Meaning & use
employer number
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
An official code given to a company or person who pays workers, used for tax and payroll records.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an employer number' or 'employer numbers'.
Patterns
- an employer number
- give your employer number to someone
- put your employer number on a form
Please write your employer number at the top of the tax form.
The new hire asked HR for the company's employer number.
Without an employer number, the payroll system cannot process your wages.
Word forms
| plural | employer numbers |
|---|
Common combinations
- employer identification number
- The bank asked for our employer identification number before setting up the account.
- provide an employer number
- You must provide an employer number when you register for payroll taxes.
- employer number on file
- We have your employer number on file from last year.
- apply for an employer number
- New businesses often apply for an employer number soon after they start hiring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- EIN
- The usual American abbreviation for Employer Identification Number; it is the specific official term in the US.
- PAYE reference
- The British equivalent used by employers for tax; it is not called an employer number in the UK.
Word family
Commonly confused: employer number or employee number? employer number or tax ID number?
employer number vs employee number
An employee number identifies a worker within a company, while an employer number identifies the company itself for tax purposes.
employer number vs tax ID number
A tax ID number is a broad term that can refer to various tax identifiers; an employer number is specifically for employers.
Practice
When you start a new job, which number does the company need from you for tax paperwork?
Choose one answer.
The company needs your personal tax number (such as a Social Security number) to report your wages. 'Your employer number' is wrong because that belongs to the company, not to you. 'Your employee number' is an internal ID, not a tax ID. 'Your employer's number' is the company's number, not yours.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “employer number”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.