The IRS never reissues the original EIN assignment notice, but you can still get a copy of your EIN certificate in a form banks and agencies will accept. Three paths work: find your original CP 575 notice in your records, pull an entity transcript from your IRS Business Tax Account, or call the IRS and request a 147C verification letter. Which one to use depends on how quickly you need the document and whether the requester wants something on IRS letterhead.
Look for Your Original CP 575 First
When the IRS assigns an EIN, it issues a one-time confirmation called the CP 575. The notice lists your nine-digit EIN, your business’s legal name and address, the date the EIN was assigned, and the tax forms your business is expected to file.1Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN) The IRS generates it only once, so tracking down the original is the cleanest option.
If you applied online, the CP 575 was available to view, print, and save at the end of the application session.2Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) Closing the browser ended that window, and if you chose to receive the notice online the IRS did not mail a paper copy afterward.3Internal Revenue Service. IRM 21.7.13 Assigning Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) Check your downloads folder, cloud storage, and any email attachments from the day you applied.
If you applied by mail or fax, the CP 575 was mailed to your business address about four weeks after the IRS processed your application.2Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4 (Rev. December 2025) Many owners file it alongside their articles of incorporation or operating agreement. If an attorney or accountant set the business up, ask them too.
If the CP 575 is gone for good, the two options below produce official IRS documentation that serves the same purpose.
Request an Entity Transcript
An entity transcript is an IRS record pulled straight from your account. It confirms your EIN along with your current business name, address, and filing requirements, and either the modified or complete version will satisfy a request for proof.4Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript
You have three ways to get one:
- Online through your IRS Business Tax Account. Sign in or create an account at IRS.gov to view, print, or download the transcript on the spot. This is the fastest route and skips the phone entirely, though first-time users have to verify identity to set up the account.5Internal Revenue Service. Business Tax Account
- By mail using Form 4506-T. Enter your EIN on line 1b and send the form to the IRS address that matches your state. Most requests are processed within 10 business days.6Internal Revenue Service. Request for Transcript of Tax Return
- By phone. Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 and ask for an entity transcript.7Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Call the IRS for a 147C Letter
A 147C letter is a verification notice on IRS letterhead confirming that your EIN is active. It shows your business name, EIN, and address, and most banks and agencies accept it as a direct substitute for the CP 575.7Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number To get one, you have to call.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
The agent will run a security interview before releasing anything. Keep these on hand:
- Your business’s exact legal name as it appears on your most recent tax return.
- The business address currently on record with the IRS.
- Your SSN or ITIN.
- A recent tax return, in case the agent verifies identity against prior-year information.
You must be an authorized person to make the request. That generally means a sole proprietor, general partner, corporate officer, or member-manager of an LLC. An accountant or attorney can call on your behalf only if a completed Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) is already on file with the IRS.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848
Placing the Call
The Business and Specialty Tax Line is 800-829-4933, open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Pacific time if you’re in Alaska or Hawaii).9Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers Early morning and off-peak months tend to mean shorter waits.
Once you clear security, you can choose delivery. Fax is the fastest: the agent sends the 147C while you’re still on the line, and you have a usable document within minutes. Mail delivery to the address on file typically takes four to six weeks.
Businesses located outside the United States call the International Taxpayer Service Call Center at 267-941-1000 (not toll-free), Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.10Internal Revenue Service. Contact My Local Office Internationally
If You Just Need the Number
When a form or contract asks for the EIN itself and not IRS proof, you can usually pull it from records you already have:
- Any federal return your business has filed, including Forms 1120, 1065, 1120-S, and 941.
- The bank that opened your business account.
- Your payroll provider’s records.
- State and local license or permit applications.
- Commercial loan and credit applications.
For publicly traded companies, the EIN also appears in SEC filings such as Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, searchable through the SEC’s EDGAR database. These sources confirm the number but won’t satisfy a requester who specifically wants IRS verification.
Update Your Address Before You Request Anything
Both the 147C letter and a mailed entity transcript go to the address the IRS has on file. If your business has moved, fix that first by filing Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business). Processing usually takes four to six weeks, and the form must be signed by an officer, owner, general partner, or authorized representative. Skipping this step means IRS notices continue going to the old address, and penalties and interest can still accrue on any tax issues even if you never see the mail.11Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business