What is a 147C letter?
A 147C letter is the IRS EIN verification letter. It reprints the 9-digit EIN beside the legal name the IRS holds on file. The IRS issues it at $0 and releases it to an authorized person only.
The IRS names its correspondence by number, and 147C is the number for EIN verification. The Employer Identification Number itself is a 9-digit federal tax ID printed as 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7 digits. Letter 147C carries that number and the legal name together, which is the pairing every bank and payment processor checks.
One document explains why the 147C exists. The IRS mails the CP-575 notice 1 time, at the moment it assigns the EIN, and it never prints a second copy. A business that loses the CP-575 holds no way to reproduce it. Letter 147C fills that gap and carries the same authority for verification purposes.
Read the anatomy of the original notice on the ein confirmation letter page, and the field-by-field breakdown on the cp 575 page.
How do you get a copy of your EIN letter?
Request Letter 147C. No copy of the original EIN letter exists, because the IRS prints the CP-575 1 time only. The 147C is the official replacement, and the IRS charges $0 for it.
A copy of an EIN letter means 1 of 2 things. A photocopy of your own CP-575 counts as a personal record and carries no fresh IRS confirmation. A 147C carries a current IRS confirmation, dated the day the IRS issues it, which is what a bank compliance team asks for when an account application stalls.
Five other documents carry the same 9 digits without carrying IRS confirmation. Each one proves the number your business reported, and none proves what the IRS holds today.
| Document | Where the EIN prints | Confirms current IRS records |
|---|---|---|
| Letter 147C | Beside the legal name, issued on request | Yes |
| CP-575 notice | Top block, issued 1 time at assignment | No, it dates from assignment |
| Form 1120 or Form 1065 | Page 1, identification block | No |
| Form 941 | Page 1, employer block | No |
| Form W-2 | Box b, employer identification number | No |
| Bank account application | The tax ID field on file | No |
Source: IRS forms and instructions, verified July 2026.
Work through every recovery route on the lost ein number page.
How do you request a 147C letter from the IRS?
Call the IRS and ask for Letter 147C by number. International callers reach the IRS at 267-941-1099, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern. The request takes 6 steps.
The IRS releases Letter 147C through a phone request. No website form, no email address, and no online portal issues it. Preparation decides the length of the call, because the agent asks for the same 4 facts every time.
Step 1: Collect the 4 facts the IRS asks for
The IRS asks for the exact legal name of the entity, the mailing address of record, the EIN if you hold a partial record, and your role in the entity. Write all 4 down before dialing.
Say: Legal name, address of record, EIN if known, and your title.
Step 2: Call the IRS line that covers your entity
International applicants reach the IRS at 267-941-1099. That line answers Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern, which is 17 hours a day across 5 days. Callers inside the United States reach the domestic Business and Specialty line listed on irs.gov.
Say: I am calling to request a Letter 147C for my business.
Step 3: Name the letter by its number
Ask for Letter 147C, not for a copy of the CP-575. The IRS issues 1 CP-575 per EIN and never reprints it, so a request for a CP-575 copy ends the call with a refusal. The 147C is the reissue that exists.
Say: I need Letter 147C, the EIN verification letter.
Step 4: Pass the authorization check
The IRS verifies that you hold 1 of the 6 authorized roles before releasing the number. The agent matches your name against the responsible party on file, or against a Form 2848 or Form 8821 already filed with the IRS.
Say: I am the responsible party of record for this entity.
Step 5: Choose fax or mail delivery
The IRS sends Letter 147C by fax or by mail. Fax completes during the call when you stay on the line at the receiving machine. Mail goes only to the address of record, never to a new address given on the call.
Say: Please fax the letter while I stay on the line.
Step 6: Check the 9 digits and the legal name
Read the EIN back to the agent digit by digit. A valid EIN carries 9 digits printed as 2 digits, a hyphen, then 7 digits. Confirm the legal name matches your formation document character for character.
Say: Please confirm the 9 digits and the legal name on file.
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
Who can request a 147C letter?
Six roles qualify: a sole proprietor, a partner, a corporate officer, an LLC member or manager, a trustee or executor, and a person holding a filed Form 2848 or Form 8821. The IRS verifies the role first.
Authorization protects the number. An EIN opens bank accounts and files payroll returns, so the IRS releases it to people with a recorded relationship to the entity. The agent matches the caller against the responsible party recorded on Form SS-4, or against an authorization already on file.
| Role | Entity type | Proof the IRS matches |
|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietor | Sole proprietorship | The responsible party on Form SS-4 |
| Partner | Partnership | The responsible party on Form SS-4 |
| Corporate officer | Corporation | The responsible party on Form SS-4 |
| Member or manager | LLC | The responsible party on Form SS-4 |
| Trustee or executor | Trust or estate | The fiduciary recorded with the IRS |
| Authorized representative | Any entity | A filed Form 2848 or Form 8821 |
Source: IRS Form 2848 and Form 8821 instructions, verified July 2026.
The responsible party on file drives the whole check. A business that changed owners without filing Form 8822-B still shows the old responsible party, and the IRS matches against that record. The IRS requires a responsible-party change to be reported within 60 days on Form 8822-B.
How does the IRS send a 147C letter?
The IRS sends Letter 147C by fax or by mail. Only 2 channels exist. Fax completes during the call itself, and mail goes to the address of record. The IRS emails no EIN at any point.
Fax finishes fastest because the agent transmits while you hold the line at the receiving machine. Mail travels to the address the IRS holds on file, and a caller cannot redirect it to a new address during the call. That rule closes an obvious route for identity theft.
| Channel | When it completes | Destination | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fax | During the call, on the line | The fax number you stand at | $0 |
| After postal transit | The address of record only | $0 | |
| Never, the IRS uses no email | None | Not applicable | |
| Online download | Never, no IRS portal issues it | None | Not applicable |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
The address of record changes through 1 form. Form 8822-B updates the business mailing address and the responsible party, and the IRS asks for a responsible-party change within 60 days. Update the address before requesting mail delivery, on the form 8822-b page.
How much does a 147C letter cost?
A 147C letter costs $0. The IRS charges nothing to verify or reissue an EIN. A new EIN also costs $0, and year 2 costs $0, because an EIN never renews and never expires.
No service purchases faster IRS handling. The IRS runs 1 queue, and the same phone request produces the same letter regardless of who places the call. Money changes the outcome only when the situation calls for a new EIN rather than a verification of an existing one.
| What you need | IRS charge | Our charge | Written deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| A 147C letter | $0 | We sell no 147C service | None |
| A new EIN, filed for you | $0 | $99 | 7 business days or 100% automatic refund |
| A new EIN, Northwest | $0 | $200 | None |
| A new EIN, ZenBusiness | $0 | $99 | None |
| A new EIN, Rocket Lawyer | $0 | $59.99 | None |
Competitor prices verified July 2026. Northwest reflects the no-SSN rate. Business days are Monday to Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
What is the difference between a 147C letter and a CP-575?
The CP-575 arrives once, at EIN assignment, and the IRS never reprints it. Letter 147C arrives on request, any number of times, and confirms the same 9 digits. Both cost $0.
| Attribute | CP-575 | Letter 147C |
|---|---|---|
| When the IRS issues it | Once, at EIN assignment | On request, any number of times |
| How you obtain it | Automatically, with the new EIN | By phone request to the IRS |
| Reprints available | 0 | Unlimited |
| Delivery | Mail to the address on Form SS-4 | Fax or mail |
| What it prints | The 9-digit EIN and the legal name | The 9-digit EIN and the legal name |
| Date on the document | The assignment date | The date of the reissue |
| Cost | $0 | $0 |
| Accepted as EIN proof by banks | Yes | Yes |
Source: IRS, verified July 2026.
One practical difference decides which document a reader needs. A business filing its first bank application holds the CP-575 already, dated at assignment. A business 3 years past formation holds a file, a move, and a lost envelope, and the 147C is the document that still exists.
Who accepts a 147C letter as proof of an EIN?
Banks accept Letter 147C under the Customer Identification Program rules at 31 CFR 1020.220. Payment processors, marketplaces, payroll providers, and state agencies accept it as EIN proof on the same basis.
Federal rules require a bank to collect and verify a taxpayer identification number before opening an account. The rule names the number, not the document, so a bank accepts any IRS-issued proof of the pairing. Letter 147C carries an IRS issue date, which is why compliance teams request it over a photocopy.
The match is character for character. A legal name printed as LLC on 1 document and L.L.C. on another fails the check, and the account application stops. The IRS builds a name control from the first 4 characters of the legal name, and that 4-character key drives the match on filed returns as well.
Confirm a number against IRS records on the verify ein number page.
Why does a 147C letter request fail?
Five causes end a 147C request: the caller holds no authorized role, the legal name does not match, the address of record is stale, the caller asks for a CP-575 copy, and the entity holds no EIN at all.
The caller holds none of the 6 authorized roles. An accountant without a filed Form 2848 or Form 8821 holds no authorization, and the IRS ends the request. Filing the authorization first converts the same call into a release.
The legal name does not match IRS records. The IRS matches the first 4 characters of the legal name as a name control. A trading name, an abbreviation, or a dropped comma breaks the match, and the original formation document carries the version that works.
The address of record is stale. Mail delivery reaches the address the IRS holds, never a new one given on the call. Form 8822-B updates that address, and the IRS asks for a responsible-party change within 60 days.
The caller asks for a copy of the CP-575. The IRS prints 1 CP-575 per EIN and reprints none. A request phrased that way ends in a refusal. The same call succeeds when the caller names Letter 147C by number.
The entity never received an EIN. A 147C verifies an assignment that already exists. An entity with no EIN on file has nothing to verify, and Form SS-4 creates the number at $0 from the IRS.
How do you get a 147C letter without an SSN?
Request it the same way. A 147C verifies the entity, not the caller’s identity numbers, so no SSN is required. International callers reach the IRS at 267-941-1099, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
The authorization check reads a role, not a Social Security Number. A non-resident member of a US LLC recorded as the responsible party on Form SS-4 passes that check on the strength of the record. No identity document is filed, and no passport is uploaded at any stage.
Applying for a new EIN without a Social Security Number
Form SS-4 line 7b accepts the word Foreign, so the IRS assigns EINs to responsible parties who hold no SSN and no ITIN. The application moves from the online tool to fax. The IRS fax line is 855-641-6935 for entities based in a US state and 855-215-1627 for international applicants. No identity document is filed with Form SS-4, and the IRS charges $0.
Have an SSN? irs.gov is free, and the online tool issues the EIN in 15 minutes.
When do you need a new EIN instead of a 147C letter?
File Form SS-4 when the entity itself changed. A sole proprietorship that incorporates needs a new EIN. A single-member LLC that adds a second member becomes a partnership and needs a new EIN. The IRS charges $0.
A 147C letter recovers a number. It creates nothing. A new legal entity holds no EIN to recover, and a verification call on the old entity returns the old entity’s number, which the bank rejects against the new formation document.
The $99 covers preparation of Form SS-4, checking it against your formation document, filing within 1 business day of your completed details, IRS monitoring across 4 tracked stages, and a delivery date in writing. The deliverables are the 9-digit EIN and the official IRS CP-575 letter. We sell 1 thing: EIN number delivery, in writing. You file it yourself for nothing instead.