Free Tool

IRS Bulk TIN File Validator

Upload or paste your IRS bulk TIN matching submission file and get a line-by-line validation report before you submit to the IRS. Catches every format issue that causes Code 1 and Code 4 rejections: bad delimiters, TIN hyphens, wrong lengths, leading zeros, illegal name characters, names over 40 characters, invalid TIN types, and duplicate records.

Processed entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded

Drop your bulk TIN file here

Or click to browse - plain text (.txt) or .csv

TIN_TYPE;TIN;NAME;ACCOUNT_NUMBER Processed locally - nothing uploaded Up to 100,000 records

or paste your file contents

Everything is processed locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server. The IRS expects a plain .txt file with no header row, semicolons as delimiters, and fields in this order: TIN_TYPE ; TIN ; NAME ; ACCOUNT_NUMBER. Account number is optional; the first three fields are required.

Issue Breakdown

Field-Level Error Summary

Sample Records

Line	TIN Type	TIN (raw)	TIN (cleaned)	Name	Name len	Account	Status	Issues

File processed entirely in your browser. No data transmitted to any server.

IRS Submission Checklist

IRS Bulk File Format Reference

Full guide

Each line = one record. No header row. Fields separated by semicolons.

Column 1

TIN Type

Must be 1 (EIN), 2 (SSN), or 3 (unknown). Any other value causes a Code 4 rejection. Use 3 only when genuinely uncertain - it adds processing time and returns less diagnostic detail.

Column 2

TIN

Exactly 9 digits, numeric only. No hyphens, spaces, or formatting. Leading zeros must be preserved - 012345678 is valid; 12345678 (8 digits) is not. Excel strips leading zeros from numeric columns - always export TIN columns as text.

Column 3

Name

Max 40 characters. Allowed: letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens, ampersands. Not allowed: apostrophes, commas, periods, or any other punctuation.
Individuals: last name first (e.g., Smith John). Sole proprietors: use the individual's legal name, not the DBA. Single-member LLCs: use owner's name. Businesses: exact legal name from EIN registration.

Column 4

Account number

Up to 20 alphanumeric characters for your internal tracking. Returned unmodified in results. Not validated by the IRS.

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Questions people ask

What format does the IRS bulk TIN matching file need?

A plain text file with one payee per line and four fields separated by semicolons: TIN type (1 for EIN, 2 for SSN, 3 for unknown), the nine-digit TIN with no hyphens, the name up to 40 characters, and an optional account number. Up to 100,000 records per file, and the IRS answers within 24 hours.

Why does the IRS reject a file that looks fine in Excel?

Excel hides the two most common problems: it drops leading zeros from TINs (so 012345678 becomes 12345678) and it saves commas or tabs instead of the semicolons the IRS wants. This tool reads the raw file and flags both, plus names over 40 characters, blank TINs, and the same TIN listed twice.

What happens if one row is wrong?

The IRS rejects the whole file, not the row, and you wait another day for the next attempt. Fixing the file before you upload it is the only way to keep the 24-hour turnaround.

Does the validator send my payee list anywhere?

No. The file is read by your browser and never uploaded. If you would rather not run the IRS upload yourself, TIN Comply can match the same file against the IRS for you with results in minutes.