Amazon Seller Identity Verification: Which Documents You Need, and Why the Name, Address and EIN Must Match IRS Records

Amazon's identity verification typically asks for a government ID, proof of address from the last 180 days and company formation documents, followed by a photo of the primary contact with the ID or a video call with an Amazon associate showing the originals. Mainland China sellers also need a company business license, and Amazon may mail a postcard to verify the address. What usually causes trouble isn't the ID itself but documents that don't agree: the company name, address and EIN must match the state formation documents, the IRS EIN letter, the bank account and the tax interview.

What Amazon asks for

Amazon's registration guide (sell.amazon.com) lists a government-issued ID, an email address, an internationally chargeable credit card, a bank account and routing number, a business license or registration (not needed for individuals), proof of residential address from the last 180 days such as a bank or credit card statement, and tax information.

Business details. If you register a business, you enter the country of registration, the exact registered name, the company registration number and the registered address, which must match your registration documents. Amazon notes that this registration number is not your EIN.

Personal details. The primary contact gives a full legal name (including middle name), citizenship, country of birth, date of birth, residential address and phone number, and states whether they are a beneficial owner, a legal representative or both. Anyone owning or holding voting rights over more than 25%, or otherwise controlling the business, is a beneficial owner.

China-based sellers. Sellers registering through Amazon Global Selling provide a company business license (individual business licenses aren't accepted) and the legal representative's ID card or passport, original and color scan, with the name matching the account exactly. Cards must be Visa, Mastercard or AMEX; virtual cards aren't accepted.

How the check works

Uploads. Color scans or photos showing all four corners with legible text; no screenshots or blurry images; documents that need a signature must be signed.

Photo or video. You can take a photo of your face with your ID (usually faster) or schedule a video call and show an Amazon associate the originals of your ID and proof of address. Mainland China sellers include the business license in the photo.

Postcard. Amazon may mail a postcard with a code to the business address you gave. The address has to receive mail promptly; a forwarding address that loses or delays mail holds up registration.

Amazon says verification usually takes three business days or less; some accounts go through a secondary review.

Why it has to match IRS and state records

Amazon cross-checks your details against several sources.

The tax interview and the IRS. After you submit the tax interview, Amazon checks the name and TIN with the IRS. If they don't match, Amazon emails you and suspends selling privileges if you don't correct them within 30 days. The name the IRS has is the one on your EIN letter.

Company details and the state. The registered name, number and address must match the state formation documents, and the state's public records also show whether the company is in good standing.

The payout account and the entity. The bank account must be in your own or your company's name, matching the entity.

It happens again. Amazon re-verifies identity periodically or when risk signals appear; changing the bank account or legal entity, or logging in after a long gap, can trigger it. Inconsistent records are a common reason re-verification fails.

The EIN letter: CP 575 and 147C

CP 575 is the notice the IRS sends when it assigns an EIN, showing the company name, address and EIN. Many owners applied online, kept only a screenshot, or had the letter sent to a formation agent's address.

147C is a letter the IRS issues later to confirm an EIN. If the CP 575 is gone, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 and ask for a 147C, which can be faxed to you.

Changed address or responsible party. Report a new mailing address, location or responsible party to the IRS on Form 8822-B; a change in responsible party is due within 60 days. Fix the IRS record first, then update Amazon; doing it in the other order invites mismatches.

Company status: stay in good standing

A missed state annual report or a lapsed registered agent puts the company out of good standing and can lead to administrative dissolution. The problem may not show at registration, but it can sink a re-verification, and you won't be able to get a Certificate of Good Standing when a platform or bank asks for one.

Wyoming annual reports are due in the anniversary month of formation, with a $60 minimum; Delaware LLCs pay a $300 annual tax by June 1; North Carolina LLCs file annual reports by April 15. If you're behind, file the report or reinstate first, then deal with Amazon.

Where mismatches usually hide

The name. LLC vs. L.L.C., Inc. vs. Incorporated, commas and spaces should be identical on the formation documents, the EIN letter and the tax interview.

Addresses. Know which field takes the registered agent's address, the business address, the EIN letter address and the statement address; Amazon's registered address must match the formation documents.

Mixing personal and company. Registering as a company while getting paid into a personal bank account, or putting a personal SSN in the tax interview, conflicts with the company records.

Borrowed credentials. Opening an account with a relative's or friend's ID, business license or bank account leaves ownership unclear, and when re-verification comes the real owner can't show up.

A foreign-owned LLC's tax interview. A single-member LLC owned by one foreign person without a corporate election is reported through the owner's W-8, not a W-9 under the LLC's EIN; getting that wrong also breaks the name and TIN match.

Bottom line

Before you register on Amazon, lay the state formation documents, the EIN letter, the bank account and the proof of address side by side and make the name, address and TIN identical. Choosing the entity, the tax interview form and Amazon's fees are covered in our guide; annual reports and reinstatement in the annual report guide; company record changes in the company changes guide. If you're not sure your records line up, book a free 15-minute call or reach us on WeChat at YCLUSA.