Google Business Profile EIN Request: Check Before You Type

Somebody at Google apparently decided your Business Profile needs a tax ID now. At least for some of you, some of the time. And the only reason we know is a reader who mentioned it in a comment. Fun.

Here’s what I can actually back up, and what to do if the prompt shows up on your screen.

The short version

• Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 28 that some businesses are being asked for an EIN and a privacy policy link while editing their Google Business Profile.
• The report comes from one reader’s comment, not a Google announcement, so treat it as “reported,” not “required.”
• Have your EIN handy, have a real privacy policy live on your site, and confirm the prompt is really from Google before you type anything.

Is Google really asking for an EIN on Business Profiles?

Some businesses say yes, but it isn’t confirmed. Search Engine Roundtable reported that a reader hit the prompt while setting up the messaging button, and that it asked for an Employer Identification Number plus a link to a privacy policy.

I couldn’t find anything in Google’s own Business Profile help pages that says every profile now needs one. Their standard verification is still the usual postcard, code or video routine. So one person saw it, a respected site wrote it up, and now I’m writing about it. That’s how the internet works, and it’s also how rumors work. (Hence the “reported” in every sentence.)

The reader also said an EIN felt more reasonable to ask for than a government ID, and honestly, same. If Google is going to want proof that a business is a business, a number the IRS already gave you beats scanning your driver’s license in the parking lot. Still, “more reasonable than the worst option” isn’t a ringing endorsement, and I’d like Google to say what it’s doing in writing.

What is an EIN, and do I already have one?

An EIN is the nine digit number the IRS gives a business, kind of a Social Security number for the company. If you have an LLC, hire employees, or opened a business bank account, there’s a decent chance you’ve got one sitting in a folder called “Taxes Important DO NOT LOSE.”

Sole proprietors often run on their own Social Security number and never got one. That’s fine. I’m a web guy, not a tax guy, so ask your accountant before you go applying for anything just because a pop-up got pushy.

Why would Google want a privacy policy link?

My guess, and it is only a guess, is that it’s about proving a real business with real accountability stands behind the profile, especially around features like messaging that touch customer conversations. Google hasn’t said that, so don’t quote me to your cousin.

Either way, the privacy policy part is the one I can help with. I see this all the time: the footer link goes to a page that names a different company, or doesn’t exist at all. I wrote about fixing a copy and pasted privacy policy just this week, and this is one more reason to do it. If Google asks for the link, you want the page to say your business name and describe what your site really collects.

How do I know the prompt is really from Google?

Only enter tax information inside your own signed in Business Profile, on a google.com address you reached yourself. Not from an email, not from a text, not from a “Google rep” who called you. A tax ID is exactly the kind of thing scammers love to collect, and there are plenty of folks selling “guaranteed verification.” Google doesn’t sell verification. If someone offers it, close the tab.

What should I do right now?

Nothing dramatic. Three small things, ten minutes total:

1. Find your EIN, or confirm with your accountant that you don’t have one.
2. Open your website’s privacy policy and make sure it names your actual business.
3. Check that your Business Profile name, address and website link match your site. Messy profiles get the weird prompts first, in my experience.

If you’re curious what Google’s customer messaging feature does on its own, I covered that in the Business Profile messaging post.

Questions people ask

Do I need an EIN to have a Google Business Profile?

Not as a general rule that I could confirm. Standard verification still uses a postcard, code or video. The EIN request looks like it’s showing up for some businesses in some situations.

Is it safe to give Google my EIN?

If you’re signed in to your own profile and the prompt is on a google.com page you navigated to yourself, that’s the legit route. If it came from an email, text or phone call, don’t touch it.

Do I need a privacy policy on my website?

If your site has a contact form, analytics or any plugin that collects info, yes, you want one. Have an attorney review the final wording, since I can tell you what to list but I can’t give legal advice.

Want a second pair of eyes?

If your profile, your website and your paperwork all tell slightly different stories about who you are, I’m happy to line them up. Reach out through the project page and tell me what you’re seeing. And if you’d rather have an assistant handle the busywork afterward, the ChenzoBot Starter below is the easy place to start, and the case study shows what it does for other businesses.