Can't Put on Show Without Finding EIN!

Dear Rich: Our local community college wants to put on a musical. The rights are controlled by a New York based company that refuses to furnish a Tax I.D. Our institution is prohibited from paying without that Tax ID. This question takes us a little out of our bailiwick, but if it means we can help put on a musical, well, what choice do we have? You might want to start by getting the proper corporate name of the business by searcing the New York Secretary of State's website. We don't think the company you mentioned is publicly traded, but if it is, you can search the SEC's EDGAR database for filings. (The Employer Identification Number (EIN) is usually on the first page of major SEC filings.) If it's not publicly traded, you may have to use a fee-based EIN-searching database like www.realsearch.com or www.feinsearch.com, both of which often provide a few free searches before making you sign up. (Westlaw and LEXIS also provide EIN searching). We're also informed, though we haven't verified, that you can learn a company's EIN by calling the IRS's Business and Specialty Tax Line (800-829-4933).