Requirement for Separate Tax Identification Number for Retirement Trusts... (Posted April 8, 1999) Technical Tip 3: The following question and answer were from the IRS Q&A session at the 1998 ASPPA Annual Conference: Would you confirm that retirement plan trusts should/must obtain and use a separate EIN (or Trust Tax ID Number) for holding assets and reporting distributions, rather than using the employer’s EIN? IRS Response: The trust that holds assets is a -- taxpayer -- and should thus have its own taxpayer identification number for reporting of gains and losses. This number is the EIN. The employer’s EIN is not appropriate for holding assets that belong to a qualified retirement plan. View all Tips © 1999-2012 Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen, a Professional Corporation Important notice: Answers are provided as general guidance on the subjects covered in the question and are not provided as legal advice to the questioner's situation. Any legal issues should be reviewed by your legal counsel to apply the law to the particular facts of your situation.