The difference at a glance
| Compare | CP 575 | Letter 147C |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The IRS notice confirming your EIN was assigned | An EIN verification letter |
| When you get it | Automatically, after the IRS assigns the EIN | Only when an authorized person requests it |
| How it arrives | Mailed to the address on your Form SS-4 (fax applicants usually get the EIN by fax first) | By fax or mail, after a phone request |
| Typical use | Your original proof of EIN | Replacement proof when the original is lost or a bank wants a recent letter |
What the two letters look like
CP 575 (opens the full-size sample in a new tab)
Letter 147C (opens the full-size sample in a new tab)Real IRS letters, shown as examples with every client detail removed — name, address, EIN, barcode and IRS reference numbers. Select a letter to view it full size.
What the CP 575 is
When the IRS assigns an EIN, it sends a notice confirming the number, the business’s legal name and address, and the federal filings the IRS expects from that type of entity. This CP 575 is the document most banks picture when they ask for your EIN letter. It is mailed to the address on your Form SS-4 — which is why an old or unreliable mailing address is a common reason founders never see it.
What Letter 147C is
A 147C is the IRS’s EIN verification letter. You request it when you need written proof of an EIN you already have — most often because the CP 575 was lost, never arrived, or a bank asks for a letter the original can’t satisfy. It shows the EIN together with the name and address on the IRS record.
The usual way to request one is the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line, +1 800-829-4933. The IRS will verify that you are authorized for the business before it sends anything. U.S. toll-free numbers often can’t be dialled from abroad, which is one reason non-U.S. founders use an authorized representative. Our 147C request service handles this for you.
Other ways to confirm your EIN
- Business Tax Account. The IRS lets eligible businesses download a CP575 verification notice from their online Business Tax Account and describes it as a substitute for Letter 147C. Access depends on the entity type and on verifying the identity of an authorized individual, so not every foreign-owned LLC will be able to use it.
- Your own records. The EIN appears on past IRS correspondence and returns, and banks or platforms that already hold it can confirm it to you.
When neither letter will help
Both letters reflect the IRS record. If the record has the wrong business name, a new letter will repeat the mistake, and a bank that compares names will reject it again. Fix the record first — see how to fix an EIN name mismatch — then request the letter.