Lost EIN Letter? How to Get Letter 147C

If you lost the original EIN assignment notice, do not apply for another EIN. Search the LLC's records first. If written proof is still needed, an authorised caller can ask the IRS for Letter 147C, “EIN Previously Assigned,” by phone and receive verification by fax or by mail to the address on the IRS account.

Losing the letter and losing the number are different problems. The EIN may already appear on a saved Form SS-4, a bank record or a prior federal filing. If the number is known but a bank or platform wants IRS proof, Letter 147C addresses the document problem.

The IRS EIN page says the number is free and a business entity should have only one EIN. If the search instead confirms that the LLC never received one, use our $149 EIN acquisition service. Do not use a new application to replace missing paperwork.

What is the difference between CP575 and Letter 147C?

CP575 is the IRS's EIN verification notice, while Letter 147C confirms an EIN that was previously assigned. The original CP575A–J notice series cannot be duplicated or recreated, according to the IRS explanation of CP575. Letter 147C is the established telephone-request replacement when that original notice is unavailable.

The IRS offers a digital CP575 option to eligible Business Tax Account users. The IRS says that digital notice can substitute for both the original CP575A–J series and Letter 147C and can be used as written EIN confirmation at banks and other institutions.

That new option does not help every foreign-owned single-member LLC. Business Tax Account eligibility depends on entity and user access. If the LLC cannot obtain the digital notice, the 147C phone route remains available.

Use the documents this way:

Where can you find the EIN without calling the IRS?

Search from the fastest personal record to the slowest third-party request. The IRS specifically tells taxpayers to check the original notice, the business bank, state or local licence agencies and prior business tax returns.

1. Secure notes and password manager. Search “EIN,” the LLC legal name, “SS-4,” “CP575” and “147C.” Founders often save the number before filing the letter away.
2. Downloads, email and cloud storage. Look for the CP575 PDF, a scan of the mailed notice, the submitted SS-4 or the delivery email from the person who handled the application.
3. Completed Form SS-4 copy. A phone applicant may have written the assigned EIN on the saved form. A preparer may also have supplied a completed application record.
4. Prior federal filings. Search the pro forma Form 1120, Form 5472, payroll filings and other business returns actually filed for the LLC.
5. Business-bank onboarding file. Review the documents supplied when the account was opened, then contact the bank identified by the IRS if the saved package is incomplete.
6. State or local licence applications. Check copies of registrations on which the EIN was entered, or contact the issuing agency.
7. Marketplace or payment-account tax records. If the LLC previously supplied its EIN to Stripe, Amazon or another account, download the tax or entity profile the owner completed. Do not rely on a partially masked screen.
8. Former accountant, bookkeeper or authorised preparer. Ask for the LLC's final entity file, including the application, assignment notice and filed-return copies.

Confirm any number against at least one reliable entity document before using it. A number copied from an unrelated account can create a name-and-EIN mismatch. Never post the EIN in an open support ticket or send it through an unsecured public channel.

Who is authorised to request Letter 147C?

The taxpayer or an authorised representative can request Letter 147C after the IRS verifies the relationship and identity. The IRS internal procedure for EIN verification allows the taxpayer, a representative already authorised on the Centralized Authorization File, or a third party who supplies a valid Form 2848 or Form 8821 covering the EIN or 147C matter.

For a straightforward foreign-owned single-member LLC, the foreign owner who is the responsible party will usually make the call personally. The caller should be able to explain the position held with the LLC and answer authentication questions from the entity's records.

An unauthorised assistant cannot receive confidential EIN information merely because they formed the LLC or know its name. The IRS procedure tells an unauthorised third party to conference the taxpayer into the call or have the taxpayer call personally.

The Third Party Designee box on the original SS-4 is not permanent authority. The SS-4 instructions say that authority ends when the new EIN is assigned and released. A later 147C request may therefore require fresh Form 2848 or Form 8821 authority.

How does a foreign owner request Letter 147C?

A foreign owner follows the same authentication process, but the usual number does not work from abroad. The Business and Specialty Tax Line is 800-829-4933 — a toll-free US number that generally cannot be dialled from outside the United States. For callers overseas the IRS lists +1-267-941-1000 on its help for international taxpayers page. A separate line, +1-267-941-1099, appears in the Form SS-4 instructions for applying for an EIN from outside the US; the IRS does not publish it as the route for a Letter 147C request, so treat it as the EIN-application line rather than the verification line.

Follow this request procedure:

1. Finish the record search. Do not call for a replacement if a usable original or digital CP575 is already available.
2. Collect the entity facts. Have the LLC's exact legal name, mailing and physical address, formation date, responsible-party details and the EIN if known.
3. Prepare authority. The responsible party can call; another representative needs valid authority that covers the EIN verification or Letter 147C request.
4. Call the correct line. Use 800-829-4933 from inside the United States. From abroad that toll-free number generally will not connect, so use the international line the IRS publishes for overseas callers, +1-267-941-1000, and allow for Eastern time.
5. Ask for the right item. Say, “I need Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned, as written verification of the LLC's EIN.”
6. Complete authentication. Explain the caller's role and answer from the LLC's records. If identity cannot be verified, the IRS will not disclose the number.
7. Choose fax or mail. Ask for fax when a secure receiving number is available; otherwise the IRS can mail written verification to the address of record.
8. Save the replacement. Store the 147C in two secure locations with the formation document, SS-4 and annual federal filings.

The IRS may verify the EIN verbally, but a bank, marketplace or filing preparer may still need written evidence. Ask for Letter 147C during the authenticated call if the document is the reason for calling.

Should you receive Letter 147C by fax or mail?

Fax is the practical choice when written proof is needed promptly and the caller controls a secure fax destination. The IRS procedure permits written verification by fax or by mail to the address of record. It also imposes additional disclosure checks before faxing tax-account information.

Mail is appropriate when no secure fax is available. Confirm the address already on the IRS account before choosing mail. A foreign owner should not assume the IRS will send confidential verification to a new address stated only during the call.

Do not use a public hotel, coworking or open-office fax. Letter 147C contains the LLC's EIN and identifying information. If another person receives the fax, make sure that person is authorised and that the document can be transferred securely.

This guide states no promised delivery time. Authentication, account research, fax availability and address issues can change the result of the call.

Will a bank or platform accept Letter 147C?

Letter 147C is IRS-issued written confirmation of an EIN previously assigned. The IRS expressly treats the current digital CP575 as a substitute for both the original CP575A–J notice and Letter 147C, and says the digital notice is accepted by banks and other institutions.

An individual bank or platform can still specify how a document must be uploaded, whether the copy must be complete and whether the legal name and address must match its account. This article does not promise a platform outcome. Submit the complete, legible IRS document and use the same LLC legal name shown on the IRS record.

If the institution reports a mismatch, compare the exact legal name, punctuation, suffix and EIN. Do not apply for another EIN to make the onboarding screen accept the record. A duplicate number creates a federal-record problem rather than fixing the document mismatch.

Why does a lost EIN block Form 5472 filing?

The LLC's EIN identifies the reporting entity on the pro forma Form 1120 and Form 5472. The Form 5472 instructions require a foreign-owned US disregarded entity to attach Form 5472 to a pro forma Form 1120. Recover the existing number before assembling that annual package.

A missing letter does not erase the filing obligation. Formation funding, owner contributions, distributions, loans and other reportable transactions may still require a return. Use the foreign-owned LLC filing checklist to identify the separate filing work once the EIN is confirmed.

If the number is known and only the paper is missing, a preparer can begin organising records while the owner requests written verification. If the number itself is uncertain, do not guess on the federal forms.

When does Form5472 Prep's EIN service fit?

Our $149 EIN service is for acquiring an EIN when the IRS has not assigned one. We prepare Form SS-4 correctly for the foreign-owned entity, submit it, deal with the IRS on the client's behalf as third-party designee, and deliver the EIN, typically in 1–5 business days. The IRS itself charges $0.

The acquisition service is not a reason to request a duplicate EIN for an LLC that already has one. Use the record search and Letter 147C procedure for an existing number.

Where an ITIN is genuinely needed for a separate purpose, our $349 ITIN service uses an IRS-authorised Certifying Acceptance Agent to certify identity documents, avoiding original passport mailing. Annual Form 5472 filing is separate at $149 standard, $199 express and +$99 per extra past year. We are not a CPA firm and do not give tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can the IRS send another original CP575?

No. The IRS says the original CP575A–J notice series cannot be duplicated or recreated. Request Letter 147C or, if eligible, download the current digital CP575 from Business Tax Account.

Is Letter 147C the same as an EIN?

No. The EIN is the LLC's federal identification number. Letter 147C is IRS-issued written verification that the number was previously assigned to the entity.

Can I request Letter 147C from outside the United States?

Yes. The toll-free 800 business line generally cannot be dialled from abroad, so call the international number the IRS publishes for overseas callers, +1-267-941-1000, during its published hours.

Can my formation agent request the 147C?

Only with valid current authority or with the taxpayer participating in the call. The temporary Third Party Designee authority on Form SS-4 ends when the EIN is assigned and released.

Can the IRS fax Letter 147C?

Yes, after the caller passes authentication and the IRS completes its fax disclosure checks. The IRS can also mail written verification to the address of record.

Should I apply for a new EIN if I lost the letter?

No. Search the records and request verification for the existing EIN. A business entity should have only one EIN, and missing paperwork does not create a new-number requirement.

Does Letter 147C expire?

The IRS materials reviewed for this guide do not state an expiration date for Letter 147C. A requesting institution may still require a recent or clearly legible document under its own process.

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A lost notice is a records problem, not a reason to create a second federal identity. Search first, then request Letter 147C through an authorised call if written proof is still needed. If the IRS confirms the LLC never received an EIN, start the $149 EIN application, or read how to get an EIN without an SSN.