State Payee Payment Resources

Texas Identification Number (TIN)

State payees must first be assigned a TIN via the Comptroller’s Texas Identification Number System (TINS) before a state payment can be issued. The Comptroller’s office uses the TIN to process and track all state payments.

• When you start doing business with the state or receive any other state payment for the first time, the agency you are doing business with or receiving a payment from will provide you with an application form to apply for a TIN. The completed application form must be returned to the agency that provides the form.
• If you are a sole business owner, individual recipient or individual partner of a partnership, you must provide a:
  • Social Security number (SSN) or
  • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to individuals required to have a federal taxpayer identification number but not eligible to obtain an SSN.
  Although your SSN or ITIN is required to meet federal and state laws, the Comptroller’s office assigns a random 11-digit TIN that begins with 7 to protect the SSN and ITIN.
• You must provide an employer identification number (EIN) issued by IRS for a business. If the business is a partnership, information for two partners is required. A partner may be an individual who must provide an SSN or ITIN or a business which must provide an EIN.
• If you are a foreign entity or non-resident alien who does not have an EIN, SSN or ITIN, notify the state agency that will issue your payment. The agency will obtain a Comptroller-assigned TIN for you based on the agency’s determination to acquire one.

Mail codes

A mail code is a payment instruction that defines the deliverable address for a state warrant (paper check) and financial account information for electronic deposits of state payments. All vendors/payees have at least one mail code. You should have only one TIN; however, you can have multiple mail codes for multiple addresses.

If you want to have direct deposit payments sent to more than one account or your business has more than one mailing address to receive payments, contact the state agency that issues your payments to set up the appropriate mail codes and direct deposit information. If you have multiple mail codes, be sure to include the correct mail code with your TIN on each invoice, as needed, so the agency knows how to distribute your payments.