They are much more public so the security around them isn't as high as it would be if you were trying to track an SSN. 

What you are also hearing is calling the IRS currently can be a many hour affair so use the restroom before you start the call.   😁

Many smaller DC plans only use the plan sponsor's EIN. 

Thanks Patricia, I have noticed that on other Plans, but have always obtained separate EIN's for The Plan. I've never understood how they resolve Plan Investment tax reporting (interest, Dividends, etc.) to the Sponsor's EIN being a taxable entity. How does the Sponsor tell the IRS this income is not really taxable?

20 hours ago, RayJJohnsonJr said:

How does the Sponsor tell the IRS this income is not really taxable?

(I think) the investment company can suppress those 1099s (-INT, -DIV etc) for retirement plans.  Even if they don't, I don't think the IRS is reconciling them for businesses.  The bigger issue is 1099-R reporting; messy at best if using the same EIN.  That may be the point at which someone says "mmm, maybe that isn't the way to go about this."  Personally, I don't think I've ever seen a plan using the sponsor's EIN; of course I'm mostly looking at our own plans.  But just to be clear, we do not get an EIN if the plan is on a platform and 1099-R reporting is done by the custodian.

Thanks for your input bird. 

On 10/12/2021 at 4:35 PM, Bird said:

(I think) the investment company can suppress those 1099s (-INT, -DIV etc) for retirement plans.  Even if they don't, I don't think the IRS is reconciling them for businesses.  The bigger issue is 1099-R reporting; messy at best if using the same EIN.  That may be the point at which someone says "mmm, maybe that isn't the way to go about this."  Personally, I don't think I've ever seen a plan using the sponsor's EIN; of course I'm mostly looking at our own plans.  But just to be clear, we do not get an EIN if the plan is on a platform and 1099-R reporting is done by the custodian.






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You make a great point about the complexities of 1099 reporting, especially when it comes to retirement plans. The handling of 1099s like -INT and -DIV can certainly be a bit tricky, but you're right that in the context of retirement accounts, these reports are typically suppressed or not reconciled by the IRS for business purposes.

The 1099-R issue is where things can get more complicated, particularly when using the same EIN across different accounts. As you mentioned, the 1099-R reporting can get messy if it’s not handled correctly, especially if there’s a mix-up in who is reporting what.

In cases where the custodian handles the 1099-R reporting, things are often simplified. But if a plan is managed through a sponsor's EIN, it definitely can open up a can of worms. It seems like the best practice is to be clear on the EIN usage and ensure custodians are managing the necessary reports to avoid confusion.

Thanks for sharing your insight! It’s always helpful to discuss these nuances with others in the same field.

When calling the IRS number, they didn't let us get the plan's EIN without the plan sponsor on the phone. 401(k)s are tax-deferred. I've never a 1099 INT or DIV from an IRA or 401k.