United Nations Lack of Employer Identification Number (EIN)

[Delal]

When I enter my United Nations income, can I use all 1's (or all 9's or any other workaround in place of an actual EIN) since the United Nations does not have any EIN? In the past, it kept me from filing online. Has Turbotax found a solution to this problem that was brought up before? Thanks

[Vanessa A]

No. you cannot just use all 9's. Depending on your situation, you may still need to print and mail your return. Did you receive a W-2? If so, when you get to the end of entering your W-2, on the next screen, where it says "Let's check for uncommon situations" you can check Employed by a foreign government or international organization"

Did you receive another document type like a 1099-NEC or no document at all?  If so, then you can just enter your income in the business income section and not enter the EIN for the UN since they do not have one. 

[pchowla]

This advice is very wrong. You cannot report UN wages as business income! 

Instead TurboTax should actually work on this long ago identified problem and allow e-file without the EIN if the box is ticked for international organization/foreign government employee!

[SusanY1]

If you are subject to self-employment tax on any of your UN earnings (applicable to US citizens who work for the UN while in the United States only), you will need to use the W-2 entry screen in order to see the questions that allow for the entry of the SE tax for international organization wages. 

If this applies in your case, use a series of nine ones (11-1111111)  for the EIN.  We have had reports of success e-filing with this combination. 

If you are not a US citizen or none of the work was completed in the United States, enter the income instead in the section for foreign wages under "Foreign Earned Income and Exclusion" under Less Common Income.  This will also route the income to the proper line on the Form 1040 for your UN tax reimbursement, and no EIN is required here to allow you to e-file your return.  (State that you received a "statement from your employer" and not a W-2 in this section.)  

@pchowla 
@Delal