How to Get an SS-4 Confirmation Letter From the IRS

To get an SS-4 confirmation letter from the IRS, ask for an EIN Verification Letter, known as a 147C. The IRS will not reissue the original CP 575 notice it sent when your Employer Identification Number was assigned, but the 147C confirms the same information and is accepted by banks, state agencies, and licensing authorities in its place.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number You can get one by calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line or by mailing a written request.

Why You’re Getting a 147C Instead of a New CP 575

When the IRS assigns an EIN, it sends a CP 575 notice as official confirmation. That’s the document most people mean when they say “SS-4 letter,” because Form SS-4 is the application used to request the EIN in the first place. The CP 575 is a one-time notice. Lose it and the IRS will not send another copy.

The 147C is the replacement the IRS does issue. It shows your business’s legal name, address, and EIN, which is the same core information a bank or agency is looking for when they ask for your SS-4 letter.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number

Check a Few Places Before You Call

If you only need the nine-digit number and not a formal letter, you may already have it within reach. The IRS suggests looking in a few places first:1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number

  • A saved copy of your original CP 575. If you applied online, the IRS generated a confirmation you could print or save as a PDF right away.2Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
  • Your business bank, which recorded the EIN when you opened the account.
  • Any state or local licensing agency you filed with for permits.
  • A previously filed business tax return, which shows the EIN near the top of the first page.

A saved PDF or printout of the original online confirmation carries the same weight as a mailed CP 575. If you find one, you’re done.

What to Have Ready Before You Contact the IRS

The agent will not release EIN information to just anyone. You’ll need to prove you’re authorized, typically as the responsible party listed on the EIN application or as a business principal such as an officer, partner, or sole proprietor. Before you call or write, gather:

  • The full legal business name exactly as registered with the IRS.
  • The business address the IRS has on file.
  • The responsible party’s name and taxpayer identification number, meaning a Social Security number or ITIN.3Internal Revenue Service. Responsible Parties and Nominees
  • The approximate date the EIN was obtained.

If any of this has changed since you got the EIN and you never told the IRS, read the section on updating your business information before you call. Mismatched details are the most common reason 147C requests stall.

Requesting the 147C by Phone

Calling is the fastest route. The Business & Specialty Tax Line is 1-800-829-4933, open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Callers in Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time.4Internal Revenue Service. Telephone Assistance Contacts for Business Customers

Tell the agent you need an EIN Verification Letter (147C). After the identity check, the agent can confirm your EIN verbally on the call. For the written letter, you have two delivery options:

  • Fax. The agent can send the 147C to a working fax number while you’re on the line. It arrives within minutes.
  • Mail. The agent sends the letter to the address on file. Expect four to six weeks.

If a bank or filing is holding on this, ask for the fax. The faxed version is the same official document as the mailed one.

Requesting the 147C by Mail

Written requests go to the IRS EIN Operation in Cincinnati. Include your full legal business name, your EIN if you know it, the business address on file, and the responsible party’s name and taxpayer identification number. State clearly that you are requesting an EIN Verification Letter (147C). Send it to:5Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Your Taxes for Form SS-4

Internal Revenue Service
Attn: EIN Operation
Cincinnati, OH 45999

Plan on four to six weeks for the letter to arrive. Mail makes sense if you aren’t in a hurry and want a paper trail, but for most people the phone call is a better use of time.

Having Someone Else Request It for You

If you’d rather have an accountant or attorney handle the request, the IRS gives you two ways to authorize that.

The quickest is oral disclosure during the call. Get on the phone with the IRS with your representative on the line, and you can authorize the agent to share your EIN information with that person during the conversation.6Internal Revenue Service. Power of Attorney and Other Authorizations

For a representative to act on their own, file Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative). Describe the matter as “EIN Application,” list “Form SS-4” as the tax form number, and enter “Not Applicable” for the year or period. Check the box on line 4 indicating a specific-use authorization not recorded on the IRS central file. You and your representative both sign, and the representative submits the form to the IRS office handling the request.7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848 Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative

Update Your Business Information First if It Has Changed

The IRS verifies you against what’s in its records. If the business address or responsible party changed and you never updated the IRS, the agent won’t be able to confirm your identity and the request stops there.

Use Form 8822-B to report a change of business address, business location, or responsible party. Changes in the responsible party must be reported within 60 days.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Processing takes four to six weeks, so send it in before you try for the 147C. The mailing address depends on your old business location: businesses in eastern states send Form 8822-B to the IRS in Kansas City, MO, while businesses in western states and territories send it to Ogden, UT.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business

This trips up a lot of people. A new accountant, a new office, a new partner taking over as responsible party, and no one tells the IRS. If that fits your situation, get the 8822-B filed and processed before you pick up the phone for the 147C.