Getting your EIN and legal business name for Felix

When you set up Felix, business registration tells mobile carriers (such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) that a real, verified business is behind the texts Felix sends. Carriers check your business by its Employer Identification Number (EIN) and legal business name. If either one does not match what the IRS has on file, registration fails and texting cannot turn on.

This article covers where to find your EIN and legal business name, how to enter them so verification passes, and how to get an EIN if you do not have one.

In this article:

Why Felix needs your EIN
Find your EIN and legal business name
Enter them exactly
Get an EIN if you do not have one
FAQs

Why Felix needs your EIN

An EIN is the federal tax ID for a business in the United States. Carriers use it, together with your legal business name, to confirm you are a trusted sender before they deliver Felix's text messages. You enter both during business registration, either while setting up Felix or anytime from Settings > Account > Phone.

🗒️ Note: We recommend registering with an EIN rather than as a sole proprietor without one. Carrier rules limit a sole proprietor without an EIN to a single campaign with one phone number, and that registration type cannot include other team members. An EIN removes those limits, is free, and takes only a few minutes to request.

Find your EIN and legal business name

Both details appear together on your official IRS paperwork. Your EIN is a nine-digit number written as two digits, a dash, then seven digits (for example, 12-3456789). Your legal business name is your registered name exactly as the IRS has it, including any suffix such as LLC or Inc.

From your EIN Confirmation Letter (CP 575)

This is the letter the IRS mailed when your EIN was first issued, and it is the easiest source if you have it.

EIN: in the header block near the top, labeled Employer Identification Number. It also appears in the first paragraph. Copy all nine digits in the XX-XXXXXXX format.
Legal business name: in the address block, on the first line above the street address.

If you cannot find the CP 575

Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 and request a 147C letter. It confirms the same two details: your legal name on the Legal name line, and your EIN just below it.

Enter them exactly

Verification compares what you enter against the IRS database letter for letter, so small differences are rejected even when they look harmless. The most common reasons registration fails:

A missing or extra suffix, such as Blue Harbor Realty versus Blue Harbor Realty LLC.
Abbreviations that differ from the record, such as & versus and, or Co. versus Company.
Extra spaces, commas, or periods.
Transposed or dropped EIN digits.

💡 Tip: When in doubt, copy the name and EIN straight from your IRS letter, not from a logo, an invoice, or memory.

Get an EIN if you do not have one

If you do not have an EIN, you can apply online with the IRS for free in a few minutes. Learn more about EINs from the IRS.

Here's how to apply:

Go to the EIN application on IRS.gov, scroll to Step 3, and select Apply Online Now.
Select Begin Application.
Select Sole Proprietor and click Continue. Select Sole Proprietor again, click Continue, then confirm with Continue.

Choose Banking Purposes as the reason.
Enter your personal information, select I am the sole proprietor, and click Continue.
Complete your address information and click Continue.
Leave the trade name (doing business as) blank, add your start date, and click Continue.
Answer the questions about your sole proprietorship and click Continue.
Select Real Estate and click Continue, then choose an option and click Continue.
Select Receive letter online and click Continue.
Download your EIN Confirmation Letter.

Use the legal name and EIN from that letter when you complete business registration.

Frequently asked questions

My business registration says verification failed. What do I do?
- The legal business name or EIN does not match IRS records. Open your CP 575 or 147C letter and re-enter both exactly as printed, including the suffix and the XX-XXXXXXX format.
Where do I enter my EIN and legal business name?
- During business registration. You can do this while setting up Felix, or anytime in Settings > Account > Phone.
Do I have to use an EIN, or can I register as a sole proprietor?
- An EIN is recommended. Without one, carrier rules limit a sole proprietor to a single campaign with one phone number and do not allow other team members, which does not scale for a team. An EIN is free and takes a few minutes.
How long does it take to get an EIN?
- Applying online with the IRS takes only a few minutes, and you can download your confirmation letter right away.