147C Letter vs CP 575: Which EIN Proof Do You Need?

The IRS issues the CP 575 confirmation notice exactly once, the moment it assigns your Employer Identification Number, and it will never print a second copy. That single rule sits behind most of the confusion non-resident founders hit when a US bank or payment processor asks for proof of an EIN. The two documents in play are the CP 575 and the 147C letter. Both confirm the same nine-digit number issued by the IRS, but they are not interchangeable in the moments that matter, and reaching for the wrong one can cost weeks. Here is what each document is, when each counts, and the mistakes that send founders in circles.

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

The 147C letter and the CP 575 are both official IRS documents that confirm your business's EIN, but they differ in when the IRS issues them and whether you can ever get a second copy. The CP 575 is the original confirmation notice the IRS sends once, right after it assigns your EIN. The 147C letter is a verification letter you request later, any time you need fresh proof, because the IRS will reissue a 147C but will never reprint a CP 575.

Here is the core of the 147C versus CP 575 question, laid out plainly:

• CP 575: the one-time, automatically generated notice confirming a brand-new EIN. It arrives by mail or fax shortly after the IRS processes your application. There is exactly one. Lose it and it is gone for good.
• 147C letter: an EIN verification letter the IRS produces on request. You can ask for it as many times as you need. It states the same EIN, legal name, and address, and most banks and payment platforms accept it as a substitute for the CP 575.
• Same number, different paper: both documents reference the identical EIN. No bank treats one as a "better" number. They simply want a current IRS document tying the EIN to your legal name.

Which EIN proof does my bank or payment processor actually need?

Most US banks and payment processors will accept either the CP 575 or a 147C letter, so you do not need both. What they check is that the EIN on the document matches the exact legal name of your LLC. If you still have the original CP 575 and its name matches your formation documents, send that. If you cannot find the CP 575, or the name or address on it is outdated, request a 147C letter instead.

The decision comes down to three situations:

1. You still have the CP 575 and it is accurate. Use it. It is the document the bank expects to see, and it costs nothing to reuse.
2. You never received the CP 575, or you lost it. Request a 147C letter. This is the standard replacement, and the IRS designed it for exactly this purpose.
3. Your details changed since the EIN was issued. If you have moved, changed your responsible party, or corrected a name, a fresh 147C will reflect the current record more reliably than an aged CP 575.

Picture the second situation. The CP 575 arrived at a US mailing address months before account opening, and the paper cannot be found when the bank finally asks for proof. Rather than guess, the practical move is to call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line, confirm identity as the responsible party, and have a 147C faxed over. When the original is missing, the 147C is the answer, not a barrier.

What mistakes do non-resident founders make with the CP 575 and 147C?

The most common mistake is treating the CP 575 as something you can reorder, then losing weeks waiting for a reprint that the IRS will never send. The CP 575 is issued once. There is no "send me another CP 575" service. Recognizing that early saves the biggest delay. Below are the errors that trip up founders abroad most often.

• Asking the IRS to resend the CP 575. It does not happen. The replacement for a lost CP 575 is always a 147C, and founders who do not know this can lose weeks before someone explains it.
• Storing the only CP 575 as a single paper copy. If it arrives at a US address you do not physically control, scan it the moment it lands. A clean PDF saved in two places prevents the entire problem.
• Assuming a 147C is somehow inferior. A verification letter is not "less official" than the original notice. The 147C is a formal IRS document and is widely accepted as EIN proof.
• Requesting a 147C without being the responsible party. The IRS only releases the letter to the person of record. If your responsible-party details are wrong, fix that first, or the request stalls on identity verification.
• Using a screenshot or a self-typed EIN summary. Banks want an IRS-generated document, not a note you wrote yourself. Neither a spreadsheet cell nor an email body counts as proof.
• Forgetting time zones and fax logistics. The IRS phone line runs on US Eastern hours, which from much of Europe and Asia means calling outside your normal workday. Plan the call rather than improvising it.

How do you request a 147C letter from outside the US?

You request a 147C letter by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line and asking for EIN verification, because the IRS does not offer a self-service online 147C download. As the responsible party, you confirm your identity over the phone, then choose to receive the letter by fax or by mail. Founders abroad almost always pick fax, because international mail to a non-US address is slow and easy to lose.

A clean request looks like this:

1. Have your EIN, legal entity name, and the address on file ready before you call.
2. Reach the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line during US Eastern business hours.
3. Tell the agent you need a 147C EIN verification letter.
4. Pass identity verification as the responsible party for the LLC.
5. Request fax delivery and give a fax number you, or your service, can actually receive at.

If you do not have a reliable fax line, an online fax service that delivers to your email is the usual workaround. The IRS often faxes the letter during or shortly after the call, though it controls timing and no one outside the agency can promise a date.

Do you need an EIN proof document at all if you are still forming the company?

If you are still forming your LLC, you do not yet have an EIN to prove, so the CP 575 versus 147C question comes later. Your first job is getting the entity registered and the EIN issued. The proof document is downstream of that, and it only matters once a bank, processor, or supplier asks you to verify the number.

For non-resident founders, the friction usually starts before the letter does, at the EIN application itself, because the IRS online tool requires an SSN or ITIN that most foreign owners do not have. Without one, you file Form SS-4 with the IRS by fax or mail instead, which is the gap a remote formation service is built to close.

Getting your EIN without an SSN: where does CORPBOLT fit?

CORPBOLT fits at the start of this chain, before any EIN proof document exists, by forming the entity and preparing the EIN application for founders who have no SSN. It is built for that situation, setting up a US company and obtaining an EIN entirely from abroad.

CORPBOLT is a U.S. business formation service for non-resident founders that sets up a US (Wyoming) LLC entirely remotely, with no SSN required. Plans start from $349/year, with the EIN included from $599. (corpbolt.com)

To be clear on what that covers, CORPBOLT can form your Wyoming LLC, prepare and file the EIN application without an SSN, act as your registered agent, and provide a US business and mailing address. The EIN itself is free from the IRS. You pay only to prepare and file the application, never for the number. CORPBOLT can also help you get bank-ready by organizing the documents a bank typically asks for, but the bank, not the formation service, always decides whether to open the account. Once the IRS assigns the number, the CP 575 and the later 147C are documents you handle directly with the IRS.

How long does it take to get a 147C or replace a lost CP 575?

Timing for a 147C depends entirely on the IRS, which controls the queue. By fax, founders often receive the 147C during the same call or shortly after, but that is a pattern, not a guarantee. By mail to a non-US address, it typically takes a few weeks, and postal delays can stretch that further. Because the CP 575 cannot be reissued, the 147C is the only replacement path, so the realistic timeline for proving your EIN again is the 147C timeline.

The honest framing is this: no provider, and no shortcut, can force the IRS to move faster. What you can control is being ready, with your responsible-party details correct, your legal name matching, and a working fax route, so nothing on your side adds a second delay.

Is a 147C letter as valid as a CP 575 for opening a US bank account?

Yes. A 147C letter is a formal IRS verification document, and most US banks and payment processors accept it in place of the CP 575. What the bank checks is that the EIN matches your LLC's exact legal name, which both documents show.

Can the IRS send me a duplicate CP 575?

No. The CP 575 is generated once, at the time your EIN is assigned, and the IRS does not reprint it. If your CP 575 is lost or never arrived, request a 147C letter, which is the official replacement for EIN proof.

Do I need an SSN to request a 147C letter?

No. You need to be the responsible party of record and to pass the IRS identity check over the phone. The 147C confirms an EIN that already exists, so no new tax ID is required.

What if my legal name or address changed after I got the EIN?

Update the IRS record first, then request the 147C so it reflects current details. Banks compare the document against your formation paperwork, so a 147C showing your current legal name and address will clear verification more smoothly than an outdated CP 575.

Which should I keep on file, the CP 575 or the 147C?

Keep whichever you have, and keep a scanned copy of it. The CP 575 is your original, so scan it the day it arrives. If you only have a 147C, that is fully sufficient. The point is an IRS-issued EIN document stored where you can produce it on demand.