Calling the IRS for a 147C Letter: What to Have Ready

A 147C letter is an official IRS document that confirms an Employer Identification Number (EIN) already assigned to your business. Founders request it when the original CP 575 notice (the IRS letter that first announced the EIN) has been lost, never arrived, or got misplaced somewhere between a fax machine and a mailbox on the other side of the world. Most people get one by phone, and the call tends to go smoother when you walk in with the right details in front of you. This is the checklist I wish I had handed my own clients sooner.

What is a 147C letter, and why would I need one?

A 147C letter is an EIN verification letter the IRS issues to re-confirm a number it already gave you. A 147C does not assign a new EIN. It restates the one on file, tied to your exact legal entity name, so a bank, a payment processor, or a vendor can verify that the number and the business match.

You typically need a 147C in three situations. First, you lost or never received the original CP 575 confirmation. Second, a bank or a platform like Stripe or PayPal asks for proof of your EIN before approving an account or releasing funds. Third, a name or address on file looks inconsistent and you need a clean, current document. For non-resident founders running a Wyoming LLC from abroad, the CP 575 often went to a US address or was faxed back months ago and is long gone, so the 147C becomes the practical way to prove the EIN.

What is the IRS 147C phone number, and who do I call?

The IRS 147C phone number is the Business and Specialty Tax Line, reached at 1-800-829-4933. This is the line that handles EIN matters for businesses, and the team there can read your 147C letter to you over the phone and then send the written copy. There is no separate "147C hotline." You ask for a 147C once you are connected.

The line operates on US Eastern time, roughly 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you are calling from outside the United States, that window matters. A founder in Manila is about 12 to 13 hours ahead of US Eastern time, so a comfortable morning IRS call usually means staying up late or setting an early alarm. Plan the time zone first, because hold times can run long and you do not want to lose the agent right as they pick up.

What hours should I call?

Calling right when the line opens, around 7 a.m. Eastern, tends to mean shorter waits than mid-afternoon. Build in 30 to 60 minutes of buffer, and use a phone or calling app that will not drop on an international connection or time out on a long hold.

What do I need to have ready before I call?

Before you dial the IRS, gather every detail an agent will use to confirm you are authorized to receive the 147C. The agent will not hand the letter to just anyone. They verify the caller against what is on file, so the goal is to match their records exactly.

Have these on the desk in front of you:

• Your EIN, if you have it written down anywhere. If you genuinely lost it, the agent can still help, but having it speeds verification.
• The exact legal name of your LLC as it appears on the formation documents, including punctuation and the "LLC" suffix.
• The mailing address on file with the IRS, which for many non-resident founders is the US business address used on the EIN application.
• Your name and your title or role in the company, since only an authorized person such as a member, an officer, or a designated representative can request the letter.
• The responsible party information used on Form SS-4, the application that created the EIN in the first place.
• A delivery method that works. The IRS can mail the 147C to the address on file, or fax it. Fax is usually quicker, so have a fax number ready if you have one (many founders use an online fax service for exactly this).
• A pen and paper. The agent will often read the EIN aloud before the written letter goes out. Write it down on the spot.

One practical note. The IRS will generally not email the 147C letter, and will not send it to a third party by phone unless that person is formally authorized. Decide in advance whether the letter goes to your own US address or to a fax line you control.

How do non-residents handle the 147C call without a US presence?

Non-resident founders handle the 147C call the same way US founders do, by phoning the Business and Specialty Tax Line and verifying their identity, but the logistics take more planning because there is no local US phone, no US fax in the next room, and the time zone runs against you. The number, 1-800-829-4933, can be dialed internationally, and the verification questions are the same wherever you are sitting.

The friction points are practical, not procedural. You need a way to call a US toll number from abroad, whether that is a VoIP service, an international calling plan, or an app that holds a long connection. You need a delivery destination the IRS recognizes, which is why the US mailing address on your EIN application matters so much. And you need to be the authorized person, because the agent will not release the letter to an unverified caller.

Take a founder in Cebu, Philippines. She formed a Wyoming LLC, got her EIN by fax, then lost the confirmation when her laptop died. A neobank asked for EIN proof before activating her account. She called the IRS at 6 a.m. her time, read back her LLC name and US address from her formation paperwork, and the agent confirmed the EIN and faxed the 147C to her online fax number within minutes. It took one focused morning. The thing that helped: she had every detail written out before she dialed, so she was never scrambling while an agent waited.

What if I do not have a US fax or mailing address?

If you have no US fax or mailing address at all, the practical fix is to use the US business address already on your EIN application, since that is what the IRS has on file, and to set up an online fax service with a US fax number. Mail to a foreign address is possible but slow and easy to lose. This is one reason many non-resident founders set up a US address and registered agent at formation, before they ever need a 147C.

How do you get the EIN without an SSN in the first place?

You get an EIN without a Social Security Number by filing Form SS-4 with the IRS as the responsible party and leaving the SSN/ITIN field handled the way the IRS instructs for applicants without one. Non-resident founders cannot use the IRS online EIN tool, which requires an SSN or ITIN, so the application goes in by fax or mail instead. The IRS controls the timing, and by fax it typically takes a few weeks. No provider can promise you a specific date, and the EIN itself is free from the IRS; you only ever pay to prepare and file the application, never for the number.

This is where a 147C becomes relevant down the road. The EIN you receive here is the same number a 147C will later confirm, so getting the application right, with the correct legal name, responsible party, and US address, saves you headaches when a bank asks for verification a year later. If you want the whole setup handled for non-resident founders without a US visit, that is the lane CORPBOLT is built for.

CORPBOLT is a U.S. business formation service for non-resident founders that forms a Wyoming LLC for founders abroad and prepares the EIN, registered agent, and US address. Plans start from $349/year, with the EIN included from $599. (corpbolt.com)

To be clear about what that includes: CORPBOLT forms the Wyoming LLC, prepares the EIN application, provides the registered agent and a US business address, and helps you get bank-ready. It does not open or introduce bank accounts. The bank or platform always makes that decision. What the setup gives you is a clean, consistent paper trail, the same legal name and US address everywhere, which is exactly what makes a future 147C call quick instead of painful.

What happens after the IRS confirms your EIN on the call?

After the IRS confirms your EIN on the call, the agent reads the number aloud and then sends the written 147C letter by your chosen method, usually fax or mail to the address on file. Write the number down while the agent says it, because the spoken confirmation is often enough to unblock a bank in the short term while the letter travels.

The written 147C arrives on IRS letterhead and states your EIN and legal entity name. Keep a digital copy somewhere durable this time, since the reason most founders call is that the first document went missing. Save it in cloud storage, not just on one laptop. The next time a processor or vendor asks for EIN proof, you hand over the saved PDF and skip the call.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 147C letter the same as a CP 575?

No. A CP 575 is the original notice the IRS sends when it first assigns your EIN, and you only get one. A 147C is the replacement verification letter you request afterward if the CP 575 is lost, and you can request a 147C as many times as you need.

Does the IRS charge for a 147C letter?

No. The IRS does not charge for a 147C letter, and it does not charge for the EIN itself. Both are free. The only costs around an EIN come from preparing or filing the application, never from the number or its verification.

Can someone else call the IRS to get my 147C?

Only an authorized person can receive the 147C, such as a member or officer of the LLC, or a third party formally authorized through the proper IRS form. The agent verifies the caller against the entity records before releasing anything, so an unauthorized person calling on your behalf will not get the letter.

How quickly can I get the 147C letter?

The EIN is often confirmed verbally during the same call, within minutes of verification. The written letter arrives sooner by fax than by mail, though the IRS controls delivery and no exact date can be promised. Have a working fax destination ready if you want the document quickly.

What if my LLC name or address has changed?

If your legal name or address differs from what the IRS has on file, the 147C call may surface a mismatch, and the agent may direct you to update the records first. Bring your formation documents so you can read the exact details on file, and resolve any address change through the IRS before expecting a clean verification.