EIN – Crowded

This article contains the following questions:

What is an EIN?

EIN stands for Employer Identification Number - you can think of it as a social security number for your organization. In order to open a Crowded account, your organization will need to submit an EIN as part of the onboarding process.

Why do I need an EIN to open a Crowded bank account?

An EIN is required for a bank account with Crowded (or for any other business bank account) in order to verify your organization’s legitimacy and compliance with tax paying requirements.

Where can I find my organization's EIN?

You can find your organization’s EIN in the following ways:

Find the automated notice issued by the IRS when you applied for your EIN (CP 575 EIN Confirmation Letter).
If you used your EIN to open a bank account or apply for any type of license, you can contact the bank or agency to secure your EIN.
Find a previously filed informational tax form (Form 990) for your existing entity.
Ask the IRS to search for your EIN by calling the Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933.
If you are a chapter within a larger national organization, check with your national’s office to see if they have an existing EIN for your chapter.

What documents can be used for an EIN confirmation letter?

An EIN confirmation letter is a document that verifies your Federal EIN.

Documents that can be used for this purpose include:

A filed business tax return
IRS 147c letter
IRS Form CP 575
IRS SS-4 confirmation letter
A filed tax return (tax return must be current or from the past two filing years)

*Please make sure that your name and address on your application match your EIN confirmation letter.

Can I use my national organization's EIN for my Crowded account application?

Depending on your organization's standard practice, you may be able to use their EIN for your Crowded application.

You should always obtain your national organization's consent before using their EIN to apply for a Crowded account.

Keep in mind that associating your account with your national organization's EIN means that they will be eligible to view your account statements as well as gain access to your account under certain circumstances.

Additionally, if your organization a subsidiary of a larger organization, your EIN may be listed under their group exemption.

See list here: List of group exemptions

What if I know that my organization has an EIN, but I can’t access it?

Crowded can retrieve your EIN for a one time fee of $20. Simply check the box ‘My organization has an EIN, but I don’t know it’, fill in your payment information and you will receive your EIN in your email within a few days.

How does it work to get a new EIN with Crowded?

When you are signing up for your organization’s bank account, you will be asked for your organization’s EIN.

If you do not have an EIN for your nonprofit yet, follow these steps:

Tick the box ‘I don’t have an EIN’ in the bank account sign up flow.
Complete the rest of the sign up flow.
The EIN signup will pop-up on your screen.
Tick the box that gives Crowded consent to apply for an EIN on your behalf to the IRS and then click ‘Get an EIN’.
Select the ‘My organization doesn’t have an EIN’ option.
Fill in your payment information.

And that’s it! You will receive your EIN in your email within 1-2 business days.