To get an EIN letter from the IRS, call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 and ask for a Letter 147C. That letter is the IRS’s official replacement for the CP 575 notice you received when your EIN was first assigned, and it contains the same information: your EIN, your entity’s legal name, and the address on file. Banks, payroll providers, and state agencies accept it as proof of your EIN.1Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers
Why the IRS Sends 147C Instead of a New CP 575
The CP 575 is issued exactly once, when your EIN is first assigned. The notice itself states it will not be reissued.2Internal Revenue Service. CP 575 G Notice – EIN Assignment Confirmation If you lost yours or never received it, don’t waste time trying to get a duplicate. Ask for Letter 147C, which is titled “EIN Previously Assigned” and serves the same purpose. If a bank or vendor insists on the original CP 575, tell them the IRS does not reissue it and that 147C is the official replacement.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
The IRS representative will verify your identity before doing anything with your account. Have this in front of you:
- The entity’s full legal name, exactly as it was registered with the IRS
- The nine-digit EIN, if you have it (the representative can look it up if you don’t)
- The mailing address currently on file
- Your name and role (responsible party, officer, or authorized representative)
Only the responsible party or someone they’ve authorized can request the letter. The line runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in your local time zone, with Alaska and Hawaii on Pacific time.1Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers Call early. Wait times climb as the day goes on.
How the Letter Gets to You
Once the representative verifies you, ask specifically whether they can fax the letter to you during the call. When fax is available, you’ll have the document the same day. Availability depends on the representative and the circumstances, so make the request explicitly rather than waiting to be offered.
If fax isn’t available, the letter goes by mail to the address on file, which typically takes four to six weeks. The IRS will not email Letter 147C under any circumstances.3Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number You can also submit a written request by mail or fax that includes your entity’s legal name, EIN, current address, and a clear request for Letter 147C. Written requests generally take longer than calling because identity verification happens in queue rather than in real time.
Make Sure Your Address Is Current First
The IRS will only send Letter 147C to the address currently on file for your EIN. If your business has moved and you haven’t told the IRS, the letter will go to the old location and you’ll be starting over. Update your address with Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business) before requesting the letter.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Address changes take about four to six weeks to process, so build that into your timeline if you need to file one.5Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes
Faster Alternatives When You Can’t Wait
If four to six weeks won’t work and fax delivery doesn’t come through, an entity transcript often verifies the same information. The transcript confirms your EIN, legal name, and other details in IRS records, and most requests are processed within about 10 business days.6Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript You can get one three ways:
- Online through the IRS Business Tax Account portal, if you have access as a sole proprietor, designated official, or individual partner or shareholder7Internal Revenue Service. Business Tax Account
- By mail or fax using Form 4506-T
- By phone through the same 800-829-4933 line
Ask the bank or agency requesting proof whether a transcript is acceptable before you go this route. Many will take either document, but not all.
You may also already have proof on hand. If you applied for the EIN online and saved the confirmation notice at the end of the session, that printout is your CP 575.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 You cannot retrieve it later from the IRS website. Any federal return you’ve filed for the business shows the EIN on the face page, and any IRS notice sent to the business displays it as well. These aren’t always accepted for formal purposes like opening a bank account, but they can bridge the gap.
If Your Business Is Outside the United States
The toll-free number doesn’t work from abroad. Call the IRS International Taxpayer Service Call Center at 267-941-1000, which is not toll-free, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time.9Internal Revenue Service. Contact My Local Office Internationally The verification process is the same. Ask about fax delivery, because international mail from the IRS can take considerably longer than the domestic four-to-six-week estimate.
Don’t Pay Anyone for This
The IRS charges nothing to assign an EIN, issue Letter 147C, or provide a transcript.10Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number Any website charging a fee to “recover” or “confirm” your EIN is either a third-party filing service marking up a free service or an outright scam. The FTC has warned businesses about sites designed to look like official government pages that charge for EIN services the IRS provides at no cost.11Federal Trade Commission. Looking for an Employer Identification Number (EIN)? The FTC Warns Businesses and Consumers to Watch Out for IRS Imposters The real IRS website is at irs.gov. Start there, or pick up the phone.