To get a copy of your SS-4 from the IRS, you have two practical options, and only one of them involves the actual application form. In nearly every case — proving your EIN to a bank, a lender, or a licensing agency — what you really need is Letter 147C, a free replacement confirmation letter you can request by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. A true photocopy of the original Form SS-4 you filed is a separate request that costs $30 and can take up to 75 days.
Before you call the IRS at all, it’s worth spending ten minutes on your own files. The number and its confirmation may already be within reach.
Check Your Own Records First
When the IRS first assigned your EIN, it mailed a confirmation notice called CP 575. That notice lists your EIN, your registered business name, and the tax returns your business is required to file. If you applied online, a PDF version was also available to download immediately after approval, so check your saved files and email.
If the CP 575 is gone, your EIN itself is on nearly every federal tax document your business has ever filed. Partnerships will see it on Form 1065, corporations on Form 1120, and any employer on quarterly payroll filings like Form 941. Your accountant’s copies work just as well as your own.
Banks are another good place to look. Financial institutions collect EIN paperwork whenever you open a business account, so your original account-opening file — or a quick call to your banker — may produce the documentation without any contact with the IRS.
Call the IRS for Letter 147C
If you need an official IRS letter and can’t find the CP 575, call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. The line is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Callers in Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time.1Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers
Ask the agent for Letter 147C (EIN Previously Assigned). It’s the IRS’s standard replacement for the CP 575 and carries the same weight with lenders, licensing agencies, and other institutions. It confirms your EIN, business name, and entity type.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
You can receive Letter 147C two ways:
- By fax during the call. The agent will confirm your fax machine is in a secure location, then send it while you wait.
- By mail to the business address the IRS has on file. This can take several weeks.
Call volume runs highest midweek and in the afternoon. Early mornings, especially Monday or Friday, tend to mean shorter waits.
Request an Entity Transcript
If you don’t need a formal letter and simply want documentation of your EIN and account details, an entity transcript is faster. This IRS document verifies your EIN, business name, address, filing requirements, and whether an LLC is classified as single-member or multi-member. There are three ways to get one: through the IRS Business Tax Account online, by mailing Form 4506-T, or by calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line.3Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript
The quickest route is the IRS Business Tax Account at irs.gov. Once you create and verify the account, you can view, print, or download the transcript directly. Sole proprietors, S corporation designated officials, and C corporation designated officials can all use the portal.4Internal Revenue Service. Business Tax Account A modified version of the entity transcript — showing your EIN, current name, address, and name control for electronic filing — is also available through the same account.3Internal Revenue Service. Get a Business Tax Transcript
If you’d rather not set up an online account, mail Form 4506-T instead. There’s no fee, but processing takes longer.
Who Can Make the Request
The IRS releases EIN information only to someone authorized to act for the business. That’s the “responsible party” listed on the original Form SS-4 — the individual whose name and Social Security Number or ITIN were provided when the EIN was applied for.5Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees For a sole proprietorship, that’s the owner. For a partnership, typically a general partner. For a corporation, usually a principal officer.
Before you call, have three things ready:
- The exact legal name of the business as it appears in IRS records. Even a minor difference — “LLC” versus “L.L.C.” — can cause a rejection.
- The business address on file with the IRS. If you moved and updated the address through Form 8822-B, use the updated address.6Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business
- The responsible party’s SSN or ITIN. The agent cross-references this against the entity’s records to confirm you have authority.5Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees
A mismatch on any of these — especially the taxpayer ID — will end the call without the information you need. If the responsible party listed with the IRS is no longer the right person, you’ll need to update that record with Form 8822-B before the request will succeed.
If You Actually Need a Photocopy of the Original SS-4
Banks, lenders, and licensing agencies almost always accept Letter 147C as proof of your EIN. But if a specific legal or regulatory requirement calls for a photocopy of the original Form SS-4 you filed, the process is different.
Form 4506 (Request for Copy of Tax Return) is the IRS’s general mechanism for obtaining physical copies of previously filed documents. The fee is $30 per return, and processing can take up to 75 calendar days.7Internal Revenue Service. Request for Copy of Tax Return Because Form 4506 is designed primarily for tax returns rather than applications like the SS-4, call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 first to confirm that your original SS-4 is retrievable this way.2Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Given the cost and the wait, this is worth doing only when the original application is what’s specifically demanded. For everything else, Letter 147C or an entity transcript does the job.
Authorizing Someone Else to Make the Request
If you want an accountant, attorney, or other representative to handle the request for you, the IRS requires written authorization on file before it will share your information with that person. Two forms cover this:
- Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) if the representative needs to act on your behalf — advocate, negotiate, or sign documents, not just receive information. The representative must be eligible to practice before the IRS, such as an attorney, CPA, or enrolled agent. On the form, list “EIN Application” as the matter and “Form SS-4” as the tax form number.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848
- Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) if you only need someone to receive or review your tax information, such as a bookkeeper pulling documents for a loan application. The designee does not need to be a licensed tax professional.9Internal Revenue Service. Power of Attorney and Other Authorizations
File the appropriate form before the third party contacts the IRS. Without an authorization already in the system, the agent will refuse to share information with your representative, and you’ll end up making the call yourself.