How to Prove You Have an EIN Number: 4 Fast IRS Proof Options

Key Takeaways

• Your original CP 575 is official proof that the IRS assigned your EIN.
• The IRS does not recreate or issue duplicate copies of the original CP 575 notice.
• Eligible businesses can download a digital CP575 through an IRS Business Tax Account.
• A digital CP575 can substitute for the original CP 575 notice and Letter 147C.
• You can request Letter 147C by calling the IRS at 800-829-4933.
• You can also request an Entity Transcript that verifies your EIN and business information.
• A tax return, bank record, Form W-9, or payroll record may show your EIN, but the recipient may still require an official IRS document.
• You should ask the bank, lender, or agency exactly which document it accepts before submitting your records.

What Is an EIN?

An Employer Identification Number, commonly called an EIN, is a federal tax identification number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service.

Your EIN normally contains nine digits in this format:

12-3456789

You may use your EIN to:

• File business tax returns
• Report employment taxes
• Hire employees
• Open a business bank account
• Establish payroll
• Apply for business credit
• Complete Form W-9
• Register with state tax agencies
• Apply for licenses or permits
• Identify your business on federal forms

An EIN is used by businesses, corporations, partnerships, tax-exempt organizations, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and certain sole proprietors. The IRS issues EINs directly without charging an application fee.

If you are gathering documents for a loan or business startup, you may also find Small Business Funding Request Letter Samples helpful.

What Counts as Official Proof of an EIN?

The strongest proof normally comes directly from the IRS.

Official proof may include:

• Your original CP 575 notice
• A digital CP575
• Letter 147C
• An IRS Entity Transcript

These documents connect your EIN to the legal name and information the IRS has on file for your business.

Other documents may display your EIN, but they do not always prove that the number belongs to your business. For example, a typed Form W-9 shows the number you entered, but it is not independently issued by the IRS.

Before sending anything, ask the recipient:

“Do you need an official IRS EIN verification document, or will a tax return or completed Form W-9 be acceptable?”

This one question can prevent you from sending a document that the recipient later rejects.

Option 1: Use Your Original CP 575 Notice

The CP 575 is the original notice the IRS provides after approving your EIN application.

Depending on how you applied, you may have:

• Downloaded and printed the confirmation after applying online
• Received the notice by mail
• Received confirmation after submitting Form SS-4 by fax or mail

Your CP 575 generally shows:

• Your Employer Identification Number
• Your legal business name
• Your business mailing address
• The IRS notice date
• Instructions for using your EIN
• Your possible federal tax filing requirements

Your original CP 575 is commonly used when opening a business bank account, establishing payroll, applying for credit, or registering with another organization.

Where to Look for Your CP 575

Check:

• Your business formation folder
• Your tax records
• Your downloaded PDF files
• Your cloud storage
• Your email attachment folders
• Your accountant’s records
• Your attorney’s business formation file
• Records kept by the company that formed your LLC or corporation

If you applied online, you may have saved the confirmation as a PDF instead of printing it.

Can You Get a Duplicate CP 575?

No. The IRS states that the original CP 575 notice cannot be duplicated or recreated. If you no longer have it, you should use a digital CP575, Entity Transcript, or Letter 147C instead.

Do not submit another EIN application simply because you lost the notice. Applying again could result in a duplicate EIN and create problems with your tax records.

Option 2: Download a Digital CP575 from Your IRS Business Tax Account

One of the most important recent changes is the availability of a digital CP575 through the IRS Business Tax Account.

The digital CP575 is an official Employer Identification Number Verification Notice. The IRS states that it can substitute for the original CP 575 notice series and Letter 147C.

The IRS also states that banks and other institutions can accept the digital CP575 as written confirmation of your business’s EIN.

How to Download Your Digital CP575

You can generally take these steps:

1. Sign in to your IRS Business Tax Account.
2. Select the appropriate business.
3. Open the tax records section.
4. Look for the EIN verification letter or digital CP575.
5. Download the document.
6. Save a secure copy.
7. Print a copy if the recipient requires a paper document.

Keep the downloaded file in your permanent business records. You should also make at least one secure backup.

Who Can Use an IRS Business Tax Account?

Access depends on your business structure and your role in the business.

The Business Tax Account is available to certain:

• Sole proprietors
• Partnerships
• S corporations
• C corporations
• Limited liability companies
• Designated officials
• Authorized business users

However, access is not yet available for every type of business or every business owner. For example, the IRS says the account is not currently available for certain single-member LLCs that file as sole proprietors using Schedule C or Schedule F.

If your business is not eligible, use an Entity Transcript or request Letter 147C.

Option 3: Request an IRS Entity Transcript

An Entity Transcript is another official way to prove your EIN.

Unlike a regular tax return transcript, the Entity Transcript focuses on information the IRS has recorded about your business.

An Entity Transcript may verify:

• Your EIN
• Your current business name
• Your business address
• Your name control
• Your IRS establishment date
• Your federal filing requirements
• Whether an LLC is treated as a single-member or multiple-member LLC

The IRS offers modified and complete Entity Transcripts. A modified transcript shows basic information, while a complete transcript may show additional business account details.

How to Get an Entity Transcript

You may be able to obtain it in one of three ways:

1. View, print, or download it through your IRS Business Tax Account.
2. Request it by submitting Form 4506-T.
3. Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line.

An Entity Transcript may be helpful when:

• Your Business Tax Account does not provide a digital CP575
• You cannot locate your original CP 575
• A lender wants to verify the business name and EIN
• You need to confirm the address or filing requirements in IRS records
• You need more account information than Letter 147C provides

Ask the recipient whether it accepts an Entity Transcript before ordering one. Some organizations specifically request CP 575 or Letter 147C.

Option 4: Request Letter 147C from the IRS

Letter 147C is commonly called an EIN verification letter.

You use it when your EIN has already been assigned, but you no longer have the original CP 575 or need new written confirmation.

Letter 147C generally confirms:

• Your existing EIN
• Your business name
• Your business address in IRS records

It does not assign you a new EIN. It verifies the EIN you already have.

For a complete preparation guide, see How to Request an EIN Verification Letter.

How to Request Letter 147C

Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at:

800-829-4933

The regular hours are Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in your local time. Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific Time.

When the IRS representative answers, say:

“I need written confirmation of my business’s Employer Identification Number. I no longer have my original CP 575 notice, and I would like to request Letter 147C.”

The IRS may provide the letter by fax or mail after confirming that you are authorized to receive the business’s tax information.

What to Have Ready Before You Call

Prepare:

• Your complete legal business name
• Your EIN, if you know it
• Your business mailing address
• Your previous business address, if it recently changed
• The name of the responsible party
• Your full name
• Your title or relationship to the business
• Your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• The approximate date the EIN was issued
• The type of business entity
• A secure fax number, if you want to request fax delivery

Do not provide your personal or business identification information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly and claims to represent the IRS. Call the official IRS number yourself.

Who Can Request Letter 147C?

The IRS must verify that you are authorized to receive the information.

An authorized caller may include:

• A sole proprietor
• A corporate officer
• A partner
• An LLC member or manager
• A trustee
• An executor or personal representative
• The responsible party listed in IRS records
• An authorized representative with an acceptable Form 2848 or Form 8821 on file

A former employee, bookkeeper, friend, or third-party formation service may not automatically have authority to receive your EIN information.

If you need to send a separate written request to the IRS, review How to Write a Letter to the IRS before mailing sensitive business information.

Sample Phone Script for Requesting EIN Proof

You can use this simple script:

“Hello. My name is [Your Full Name], and I am the [owner, partner, president, trustee, or authorized representative] of [Legal Business Name].

I need official written verification of the Employer Identification Number assigned to the business. I no longer have the original CP 575 notice.

I would like to request Letter 147C. I am prepared to verify my identity and my authority to receive the business’s tax information.

If possible, I would like the letter sent by [fax or mail].”

Keep your answers short and accurate. Do not guess when responding to identity verification questions.

Can You Use a Tax Return as Proof of Your EIN?

A previously filed tax return can show your EIN, but it may not satisfy every organization.

Your EIN may appear on:

• Form 1120
• Form 1120-S
• Form 1065
• Form 941
• Form 940
• Schedule C
• Form 1041
• Form 990
• Other business tax forms

A tax return may be acceptable when the recipient only wants to confirm the number you use for tax reporting.

However, a bank or lender may reject it because:

• It was not recently issued
• The business address has changed
• The legal business name does not match the application
• It contains unnecessary financial information
• The recipient specifically requires CP 575, digital CP575, Letter 147C, or an Entity Transcript

Do not send a complete tax return containing financial information when a single EIN verification page would be sufficient.

Can You Use Form W-9 as Proof of Your EIN?

Form W-9 may be acceptable when a client or vendor needs your taxpayer identification number for payment reporting.

A W-9 generally includes:

• Your name
• Your business name
• Your federal tax classification
• Your address
• Your taxpayer identification number
• Your certification and signature

However, you complete the W-9 yourself. It is not an IRS-issued verification letter.

Use a W-9 when the recipient requests tax information for vendor onboarding or Form 1099 reporting. Use a CP 575, digital CP575, Letter 147C, or Entity Transcript when the recipient asks for official IRS proof.

Other Documents That May Show Your EIN

You may be able to locate your EIN on:

• Business bank account paperwork
• Payroll records
• Payroll tax filings
• Employee W-2 forms
• Contractor 1099 forms
• Business loan applications
• Business credit applications
• State tax registrations
• Business licenses
• Insurance documents
• Previous IRS notices
• Accounting records
• Documents retained by your tax preparer
• Forms completed by your registered agent

These documents can help you find a missing EIN. They may not be accepted as official proof.

If you need bank records connected to your business, use Bank Statement Request Letter Samples to request the correct statement period and format.

Which EIN Proof Should You Use?

You Are Opening a Business Bank Account

Start with:

• Digital CP575
• Original CP 575
• Letter 147C
• Entity Transcript

Ask the bank whether it also needs:

• Articles of organization
• Articles of incorporation
• Operating agreement
• Business license
• Certificate of good standing
• Ownership information
• Personal identification

You Are Applying for a Business Loan

Use the exact IRS document requested by the lender.

The lender may compare:

• Your legal business name
• EIN
• Business address
• Formation documents
• Tax returns
• Bank statements
• Ownership information

Make sure the information is consistent across your application.

You Are Completing Vendor Registration

A Form W-9 may be enough if the vendor only needs your taxpayer identification number.

If the vendor requests independent IRS verification, provide your digital CP575, CP 575, Letter 147C, or Entity Transcript.

You Are Setting Up Payroll

Your payroll provider may ask for:

• EIN confirmation
• State withholding account numbers
• State unemployment account information
• Legal business name
• Business address
• Payroll deposit schedule

An official IRS verification document can prevent payroll filings from being submitted under the wrong name or EIN.

You Are Applying for a License or Grant

Read the application instructions carefully. The agency may require both your EIN proof and your formation documents.

For related business correspondence, you may find Company Introduction Letter Samples useful when presenting your organization to agencies, vendors, donors, or potential partners.

What If Your Business Name Does Not Match the IRS Letter?

A mismatch can occur when:

• You changed your legal business name
• You are using a trade name or “doing business as” name
• Your bank application uses an abbreviation
• The IRS shortened or formatted the name differently
• Your business converted to another entity type
• You accidentally entered the wrong name on an application
• The IRS has not processed a recent change

Compare the name on your:

• IRS EIN document
• State formation document
• Bank application
• Business license
• Tax return
• Form W-9

Use the legal name associated with your EIN unless the form specifically asks for a trade name.

If the IRS record is wrong, contact the IRS before repeatedly submitting documents with conflicting information.

When you need to challenge or correct an IRS issue, review How to Write a Disagreement Letter to the IRS for a clear structure and documentation checklist.

What If the Address on Your EIN Proof Is Old?

An old address does not automatically mean your EIN is invalid. However, it may cause questions when your bank or lender compares documents.

You may need to update the IRS using Form 8822-B when you change:

• Your business mailing address
• Your physical business location
• The responsible party connected to your EIN

The IRS states that a change in the responsible party generally must be reported within 60 days.

Keep proof that you submitted the update. Processing may take time, so explain the change to the organization requesting your records and provide supporting documentation when necessary.

Do Not Apply for Another EIN Just to Get Proof

You should not apply for another EIN simply because:

• You lost the confirmation letter
• You forgot the number
• Your bank wants proof
• Your accountant does not have a copy
• You cannot immediately access your records

Instead, obtain your digital CP575, request an Entity Transcript, or request Letter 147C.

A second EIN may create:

• Duplicate IRS business accounts
• Incorrect tax filings
• Payroll reporting problems
• Notices under the wrong EIN
• Delayed refunds
• Bank verification issues
• Conflicting business records

You should only apply for a new EIN when IRS rules require a new number because of a qualifying change in ownership, entity structure, or business circumstances.

How to Store Your EIN Proof Safely

After obtaining your proof, save it in at least two secure locations.

You can keep:

• One printed copy in a locked business file
• One encrypted digital copy
• One secure backup in cloud storage
• One copy with your accountant or attorney

Label the file clearly, such as:

IRS EIN Verification – [Business Name]

Do not place your complete EIN on public websites, social media posts, advertisements, or publicly accessible documents.

Share it only with legitimate organizations that need it for tax reporting, banking, payroll, licensing, credit, or compliance.

For other formal business requests, browse Official Request Letter Samples for copy-ready wording and document preparation tips.