Form a Wyoming LLC
EIN proof, updated 13 November 2026

Your EIN letter: CP 575, 147C, and getting one from abroad

The bank wants "the IRS letter with your EIN" and the one you had is gone, or never came. From that's fixable without a US address or a US phone. Here's which letter counts and how to ask for it.

CP 575The notice mailed once when the EIN is assigned. It can't be reissued.
Letter 147C"EIN Previously Assigned". Ask for it by phone; banks accept it in place of the CP 575.
Digital CP575A download in Business Tax Account, for eligible users only.
Get a 147C from abroad How long an EIN takes

01 Which documentFour IRS papers that prove an EIN

The IRS EIN page names three ways to confirm a number: an entity transcript, the digital CP575 for eligible Business Tax Account users, and a 147C letter by phone. Add the original notice and you have four.

CP 575

Notice of New Employer Identification Number, series CP575A to J
When
Mailed once, when the EIN is assigned by phone or mail. A fax application gets a cover sheet with the EIN back first.
Replace it?
No. The IRS says the original "cannot be duplicated or recreated".
Keep it forever

Letter 147C

EIN Previously Assigned
When
Any time, on request by phone, once the IRS has confirmed you're authorised.
Use
The standard substitute when the CP 575 is lost.
Best option from abroad

Digital CP575

EIN notice you download from Business Tax Account
When
Download any time under Tax Records, if your entity can use Business Tax Account.
Catch
BTA covers single-member LLCs filing Form 1120-S or 1065. A foreign-owned disregarded LLC filing a pro forma 1120 isn't on that list.
Usually not open to you

Entity transcript

Business entity transcript, modified or complete
Shows
EIN, name, address, name control; the complete one adds establishment date and filing requirements.
How
Business Tax Account or the IRS business line; a representative with Form 2848 or 8821 can request it.
A backup proof

02 Request a 147CHow to ask for a 147C from outside the US

The IRS route for a 147C is a phone call. The line it names is the Business and Specialty Tax Line, 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. "taxpayer local time". It's toll-free inside the US. If your phone plan or app can't reach US toll-free numbers, the IRS's own line for callers abroad with business account questions is the International Taxpayer Service Call Center, 267-941-1000 (not toll-free), Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern.

Be the right caller

The IRS gives EIN details only to someone authorised: for a single-member LLC, that's you as the owner, the responsible party named on Form SS-4. A representative can call for you with a Form 2848 or 8821 on file, through the Practitioner Priority Service.

Have the details the IRS holds

The LLC's exact legal name as on line 1 of your SS-4, the EIN if you know it, the mailing address you gave, the formation state and date, and your own name and title. Expect identity questions before anything is released.

Ask for "a 147C, EIN Previously Assigned"

Say how you want it delivered. A fax number is the fastest way to get paper into your hands abroad; an online fax service with a number works. Otherwise it goes by post to the address on file.

Check the name and address on it

The letter shows what the IRS has on record. If you changed the address or the responsible party, tell the IRS on Form 8822-B first; responsible party changes are due within 60 days.

The IRS doesn't publish a delivery time for a 147C, and its pages don't say whether the international line issues the letter itself. If it can't, ask that agent to transfer you, or call 800-829-4933 by internet calling. For international account matters in writing: fax 681-247-3101, or post to Internal Revenue Service, International Accounts, Ogden, UT 84201-0038.

03 Call hours in your timeWhen the IRS lines are open where you are

Hours shown in your time zone.

800-829-4933Business line, 147C, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local
267-941-1000Callers abroad, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern
267-941-1099New EIN by phone, international, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern

Monday to Friday only. "Taxpayer local time" for the business line isn't defined for callers abroad; we show it in your LLC's state time zone, which is our reading. Wyoming and New Mexico use Mountain time, Delaware and Florida Eastern, Nevada Pacific.

04 EIN timingHow long an EIN takes, by route

For an LLC whose principal place of business is outside the US, the online application is closed, so it's phone, fax or mail. One EIN per responsible party per day, and pick one method only, or you risk two numbers.

Phone267-941-1099
On the call
Fax304-707-9471 from abroad
About 4 business days
MailEIN International Operation
About 4 weeks
OnlineUS principal place of business only
Not open from abroad

From inside the US, the fax number is 855-215-1627. The mail address is Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN International Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999. The IRS processing status page (6 November 2026) says faxed SS-4s are processed 4 business days after receipt and paper ones within 30 days. Then the CP 575 follows by post, so the bank-ready letter can trail the number by weeks. Our EIN without an SSN guide walks through the SS-4 line by line.

05 Who asksWhen banks and platforms ask for it

The IRS's own CP575 page says why you'd need it: to confirm your EIN "when you open a bank account for your entity or obtain other business services". In practice that means:

US banks and fintech accountsProof that the LLC's name and EIN match IRS records before the account opens.Usually the first place you need it.
Payment processorsCard and payout providers that report to the IRS can match the name and EIN pair, and ask for the letter when they don't line up.Often after a "TIN mismatch" message.
Marketplaces and app storesSeller and developer onboarding for a US entity, alongside the owner's W-8BEN.Some also ask the owner for ID.
US clients' accounts teamsVendor setup, together with the W-8 the owner signs.Rarer, but it happens.
Accountants and tax preparersTo file Form 5472 and the pro forma 1120 under the right number.Each spring.
State registrationsSales tax, payroll or licence sign-ups ask for the EIN; some want proof.Only if you register.

06 ProblemsWhen the letter doesn't match, or the EIN is lost

  • You don't know the EIN at all. The IRS suggests the original notice, the bank holding the business account, state licence agencies and past returns. Then call 800-829-4933: after identity questions, an authorised caller is told the number by phone.
  • The name on the letter is wrong. It shows the IRS record, so the old name prints until the IRS updates it. The IRS business name change page sets out how to report it.
  • You ended up with two EINs. A business should have one. Call the business line and the IRS tells you which to use.
  • The faxed cover sheet isn't enough for the bank. That sheet carries the number; the CP 575 comes by post later. Ask for a 147C if the bank won't wait.

07 QuestionsQuestions

What is a 147C letter?
An IRS letter titled "EIN Previously Assigned" that confirms the EIN on record for a business. It's what you ask for when the original CP 575 is lost.
Can I get a copy of my CP 575?
No. The IRS says the original CP575 notices can't be duplicated or recreated. Ask for a 147C instead.
How do I get a 147C from outside the US?
Call the business line on 800-829-4933 during its hours, or the international line on 267-941-1000, and ask for Letter 147C. Give a fax number for the quickest delivery.
Is a 147C the same as an EIN confirmation letter?
It's the standard confirmation for an EIN already assigned. Banks accept it, and the IRS treats the digital CP575 as its equivalent.
How long does it take to get an EIN for a foreign-owned LLC?
On the call by phone, about 4 business days by fax, about 4 weeks by mail.
What's the IRS fax number for an EIN application from abroad?
304-707-9471 from outside the US, or 855-215-1627 from inside it, for entities with no principal place of business in the US.
ITIN guideThe owner's number, not the LLC's Form W-7Applying for an ITIN W-8BEN-EWhat the owner signs for payers Tax ID numbersEvery country's TIN

Starting from scratch? Compare the five US states for an LLC run from abroad.

Changelog

13 November 2026: first published, from the IRS EIN, CP575, Business Tax Account, business transcript, telephone contacts, international services and processing status pages (July to November 2026).

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