When Do You Need a 147C Letter?
You need a 147C when the original CP-575 is lost and a bank, lender, or payment processor asks for written proof of your EIN. The IRS never reprints the CP-575, so the 147C is the only replacement.
The 1 CP-575 the IRS mails when your EIN is assigned is easy to misplace over the years, and no bank opens a business account on a number you cannot document. The 147C covers every case: a shredded notice, a number you never recorded, or a filing that demands the letter on file. If the EIN itself is gone, the same 800-829-4933 call recovers it, a process detailed on lost LLC EIN. The original notice it replaces is covered on LLC CP-575 letter.
A handful of moments force the letter into the open. A bank opening a business checking account wants the EIN in writing; a payment processor such as Stripe or Square asks for it before it releases held funds; a payroll platform matches the number against IRS records ahead of the first run; and a lender attaches it to an SBA loan or a line-of-credit file. In each of these 4 cases a screenshot or a number typed from memory falls short, and the 147C is the 1 document that satisfies the request outright. Owners who want to hunt the number across old returns, bank records, and prior IRS notices before they dial can start on how to find your EIN, while a business that has never held an EIN files a fresh one through new EIN for LLC.
No SSN. No passport upload.
How Do You Request a 147C Letter?
Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, open 7am to 7pm local time. Verify your identity, then ask for the 147C. The agent faxes it on the call or mails it within 4 to 6 weeks.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Call 800-829-4933, open 7am to 7pm local time, Monday to Friday |
| 2 | Choose the EIN option, then verify identity as the responsible party |
| 3 | Ask the agent for a 147C EIN verification letter |
| 4 | Take it by fax on the call, or by mail in 4 to 6 weeks |
Source: IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line procedures, verified August 2026.
The fax route is fastest: the agent sends the 147C to a fax number you read out, and it lands in minutes while you stay on the line. With no fax, the letter goes to the address on IRS file within 4 to 6 weeks. The call runs 20 to 60 minutes, most of it on hold, so dial early in the 7am to 7pm window. The full verification workflow sits on how to verify an EIN, and the places your number already appears are listed on how to find your EIN.
Keep a fax machine or an online fax service ready before you dial, because the agent transmits the 147C only while you stay verified on the line. If the number itself is unknown, the same call doubles as a lookup: the agent pulls the 9-digit EIN from IRS records once identity checks out, a path also mapped on EIN lookup and LLC EIN number lookup. There is no online form and no email route; 800-829-4933 is the 1 channel the IRS runs for this request, 5 days a week.
What Is the Difference Between a 147C and a CP-575?
The CP-575 is the original, issued 1 time when the EIN is assigned. The 147C is the reissue you request any time after. Both show the same 9-digit EIN and both cost $0, but only the 147C can be reprinted.
| Feature | CP-575 | 147C |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | First EIN confirmation | Reissued EIN verification |
| Issued | 1 time, automatically | On request, any time |
| How to get it | Sent when the EIN is assigned | Call 800-829-4933 |
| Delivery | Mail only | Fax on the call, or mail |
| Timing | Arrives with the new EIN | Same call, or 4 to 6 weeks |
| Reprints | Never reissued | Reissued on each request |
| Cost | $0 | $0 |
| Number shown | The 9-digit EIN | The same 9-digit EIN |
Source: IRS EIN guidance and Form SS-4 instructions, verified August 2026.
The original CP-575 arrives when the EIN is first assigned, whether online in 15 minutes, by faxing Form SS-4 to 855-641-6935, or by calling the international line 267-941-1099 from abroad. That notice appears 1 time and stays gone once lost. The 147C exists to close that gap, and the IRS reissues it on every valid request. The example format on both letters is identical, such as 12-3456789. What an EIN is, and the 5 records it lives on, sits on what is an EIN.
Who Can Request a 147C Letter?
Only a person authorized on the EIN account: the responsible party from Form SS-4, a corporate officer, an LLC member, or a partner. A third party first files Form 2848 or Form 8821 to gain access.
| Requester | Can request a 147C? | What is required |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible party on Form SS-4 | Yes | Identity check on the call |
| Corporate officer or LLC member | Yes | Named on the account |
| General partner | Yes | Named on the account |
| Accountant or attorney | Yes, with a filing | Form 2848 on file |
| Bookkeeper or payroll agent | Yes, with a filing | Form 8821 on file |
| Unrelated third party | No | No authorization exists |
Source: IRS third-party authorization rules, Forms 2848 and 8821, verified August 2026.
The identity check on the 800-829-4933 call confirms the caller is the responsible party under 26 U.S.C. section 6109 before the agent reads back the 9-digit EIN. A CPA, enrolled agent, or attorney files Form 2848 for full power of attorney, while a firm that only needs to view data files Form 8821. Without 1 of those 2 forms, the IRS releases the 147C to no outside party. The recovery path for an owner who lost the number outright sits on lost LLC EIN.
This page states federal tax rules current as of August 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. Confirm your business's position with a licensed CPA or attorney before filing.