FEIN Messed up

[Beersheba]

A good customer created a partnership to invest in rental real estate. He has been notified by Airbnb that his Federal ID # is invalid. I applied back in Feb and was assigned a FEIN by the IRS.

Now Drake confirms that the FEIN # is invalid.

How do I correct the mess? Don''t ask me how this happened - I don't know.

Thanks in advance...

[spanel]

Have you looked at original IRS SS-4? Did the invalid number match this?

Chris

[spanel]

Applied in Feb 2022? What are you using it for currently that Drake says no??

Chris

[Beersheba]

I am using the number given to me in Feb 22.

[Rapid Robert]

Worth noting that an EIN obtained in 2022 is not good for anything related to 2021 tax year. I think that is what Spanel was getting at.

To clarify, are you getting feedback that the number is invalid (wrong number of digits, digits out of range, number never issued)? Or is it that the name control and the number don't match what's in the government database? If so, make sure you (or the taxpayer) are using the correct name for the entity.

Per IRS, "After all validations are done you will get your EIN immediately upon completion. You can then download, save, and print your EIN confirmation notice." Have you tried providing a copy of that notice to AirBnB?

[Beersheba]

Constructive comments, all. Thank you. But no comments telling me what to do.

I've been through all the hoops mentioned, and there is no reason why the FEIN I received in February shouldn't work. But it hasn't.

[spanel]

Constructive comments, all. Thank you. But no comments telling me what to do.

I've been through all the hoops mentioned, and there is no reason why the FEIN I received in February shouldn't work. But it hasn't.

You haven't told us what your trying to use it for as of yet.... Lets start with that we'll try to help out...

Chris

[Beersheba]

Chris - new customer in the real estate business has been told by airbnb that their FEIN is not valid. Back in Feb I did everything necessary to acquire an FEN, and used it to file their first return. No missing digits, transpositions, keypunch errors or anything else. Drake is now telling me the number is invalid, and tells me to re-apply. Not sure that's the best course of action.

[Uncle Sam]

I suggest you contact either the E-Help Desk at 866-255-0654 or EIN Assignment number at 800-829-4933 and perhaps ask for the IRS Entity Control Unit (which I don't see on IRS website).

[Rapid Robert]

"Back in Feb I did everything necessary to acquire an FEN, and used it to file their first return"

In Feb 2022, what tax return for what tax year did you try to file? Was the return efiled and accepted by whatever tax agency you filed it with? When you filled out Form SS-4, what did you enter on Lines 9a and 11?

What is the FEIN being used for? Why does AirBNB care whether it is valid? How did they get it in the first place? Are they saying the FEIN is invalid, or that it doesn't match with the name control of the entity? Did they say anything, anything at all, beyond the two words "FEIN invalid"?

Has the partnership opened a bank account in the name of the business (if not, why not?) What tax ID did they use for the bank? If they "invested" in real estate and are already trying to work with AirBNB, how did they acquire the real estate without a valid tax ID?

You also keep on saying "Drake" is telling you something similar. Phil Drake himself? Drake customer support? Drake software program for 2021 tax? I have used half a dozen different professional tax programs over the last 17 years and have never once seen any feature provided to evaluate the "validity" of an FEIN, other than the wrong number of digits, or maybe if it was obviously bogus like all zeros or all nines. What steps do you take to get Drake to evaluate an FEIN for you?

"Don''t ask me how this happened - I don't know."

Since you seem to have no interest in figuring out how "this" happened, you are probably doomed to repeat the experience.

[spanel]

Chris - new customer in the real estate business has been told by airbnb that their FEIN is not valid. Back in Feb I did everything necessary to acquire an FEN, and used it to file their first return. No missing digits, transpositions, keypunch errors or anything else. Drake is now telling me the number is invalid, and tells me to re-apply. Not sure that's the best course of action.

You applied for an EIN in Feb 2022 and filed a return for what year? Using this EIN?

Drake told you invalid EIN in Feb and your just now looking into it?

Most likely your problem is this, you asked the IRS for an EIN in 2022 for a partnership that started in 2021 it sounds like. That is why you cant file a 2021 return that you asked for an EIN in 2022.

You will have to call the IRS and explain that the partnership started in 2021 and didnt apply for an EIN for some reason? Again, how did they open bank accts??

Chris