Lost Your CP 575? How Non-Residents Get EIN Proof

You finally need to prove your EIN to a payment processor, and the form asks for the CP 575, the IRS confirmation letter you got when the number was first assigned. You search your inbox, your filing cabinet, your old emails, and it is gone. If you formed a US LLC from abroad, this is more common than it sounds, because the letter often arrived by fax or mail months ago and was never saved. The good news: a lost CP 575 is not a lost EIN, and there is a clean, official way to get proof again.

What does it mean if you lost your CP 575?

If you lost your CP 575, it means you misplaced the original IRS notice that confirmed your Employer Identification Number, but it does not mean you lost the EIN itself. The CP 575 is a one-time confirmation letter the IRS sends only once when the number is first assigned, and the IRS does not reissue the original CP 575. Your EIN is permanent and stays attached to your LLC for the life of the entity.

So the practical problem is not "I need a new number." It is "I need proof of the number I already have." For most banks, processors, and marketplaces, the IRS treats a replacement letter called the 147C as the official substitute, and it is accepted in the same situations a CP 575 would be.

What is the difference between a CP 575 and a 147C?

A CP 575 is the original EIN assignment notice the IRS issues once, and a 147C is the EIN verification letter the IRS issues on request as a replacement when you no longer have the CP 575. Both letters state your legal entity name and your EIN, and both are issued directly by the IRS, so a 147C carries the same weight for verification purposes.

Here is how they compare:

  • CP 575: sent automatically, one time only, right after the EIN is assigned. Not reissued if lost.
  • 147C: requested by you (or an authorized third party) at any time after assignment. Issued by phone request and delivered by fax or mail.
  • Both: show the exact registered entity name and the EIN, and both come from the IRS rather than from a formation provider.

If a counterparty insists specifically on the CP 575 wording, it is worth politely telling them the IRS does not reissue it and that the 147C is the IRS-designated replacement. Most front-line staff accept this once it is explained.

How do non-residents get a 147C letter from the IRS?

Non-residents get a 147C letter by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and requesting EIN verification for their LLC. There is no online self-service download for the 147C, so the request happens over the phone, and the IRS then delivers the letter by fax or by mail to the address on file.

A workable sequence looks like this:

  1. Have your EIN, your exact legal LLC name, and your formation details ready before you call. The name must match IRS records exactly, including punctuation and the entity suffix.
  2. Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line. For callers outside the United States, the IRS publishes an international phone line for businesses that do not have a US toll-free option.
  3. Ask specifically for a 147C EIN verification letter. Tell the agent you do not have the original CP 575.
  4. Pass the identity check. The agent will confirm you are authorized to receive entity information, usually as a responsible party or officer of the LLC.
  5. Choose delivery. Fax is the fastest option and often arrives during the call. Mail to a non-US address can take significantly longer.

The IRS phone lines operate on US Eastern time and on US business days, which is the single biggest friction point for founders in other time zones. Plan the call for your evening if you are in Europe, and expect to hold.

What if you do not even remember your EIN number?

If you do not remember your EIN at all, you can usually recover it from documents you already filed or received, before you ever call the IRS. The EIN appears on prior IRS notices, on filed tax returns, on bank or processor onboarding records, and frequently in the confirmation email or account dashboard from whoever helped you form the LLC.

Common places the EIN is hiding:

  • Any earlier IRS correspondence, including the CP 575 if a copy was ever scanned.
  • Your business bank or payment processor application, where the number was entered during onboarding.
  • Your formation provider's order records or customer portal, where the EIN is often stored after the application is completed.
  • Prior year US tax filings for the entity, such as Form 1120 or Form 5472 packages where applicable.

If none of those turn up the number, the same IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line call that produces the 147C will also confirm the EIN to an authorized person, so a single call can solve both problems.

How do you get an EIN without an SSN, and prove it later?

You get an EIN without an SSN by filing Form SS-4 with the IRS rather than using the online EIN tool, which is reserved for applicants who already have an SSN or ITIN. Non-resident founders who never had a Social Security Number submit the SS-4 by fax or mail, the IRS controls how long assignment takes, and no provider can promise a specific date for the number to arrive. The EIN itself is free from the IRS; you only pay if you hire someone to prepare and file the application.

CORPBOLT is a U.S. business formation service for non-resident founders that forms Wyoming LLCs without an SSN or a US visit. Plans start from $349/year, with the EIN included from $599. (corpbolt.com)

The reason this matters for the CP 575 question is that a provider who handled your SS-4 filing usually keeps a record of the assigned EIN and the original confirmation. That means when the CP 575 goes missing, you may not need to start from scratch: your formation records can give you the number and the entity name you need to request a 147C cleanly on the first attempt. Keeping a scanned copy of the original confirmation the day it arrives is the cheapest insurance against this whole problem repeating.

When does a human touch actually help?

A human touch helps most when the IRS records, your documents, and your counterparty's requirements do not quite line up, because that is where founders abroad lose the most time. A founder in Toronto, for example, once had a processor reject a 147C because the LLC name on the letter included a comma and the processor's system had stored it without one. The number was correct; the formatting was not, and it took a person who understood both the IRS naming convention and the processor's intake to spot why the document kept bouncing.

That kind of mismatch is hard to debug alone from a different continent and time zone. Having someone who has already filed SS-4s and read 147C letters can shorten a multi-week back-and-forth into a single corrected submission. The IRS will always be the authority on what the letter says; the value of a person is in translating that into the exact thing your bank or processor will accept.

How long does it take and what does it cost?

Requesting a 147C from the IRS is free, and there is no government charge for EIN verification. The cost is your time on the phone, and the timeline depends on the delivery method you choose during the call: fax can arrive within the same call or the same day, while mail to an international address can take weeks.

To keep expectations realistic:

  • Fax delivery: fastest, sometimes immediate while you are still on the line. Best if you have a fax number or fax-to-email service.
  • Mail delivery: slowest for non-US addresses, and the only option if you cannot receive a fax. Build in extra weeks.
  • The wait to reach an agent: often the longest part. Calling early in the US morning, your time, can reduce hold time.

Frequently asked questions

Can the IRS just email me a copy of my CP 575?

No. The IRS does not email confirmation letters and does not reissue the original CP 575. The official replacement is the 147C verification letter, which the IRS sends by fax or mail after a phone request.

Does a lost CP 575 mean I have to apply for a new EIN?

No. Your EIN is permanent and stays with your LLC. Losing the CP 575 only means you lost the paper proof, not the number, and you should not file a new SS-4 to get a duplicate EIN.

Will a bank or payment processor accept a 147C instead of a CP 575?

In most cases yes, because the 147C is the IRS-designated replacement and shows the same entity name and EIN. If a reviewer specifically asks for the CP 575, explain that the IRS does not reissue it and that the 147C is the official substitute.

Can someone request the 147C on my behalf?

Yes, if they are properly authorized for the entity, typically with a Form 2848 power of attorney or as a listed responsible party. The IRS will verify authorization before releasing any EIN information over the phone.

Do non-residents use a different IRS phone number?

Non-resident callers who cannot use the US toll-free Business and Specialty Tax Line use the IRS international phone line for businesses. Either way, the request is the same: ask for a 147C EIN verification letter and confirm your delivery method.