Is the FEIN the same as TIN?

[Texas Roger]

FEIN is the same as EIN. It is a number assigned to businesses by the IRS.

TIN is a taxpayer identification number issued by the IRS. It is issued to identify taxpayers. It is similar to an SSN which is issued by the Social Security Administration. 

[Homealoneyes]

DO YOU MEAN FEIN IS THE SAME AS TIN?  YOU PUT DOWN EIN...

[RDeinlein]

So, is that a yes or no to the question. The definitions do not clarify a specific answer for us that are not familiar with the terminologies. Thank you.

[BillM223]

The answer to "is the FEIN the same as a TIN" is NO.

The FEIN is issued to businesses of various types. The TIN is issued to taxpayers who must appear on a IRS tax return but who do not qualify to get a Social Security number.

To be on a tax return, an individual must have either a Social Security number or a TIN.

[Rmille10]

the reason I’m interested in this question is that the companies that provide me a 1099-DIV have a TIN showing on their form but no FEIN. The TIN looks like a unique identifier for the company so I’m assuming it functions the same way as a FEIN. Is that a good assumption?

[Anonymous]

sometimes.  for a business yes but for an individual a TIN would be their SSN,    An individual operating a business such as a sole proprietorship with employees would also need a FEIN for their business.  

[rprastein]

TIN is a generic term, "Tax ID Number". 

-For individuals, a TIN can be:

• Social Security number "SSN" (issued by the Social Security Administration)
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number "ITIN" (issued by the IRS for individuals who need identification for tax purposes, but don't have and are ineligible to receive a SSN)

- For businesses, a TIN can be:

• Employer Identification Number "EIN" (issued by the IRS; also sometimes reffered to as FEIN, for Federal Employer Identification Number)

There are two other types of TINs issued by the IRS, in case you're curious (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin) :

• Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions "ATIN"
• Preparer Taxpayer Identification Number "PTIN"

[rprastein]

I had the same question, and looked it up on the IRS web site.  EIN/FEIN is a type of TIN, for a business.  SSN is a type of TIN.  ITIN is a type of TIN, generally for a foreigner who is not eligible for a SSN.

[jcarkb]

Is the payers FEIN the same as TIN?

[AamilD]

Yes, the payer's tax identification number is the same as the federal identification number.