The document most people mean when they ask for proof of an Employer Identification Number is the CP 575 notice the IRS sent when your EIN was first assigned. If you still have it, you’re done. If not, the replacement is Letter 147C, which you request by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line. A tax return that shows the EIN, a saved copy of your online EIN application confirmation, or other official IRS correspondence displaying the number will also satisfy most banks and licensing agencies.
Documents That Already Count
Before you pick up the phone, check what you already have on hand.
- The CP 575 notice is the original confirmation letter mailed after your EIN was assigned. It lists the EIN, your legal business name, mailing address, and the tax returns you’re expected to file. Banks and licensing offices treat it as the standard.
- The online application confirmation you had the option to download or print at the end of the IRS web application does the same job. You cannot go back and re-download it later, so if you closed the browser without saving, this option is gone.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number2Taxpayer Advocate Service. When Taxpayers Struggle to Obtain an EIN, Everyone Loses
- A previously filed federal tax return shows the EIN on the first page. Form 1120 for corporations, Form 1065 for partnerships, or Schedule C for sole proprietors will usually be accepted.
- Any other IRS letter that displays your EIN, including notices about filing obligations, penalties, or account changes, works as verification.
One document the IRS no longer produces is a stamped, annotated copy of Form SS-4. The agency used to mail these back after processing an application, but that practice has ended.3Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number An old one in your files can still help you find the number, but you can’t ask for a new one.
Where to Look for a Lost EIN
The number is probably in a record you haven’t checked yet. Bank account opening paperwork, loan applications, business license filings, insurance policies, payroll records, and state tax filings all tend to include it. Your accountant or tax preparer will have it on file too, and a phone call to them is often faster than any of the alternatives.
The IRS Business Tax Account lets you view your business profile online, but you need your EIN to register in the first place.4Internal Revenue Service. Business Tax Account If you already set up the account before losing track of the number, logging in confirms it. Otherwise this route is a dead end.
Who Can Request Verification From the IRS
The IRS will only give the EIN to the “responsible party” on the account or someone that party has formally authorized. The responsible party is whoever ultimately owns or controls the entity: the individual owner of a sole proprietorship, a principal officer of a corporation, a general partner of a partnership, the grantor, owner, or trustee of a trust, the executor or personal representative of an estate, or the principal officer listed on Form 990 for a tax-exempt organization.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (12/2025)
If someone else needs to make the call, such as an accountant, payroll provider, or attorney, the business must file Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) or Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) first. Form 8821 lets a designee inspect and receive your confidential tax information.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization Form 2848 goes further and authorizes representation before the IRS. Either works for a 147C request, but the authorization has to be on file before the representative dials.
Update Your Records Before You Call
Most snags happen here. The IRS verifies your identity by matching your answers against what’s in their system. If the business has moved, changed names, or replaced the responsible party since the EIN was assigned and you never updated the file, the agent won’t be able to confirm you and won’t release the number.
File Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business) to fix any of that. A change in responsible party must be reported within 60 days of the change.7Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Processing generally takes four to six weeks, so if you know you’ll need EIN verification for a bank or licensing deadline, start here first.8Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B: Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business
The form has to be signed by an officer, owner, general partner, LLC member-manager, or authorized representative. If a representative signs, attach a copy of their power of attorney. Mail it to the address that matches your old business address: Kansas City, MO 64999 for the eastern half of the country, or Ogden, UT 84201-0023 for the western half and addresses outside the United States.8Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B: Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business
How to Request Letter 147C
Once your file is current, the request is a single phone call. The IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line is 1-800-829-4933, open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in your local time zone. Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time.9Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers From outside the United States, call 267-941-1000, which is not toll-free.10Internal Revenue Service. Contact My Local Office Internationally
Work through the automated menu to Employer Identification Numbers, then verification. The agent will ask for the business name, the address on file, and the responsible party’s name and Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.11Internal Revenue Service. Publication 1635 – Understanding Your EIN Have all of that in front of you before you dial.
Fax or Mail
After verification, the agent will ask how you want the letter delivered. The options are fax or mail. The IRS does not send Letter 147C by email.
Fax arrives almost immediately, which matters if you need proof the same day for a bank account or license application. Digital and cloud fax services work for receiving it. Mail takes roughly four to six weeks and is fine if you have time.
The 30-Day Wait for New EINs
If you just got your EIN and forgot to save the confirmation, you can’t call for a 147C right away. The IRS needs about 30 days after initial assignment to fully process and post the new account before it can issue the letter.2Taxpayer Advocate Service. When Taxpayers Struggle to Obtain an EIN, Everyone Loses Call before that window closes and the agent will not find your record. This is the single strongest reason to save the confirmation page the moment the online application finishes.
What You’ll Receive
Letter 147C is a one-page document on IRS letterhead confirming your EIN, legal business name, and address. It carries the same weight as the original CP 575, and banks, state agencies, and business partners that ask for proof of EIN will accept it.3Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Scan it once it arrives and file the digital copy with your formation documents. There’s no cap on how many times you can request a replacement, but each one is another phone call and possibly another multi-week wait.