Using IRS documentation as reference when entering business name and tax ID number (TIN) for US-based businesses

For Stripe to verify the information with the IRS, the legal name and tax ID must match the information displayed exactly on an IRS-issued document. In some cases, you may need to enter the full name, including capitalisation, symbols and punctuation. If Stripe is unable to verify your information, request a Letter 147C from the IRS or upload a copy of your documentation to the Dashboard.

It is important that the information you enter for your legal name and tax ID number match the information displayed on your official IRS-issued documentation exactly, such as your SS-4 confirmation letter or your Letter 147C (the record of how your entity is filed with the IRS).

The IRS may display the business name and/or owner name and/or organisation name, or other unexpected combinations of information, in their records. It is a common naming convention for LLCs to include both the owner name and the business name.

For Stripe to verify this information with the IRS, the full name must be entered exactly as displayed on these forms, including upper/lower case, symbols and punctuation placement. When in doubt, enter all the information listed above the business address. If there are several lines above the address, enter all of the details on one line, separated by single spaces.

If the legal name and tax ID on file for you match the information on your SS-4 confirmation letter but Stripe is unable to verify it with IRS records, it’s best to call the IRS and request a Letter 147C (the record of how your entity is filed with the IRS). If Stripe is still unable to verify the information on your recently obtained Letter 147C, upload a copy of your Letter 147C to the Dashboard.

SS-4 confirmation letter examples

Example 1


If your entity name looks like this on your SS-4 confirmation letter, you might need to enter the following as your legal entity name:
ACME LLC THERESA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD SOLE MBR

Example 2


If your entity name looks like this on your SS-4 confirmation letter, you might only need to enter the following as your legal entity name:
ACME INC

Letter 147C examples

Example 1

If your entity name looks like this on your Letter 147C, you might only need to enter the following as your legal entity name:
ACME INC


Example 2

If your entity name looks like this on your Letter 147C, you might need to enter the following as your legal entity name:
ACME LLC THERESA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD MBR % PILAR LOPEZ

Additional information