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A state tax ID is a number a state agency gives your business so it can collect or pay a state tax. It is not the same thing as the federal EIN. The IRS publishes a list of state government websites with information on doing business, taxation and employer links, one link for each state and DC.
Which numbers can a business have?
A company can hold three kinds of numbers at once:
| Number | Issued by | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| EIN | IRS | The business for federal tax |
| Entity or file number | Secretary of State or equivalent | The company record |
| State tax account number | State tax or revenue department | A state tax registration, such as sales tax or withholding |
Our guide to what an EIN is covers the first. Our state guides cover the second. This page is about the third.
Why is there no single lookup?
Each state runs its own tax system. Sales tax, withholding, unemployment insurance and franchise tax can each sit with a different agency in the same state. None of them feeds a shared public index, so a search site cannot return a state tax ID for any company. Beware of any site that says it can.
How do you find a state tax ID?
Start with what you already hold:
- The state's registration confirmation letter or email.
- A filed sales tax or withholding return, which prints the account number.
- Your login on the state tax department's online portal.
- A resale certificate you have received from a customer, if you are a seller checking a buyer.
If you hold none of those, contact the state tax department. They will want proof that you are an owner or an authorized person before they share an account number.
How do you check a seller's tax account?
Some states offer a tool where a buyer can verify a resale or sales tax permit. Whether one exists, and what it shows, is a state decision. Use the state tax department's own site, and do not accept a screenshot as proof.
What about the Secretary of State record?
The record shows the entity number, status, registered agent and often the formation date. It does not show tax accounts. Use our state guides, for example Texas, California or Florida, to run that search.
Registering for a state tax after you form
Most new companies form the LLC, get an EIN, then register with the state tax agency if they sell taxable goods or hire staff. Which taxes apply depends on the state and the business, so check with the state or an accountant.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
For licenses, see business license lookup.