You’re staring at a stack of paperwork or an online form, and there it is—the box for a "Minnesota Tax ID." You check your files. Nothing. You check your email. Still nothing. Now you're stuck wondering if you even have one or if it’s buried in a drawer from three years ago.
Honestly, it happens to the best of us.
The 7-digit Minnesota Tax ID is the backbone of doing business in the North Star State, yet finding it isn't always as straightforward as a quick Google search for your business name. Most people confuse it with their federal EIN or their Secretary of State filing number. They aren't the same.
If you’re trying to run an mn tax id number lookup to verify a vendor, check your own records, or fill out a resale certificate, there are specific hoops you have to jump through. Minnesota is a bit protective of this data compared to other states.
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The Difference Between Your MN Tax ID and Other Numbers
Before you go hunting, you have to know what you’re actually looking for. A lot of folks waste hours on the Secretary of State website looking for a tax ID.
The Minnesota Secretary of State issues an Original Filing Number. That’s usually a long string of digits (often 12 or more) that basically proves your business exists as a legal entity. It is public record. You can find it in seconds using the SOS "Business Filings Online" search.
But the MN Tax ID Number? That’s issued by the Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR). It is seven digits long. This is the number you use to pay sales tax, withholding tax, and corporate franchise tax. Unlike the SOS number, the DOR doesn't just hand these out to anyone with a web browser.
How to Conduct an MN Tax ID Number Lookup for Your Own Business
If you’ve lost your own number, don't panic. You have a few official paths to get it back, and none of them involve paying a third-party "lookup" service (please, don't do that).
1. Check Your e-Services Account
This is the fastest way. If you’ve ever filed taxes online in Minnesota, you have an account in the MN e-Services portal. Once you log in, your 7-digit ID is usually displayed prominently on your dashboard next to your business name.
2. Dig Up Old Correspondence
The Department of Revenue loves mail. Look for your original "Business Tax Registration" confirmation letter. It’s the one they sent when you first signed up. If you can’t find that, look at a previous Sales and Use Tax return or a Withholding Tax return. The ID is always on there.
3. Call the Registration Office
Sometimes technology fails or passwords get lost. You can call the Minnesota Department of Revenue Business Registration office directly at 651-282-5225 or 1-800-657-3605.
Be ready. They won't just give it to you because you sound nice. They’ll ask for:
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- Your legal business name.
- Your Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).
- Your Social Security Number (if you're a sole prop).
- Your business address.
Can You Look Up Someone Else’s MN Tax ID?
Here is where it gets tricky. In some states, you can search a public database and see every business's tax ID. Minnesota doesn't play that way.
The MN Department of Revenue treats tax ID numbers as private data. You cannot go to a website, type in "Bob’s Bait Shop," and get his 7-digit tax ID.
Why does this matter? Well, if you’re a wholesaler and Bob wants to buy 500 lures from you tax-free, he has to give you a completed Form ST3 (Certificate of Exemption). He is required to write his MN Tax ID on that form.
Verifying a Resale Certificate
If you're trying to do an mn tax id number lookup to verify if a customer's tax ID is actually valid, you can’t do it via a public search tool. You actually have to contact the Department of Revenue. They don't have a "bulk" lookup tool for the public, which is kind of a pain for high-volume sellers.
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Usually, the best move is to call the DOR at the numbers mentioned above to verify a specific ID if you suspect the one provided on an ST3 form is fake or inactive.
Why Your "Lookup" Might Be Returning Zero Results
If you are searching the Secretary of State site and can’t find anything, or if the DOR says they have no record of you, a few things might be happening:
- The "7-Digit" Rule: People often try to use their 9-digit Federal EIN. It won't work for state forms.
- Pending Registration: If you just applied, it can take a few days to hit the system, though online registration is usually near-instant.
- Inactive Status: If you didn't file for several years, the DOR might have revoked your ID. This happens more often than you'd think with seasonal businesses.
- Wrong Entity: You might be registered as an LLC with the SOS but haven't actually applied for a Tax ID with the DOR. Remember: registering your business name doesn't automatically give you a tax ID. They are two different steps with two different agencies.
Critical Next Steps
Don't stay in the dark about your tax status. If you can't find your number, take these three steps right now:
First, log into MN e-Services. If you don't have an account, try to "Create a Username" using your Federal EIN; the system will often tell you if a state ID is already linked to that EIN.
Second, check Box B of your W-2s if you have employees. Your state ID is required to be there.
Third, if you’re certain you don't have one and you’re making sales in Minnesota, go to the MN Department of Revenue website and register immediately. Operating without one when you have "nexus" (a business presence) in the state can lead to some pretty gnarly penalties down the road.
If you are dealing with a vendor who won't give you their ID, or if the ID they gave you doesn't look like the standard 7-digit Minnesota format, do not accept the exemption. You, as the seller, are the one on the hook if the state decides that tax should have been collected.