147c Letter: What It Is and How to Get One

Sooner or later, almost every U.S. company is asked to “prove” its EIN. Some banks want it before opening an account, and Stripe wants it before releasing payouts. A payroll provider, a state licensing office, a new enterprise customer’s vendor-onboarding portal: they all want official confirmation that your Employer Identification Number really belongs to your business.

The document that satisfies all of them is the 147c letter. But “I need a 147c” can mean several different things depending on where you are: you lost the original, you never got it, you can’t remember your EIN at all, a platform rejected your number, or you don’t even have an EIN yet. This guide walks through each situation so you can find yours and act on it.

TL;DR

• A 147c letter is the IRS’s official proof of your EIN, accepted by banks, Stripe, payroll providers, and state agencies.
• The original CP-575 confirmation letter is issued only once and is never reissued. The 147c is its replacement, available any time.
• You request a 147c by phone. Non-U.S. founders call the IRS international line at +1-267-941-1099.
• No SSN is required. You verify your identity with business details, not a personal tax number.
• Ask the agent to fax it, and you can have the letter the same day. By mail, it takes weeks.
• Different problems need different fixes: if you’ve forgotten the number, lost the letter, have two EINs, or never obtained one, the steps below are not the same.

Why a Founder Needs a 147c Letter

Your EIN is your company’s federal tax ID, the business equivalent of a personal tax number. But knowing the nine digits isn’t enough. Third parties are required to verify that the EIN and your legal business name match IRS records, and they won't take your word for it. They need an official IRS document. That document is either your original CP-575 or, far more often, a 147c. Here is where it comes up in a founder’s life.

Opening a U.S. Business Bank Account

Under U.S. “Know Your Customer” rules, banks and neobanks like Mercury must confirm your EIN against IRS records before activating an account. No EIN letter, no account. And without an account, you can’t hold revenue, pay suppliers, or run the business.

Activating Payment Processors

Stripe, PayPal, and similar processors verify your EIN before releasing payouts. Founders often discover this mid-launch: payments are flowing in, but the money is frozen pending “tax ID verification.” A 147c clears it.

Running Payroll And Paying Contractors

Payroll providers such as Gusto and Deel need your verified EIN to file employment taxes and issue W-2s or 1099s. Some platforms, like QuickBooks, are known to ask for an official EIN document before processing direct deposits. Hire your first employee or contractor, and the EIN letter becomes a prerequisite.

State Registrations, Licenses, And Sales Tax

Registering to do business in another state, applying for a license, or setting up a sales-tax account frequently requires proof of your EIN, cross-checked against federal records.

Vendor Onboarding And Enterprise Customers

Larger customers run vendor verification before they’ll pay you. Their procurement portal often asks you to upload an EIN confirmation letter alongside a W-9. Without it, your invoice sits unpaid.

Loans, Credit, And Financing

Business loans, credit cards, and lines of credit typically require EIN verification as part of underwriting. The 147c is the document lenders expect.

So What Is a 147c Letter?

A 147c (officially the EIN Verification Letter) confirms your EIN, legal business name, and address exactly as they appear in the IRS database. Functionally, it’s interchangeable with the original EIN confirmation letter, the CP-575, for every purpose above.

The reason it exists: the CP-575 is issued only once, when your EIN is first assigned, and the IRS will not reissue it. If you lost it, never received it, or formed your company from abroad, and it went to a mailbox you don’t have, the 147c is your replacement, requestable as many times as you need.

Which Situation Are You In?

“I need a 147c” usually traces back to one of a handful of specific problems. Find yours below before you pick up the phone, because a couple of them are not actually a 147c request at all.

You Lost the Original CP-575

The classic case. The IRS mailed your CP-575 once, and you can’t find it, or it was thrown away years ago. There is no way to reprint a CP-575, so the 147c is your only route. Call the IRS, verify your identity, and ask for “Letter 147c, EIN previously assigned.” This is the situation the rest of this guide is built around.

You Never Received It Because You Formed From Abroad

Many non-U.S. founders incorporate through a formation service and a registered-agent address, then never see the physical CP-575 because it was mailed to a U.S. address they don’t monitor, or it simply never arrived overseas. Functionally identical to losing it: request a 147c. Before you call, confirm the exact legal name and address the IRS has on file (ask your formation provider), because the agent will check your answers against those records.

You’ve Forgotten the EIN Entirely

If you don't even know the nine digits, don't go straight to a 147c request. The IRS suggests cheaper, faster places to look first:

• The original computer-generated notice (CP-575), if you have any copy, even a scan.
• The bank where you opened your business account; they have it on file.
• Any state or local agency where you registered or applied for a license.
• Past business tax returns, where the EIN is printed at the top.

If none of those turn it up, the same phone call solves both problems: the agent can confirm the number and issue the 147c. Knowing the number alone, by the way, still isn't “proof,” so you’ll likely want the letter regardless.

A Bank or Stripe Rejected Your Number

You entered your EIN during onboarding, and the platform bounced it as “not matching IRS records.” Usually, this is a name mismatch: the legal name you typed doesn’t exactly match what the IRS has (an abbreviation, a dropped “LLC,” a punctuation difference). A 147c shows you the exact legal name and address on file, so you can match the platform’s form to the IRS record character for character. Order the 147c, then re-enter your details to match it.

You Have Two EINs and Don't Know Which to Use

A business should have only one EIN. Founders sometimes end up with two, often by applying twice when the first application seemed to fail. Using the wrong one creates filing mismatches. This is not a 147c question: call the IRS Business and Specialty line and ask them to tell you which EIN is the active one for your entity. Once you know the right number, request the 147c for that one.

You Received an EIN You Didn’t Request

If an EIN confirmation arrives for a company you never formed, treat it as possible identity theft rather than a document to verify. Do not request a 147c. Report it to the IRS through their “EIN you didn't request” and identity-theft channels instead.

Your Business Name or Address Changed

A name or address change does not require a new EIN, and you don’t need a 147c to make the change. File Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party) to update the IRS, and notify them of a name change in writing. Once IRS records are updated, a fresh 147c will show the new details. A change in ownership or entity structure is different and may require a brand-new EIN.

You Don’t Have an EIN Yet

The 147c only verifies an EIN that already exists. If you've never obtained one, there’s nothing to verify yet. See the section below on getting an EIN as a non-U.S. founder, then request the 147c whenever you later need to prove it.

Why Non-U.S. Founders Get Stuck Getting One

• No online option. The IRS online EIN tools require a U.S. SSN or ITIN.
• The toll-free line. The usual U.S. 1-800 number often won’t dial from abroad, and that domestic line is meant for U.S.-based callers.
• SSN anxiety. Founders assume they’ll fail identity checks without an SSN. You won’t. Verification is based on business details.

How to Get Your 147c Letter From Abroad

1. Make Sure You’re an Authorized Person

The IRS will release a 147c only to someone with the authority to receive it: a sole proprietor, a partner in a partnership, a corporate officer (president, treasurer, secretary), a trustee of a trust, or the executor of an estate. To send someone else, such as an accountant or attorney, file Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) or Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) first, naming that person and covering the EIN.

2. Call the IRS International Line

Tell the agent you need “Letter 147c, EIN previously assigned.” Have ready: your EIN (if known), exact legal business name, business address on file, and your role in the company. The agent will ask security questions to confirm your identity and authority before releasing anything.

3. Ask Them To Fax It

The agent can fax the 147c while you’re still on the call, in minutes, rather than the 4 to 6 weeks (or longer, internationally) that mail takes. The IRS does not email the letter, for security reasons, so fax is the only fast option. No physical fax machine is needed: an online fax service like HelloFax receives it as a PDF, and platforms like Mercury offer a fax number you can use. Set this up before you call.

Before You Call: Find Your EIN the Easy Way

If your only problem is that you can't remember the number, you may not need to wait on hold at all. The IRS recommends checking these first:

• The original CP-575 notice, even a scanned or photographed copy.
• Your business bank, which recorded the EIN when you opened the account.
• State or local agencies where you registered or applied for licensing.
• Any past business tax return, where the EIN is printed near the top.

These get you the number, but not official proof. When a bank, Stripe, or a customer demands a document, you'll still need the 147c. So if you’re heading into onboarding anyway, it’s often worth making the call once and keeping the PDF on hand.

Quick Answers

Why Can’t I Just Give My Bank the EIN Number?

Banks and platforms must verify the EIN against IRS records using an official document. The number alone isn’t accepted.

Will Stripe, Mercury, Or Wise Accept a 147c Instead Of the Original Letter?

Yes. It’s treated as equivalent to the CP-575 everywhere it's requested.

Do I need a U.S. Social Security number?

No. You verify using business information, not a personal SSN.

How Fast Is It?

By fax, often during the same call. By mail, roughly 4 to 6 weeks domestically and longer internationally. The IRS will not email it.

Is There a Fee?

No. The IRS doesn’t charge. Your only cost is the phone call.

Can My Accountant Get It For Me?

Yes, if they have a Form 2848 Power of Attorney or Form 8821 authorization on file that covers your EIN. Without that, the IRS will only speak to an authorized person at the company.

I Have Two EINs. Which Do I Verify?

Call the IRS first and ask which EIN is active for your entity, then request the 147c for that number. A business should carry only one EIN.

Don’t Let a Missing Document Run Your Business

Banking, payments, payroll, getting paid: all of it can stall on a single one-page letter. Whichever situation you're in, lost original, never delivered, forgotten number, or a rejected entry on an onboarding form, the fix is usually the same: a free phone call. The 147c is repeatable and obtainable even if you’ve never set foot in the U.S. Get it once, keep the PDF handy, and you’ll clear EIN-verification requests on the first try.

Skala helps founders abroad set up and stay compliant with their U.S. company, from obtaining their EIN to retrieving documents like the 147c, so onboarding to Stripe, Mercury, or Wise goes through the first time.

How Skala Can Help

Getting an EIN — and the 147c that proves it — is part of how Skala sets up non-U.S. founders. Formation includes your EIN and a U.S. mailing address for receiving IRS documents, and Skala can issue a free certificate of incumbency when a bank or platform asks for officer verification alongside your EIN letter.

The platform also hosts a library of free, lawyer-drafted legal templates — NDAs, contractor and employment agreements, and more (registration required).