To get a copy of your EIN, start with your own paperwork: the nine-digit number appears on every federal tax return you’ve filed, on business bank statements, and on any state license or loan application tied to the business. If you need a formal letter from the IRS confirming the number, call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 and ask for a 147C letter. The IRS will not reissue the original CP 575 assignment notice, but the 147C carries the same weight with banks, payment processors, and government agencies.
CP 575 and 147C Are Not the Same Document
The CP 575 is the confirmation notice the IRS mails one time, when your EIN is first assigned. Lose it and it’s gone; the IRS does not print duplicates. The 147C is the replacement. It confirms the same three things the CP 575 did: your EIN, your business legal name, and your entity type. Anywhere a CP 575 would be accepted as proof of your EIN, a 147C is accepted too.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Look Through Your Own Records First
If you only need the number and not a formal letter, this is faster than calling the IRS. The number is somewhere in your files. Check:
- Previous federal returns, including Form 1120 for corporations, Form 1065 for partnerships, Form 1041 for trusts and estates, and Form 941 for quarterly payroll.
- The original CP 575, if you saved a digital or paper copy.
- Your business bank. The institution where you opened the account has the EIN on file and will release it once they’ve verified your identity.
- State or local licensing agencies where you registered the business or applied for a permit.
Loan applications, insurance policies, and contracts signed on behalf of the business usually carry the number too. A search of your email for “EIN” or “employer identification” often surfaces it if you applied online.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
Requesting a 147C Letter From the IRS
Call 800-829-4933. The line is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Pacific time if you’re in Alaska or Hawaii).2Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers
Have this in front of you before dialing:
- The business’s full legal name, exactly as it appears on your tax filings
- The complete business address the IRS has on file
- Your entity type: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, LLC, trust, or estate
- The name and Social Security Number or ITIN of the responsible party listed on the EIN application
The representative will run through these details to verify who you are. Once you’re through verification, you can ask for the EIN read aloud, faxed while you’re still on the line, or mailed to your address of record.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number Fax is the option to ask for if you’re on a deadline; mailed letters can take four to six weeks.
Who the IRS Will Actually Release the Letter To
The IRS will only give the 147C to the responsible party on the EIN application, or to someone that party has authorized in writing. Who counts as the responsible party depends on how the business is set up:3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form SS-4
- Corporation: a principal officer, such as the president or vice president
- Partnership: a general partner
- Trust: the grantor, owner, or trustee
- Estate: the executor, administrator, or other fiduciary
- Tax-exempt organization: the principal officer
This is where retrieval attempts most often stall. If the person originally listed on the EIN application has left the business and no one filed an update, the IRS is still looking for that person on the other end of the phone. The current owner or officer may not pass the verification questions.
The fix is Form 8822-B, which reports a change in responsible party. The IRS requires it to be filed within 60 days of the change.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business If the responsible party has died, the executor or personal representative can request EIN information by providing a death certificate along with Letters Testamentary from probate court or a completed Form 56.5Internal Revenue Service. Request Deceased Person’s Information
To have an accountant or attorney call on your behalf, the IRS needs Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) on file. Form 8821 is the lighter option if you want the representative to receive information without acting for you.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative
If Your Address Has Changed
Identity verification on the phone leans partly on matching the address you give against IRS records. If you’ve moved and never told the IRS, the representative may not be able to confirm who you are. File Form 8822-B to update the business mailing address or physical location before you call.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Processing takes time, so plan around it if the 147C is needed for a closing or an application on a fixed date.
An outdated address causes a separate problem worth mentioning: IRS notices, including deficiency notices and demand letters, get mailed to the address on file. Penalties and interest continue to accrue whether or not the notices reach you.
Nonprofits: Free Online Lookup
Tax-exempt organizations are the exception to the rule that EINs are not publicly searchable. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool lets anyone look up a nonprofit by name or EIN, pulling from the Pub 78 data, auto-revocation records, determination letters, and Form 990-N filings.7Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search If you run a nonprofit and just need to confirm the number, this is the fastest route. It doesn’t work for for-profit businesses, partnerships, or sole proprietorships.