EIN Replacement Letter: How to Get Your 147C From the IRS

The IRS will not send the same letter if the original EIN confirmation letter (CP 575) is lost. Rather, you’ll receive a letter that serves the same purpose as an EIN and is valid in all circumstances where a CP 575 would be; this is known as a 147C letter. It can be requested over the phone from the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line, and in most cases, it will be faxed to you the same day.

One of the most common reasons for lost EIN letters is that founders applied for an EIN months or years ago, did not save the confirmation when it was sent, and are now being asked for it by their bank or payment processor. It’s a problem most people have, and it can be fixed, but it has a few steps that people get lost along the way.

What Is an EIN Replacement Letter?

When the IRS assigns an EIN, it sends or prints a one-time confirmation notice to you (CP 575). This notice is given only once. The IRS will not reprint a new CP 575 for you if you misplace it, get coffee on it, or simply never get around to saving the PDF.

What they send instead is Letter 147C, called “EIN Previously Assigned.” It includes your legal entity name, your EIN, and the address you provided to the IRS. It’s accepted as an identical form of proof of your EIN by banks, payment processors, and state agencies. The 147C can be requested as often as needed, unlike the CP 575, which is available only once.

There is another, newer option to be aware of. As of 2026, the IRS will make a digital version of the EIN confirmation notice available for download, which can replace the original CP 575 and the 147C, according to the IRS. This is helpful if you already have BTA access, but the majority of our non-resident founders don’t, since the current BTA registration process relies on identity verifiers geared toward US-based applicants.

How to Get a 147C Letter From the IRS

No online application form is available for this. No portal request, no email option. The IRS only sends 147C letters by phone, and several founders are surprised that there’s still such an outdated method.
Let’s take a look at the steps one by one.

1. 1. Dial the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line (800-829-4933). They are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. Callers outside the USA should dial the international number (267-941-1099), as the toll-free number may not work from outside the country.
   2. Manage the phone tree. The sequence is normally: press 1 to switch to English, press 1 again to get to a live person for EIN-related issues, then press 3 to reach a live person to discuss an existing EIN. The order is occasionally different, so pay attention to the instructions rather than just reading them off.
   3. Confirm who you are. The agent will ask for the legal business name as it appears on record, the EIN (if one exists), the business address as listed, and your position within the company. The agent will not discuss the account with you if you are not the responsible party, unless a Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) or Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) is on file.
   4. Ask for “Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned.” It’s important to get the name right. Agents field many phone calls, and using the right term helps things move quickly.
   5. Choose fax or mail. Fax is invariably quicker, and if you have a fax number ready, it’s often available during the same call. Mail usually takes 4 to 6 weeks and is sent only to the address the IRS has on record, which is a problem if you’ve moved and failed to file Form 8822-B.

Common Mistakes That Slow This Down

The same few mistakes are made over and over.

• Calling before the EIN has fully processed. Don’t request a 147C until a few weeks after applying online, and up to 30 days after applying by fax or mail. Early calls are typically met with a response to wait.
• Not being the responsible party and not having authorization in hand. The IRS will never speak with anyone on the phone who calls in claiming to be from a company about its EIN. If you’re a formation agent, accountant, or partner but not the listed responsible party, a signed 2848 or 8821 must be filed first. Trying to talk your way around this rarely works.
• Assuming the address on file is current. The 147C letter is sent to the address the IRS has on file, not the address where you’re actually running your business. If your registered agent or business address has changed since the EIN was issued and you didn’t submit Form 8822-B, your letter ends up somewhere you can’t find it.
• Non-resident founders forgetting to use the international line. The 800 number is toll-free within the United States and will not connect for people calling from overseas. Call 267-941-1099 instead, and unless you’re using a VoIP service, expect to be charged international call rates.
• Requesting a brand new EIN rather than a 147C. This happens more than you’d think. A second EIN creates duplicate IRS records, which can become a headache for the entity’s filing history down the line. If the company already has an EIN, get the 147C. Don’t start over.

CP 575 vs. 147C: What’s the Actual Difference?

For almost all practical purposes, a 147C functions the same way as the original CP 575. The only difference is that you may have to wait a bit longer, and you can request it multiple times.

What If You Need It Faster Than a Phone Call Allows?

If a bank is holding up an account opening and you can’t wait in the phone queue, ask specifically for the fax option during your call rather than mail. Most agents can generate and send the fax while you’re still on the line, so you can have a usable document within the hour in a lot of cases. This is the route we recommend to founders who are mid-transaction with a bank and stuck.

If you’ve lost track of your EIN entirely and don’t even know the number to give the agent, that’s still fine. The agent can locate it using your legal business name and the address on file, though the call takes a bit longer.

FAQs

Lost your EIN confirmation letter and not sure where your business stands with the IRS? EasyFiling works with non-resident and international founders on EIN issues like this every week. Talk to our team about getting your 147C sorted out.