To get a copy of your EIN from the IRS, start with your own records, then use one of three free IRS channels: the online Business Tax Account, the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933, or a written 147C verification letter requested by phone. Nothing about the retrieval costs anything when you go directly through the IRS.
Check Your Own Paperwork First
Your EIN is printed on almost every federal tax document your business has ever filed, so a few minutes with your own files usually settles it. The CP 575 notice, which the IRS mailed when it first approved your EIN application, shows the number on page one. Any federal return your business has filed carries the EIN near the top of the form, including corporate and partnership returns and quarterly payroll filings.
Look outside tax filings too. Business bank account opening documents, loan applications, business licenses, and payroll records all typically list the EIN. Your bank can read the number back to you over the phone after verifying your identity, and any accountant, attorney, or payroll service that handles your finances will have it on file.
Pull an Entity Transcript From Your IRS Business Tax Account
The IRS lets business owners view tax information online at IRS.gov through a Business Tax Account. Once you sign in, you can request an entity transcript, which verifies your EIN, filing requirements, and entity type directly from IRS records.1Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript You can view, print, or download it immediately.
If you’d rather not set up an online account, you can request the same entity transcript by mailing Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return). The mail route takes longer but produces the same document.1Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript
Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line
When self-service doesn’t work, call 1-800-829-4933. The line is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in your local time zone. Callers in Alaska and Hawaii should follow Pacific time.2Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers
Have this ready before you dial:
- The business’s exact legal name on file with the IRS, not a trade name or DBA
- The business address the IRS has on record
- The entity type (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC)
- The name and SSN or ITIN of the responsible party who originally applied for the EIN
The responsible party is the individual the IRS considers in charge of the entity and its assets. Only that person, or someone with formal IRS authorization on file, can retrieve the EIN by phone.3Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number Once the agent verifies your identity, they’ll read the EIN back to you on the call.
Ask for a 147C Letter If You Need Written Proof
If a bank, lender, or state agency wants written confirmation of your EIN, ask the phone agent for Letter 147C during the same call. It’s the IRS’s official EIN verification letter.3Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
You can receive the 147C by fax or by mail. Fax is much faster; the agent can send it while you’re still on the phone. Mail delivery takes four to six weeks. For security reasons, the IRS will only send it to the address on file or to the fax number you provide during the call. They won’t email it.
Having Someone Else Retrieve Your EIN
If you want a CPA, attorney, or other representative to handle the retrieval, the IRS needs authorization on file first. Two forms cover this.
Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) authorizes an eligible representative to act on your behalf with the IRS, including receiving confidential tax information. The representative must be someone authorized to practice before the IRS, such as an attorney or CPA, and must sign the declaration section of the form.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848
Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) lets a designated individual or organization inspect or receive your tax information without granting full power of attorney. Use it when you need someone to obtain records but not to represent you in IRS matters.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization
Whichever form your representative files, they should enter “Business entity transcript” or “Entity information” on line 3 so the authorization covers the right records. Third parties with either form on file can then request the transcript through the IRS Practitioner Priority Service Line.1Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript
When You Actually Need a New EIN Instead
Before you spend time chasing the old number, confirm you’re still allowed to use it. Name changes and address changes do not require a new EIN. Structural or ownership changes usually do.6Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
Common triggers include a sole proprietor incorporating, forming a partnership, or declaring bankruptcy; a corporation receiving a new charter from the secretary of state, converting to a partnership or sole proprietorship, or merging to create a new corporation; a partnership incorporating, dissolving to operate as a sole proprietor, or ending and restarting; and an LLC terminating and forming a new corporation or partnership, or a single-member LLC that must begin filing employment or excise taxes.6Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
If one of those applies, retrieving the old EIN won’t help. Apply for a new one at IRS.gov/EIN, where numbers are issued immediately once the application is validated. Filing under the wrong EIN after a structural change can cause processing delays and trigger IRS notices.