IRS Notice CP 575: Your EIN Confirmation Letter Explained

CP 575 is the letter that proves your business has an EIN. The IRS sends it once, automatically, and then never again. Understanding that one fact saves a great deal of time later, because almost every question about the CP 575 turns out to be a question about what to do now that it has gone missing.

What Notice CP 575 Is

Notice CP 575 is the EIN confirmation letter. When the IRS approves an application for an Employer Identification Number, it generates this notice and mails it to the address given on Form SS-4. It is the original, authoritative record that a specific EIN belongs to a specific legal entity.

You will be asked for it when opening a business bank account, onboarding with a payment processor, setting up payroll, or applying for business credit.

It Is Not a Form You Fill In

A common search is for a "CP 575 form" or a downloadable PDF. There is not one, and this is worth stating plainly: CP 575 is an outbound notice, not an application. You never complete it, submit it, or download a blank copy. The IRS produces it and sends it to you.

The form you fill in to get an EIN is Form SS-4. The notice you receive afterwards is CP 575. Any site offering a blank CP 575 to download is not offering an IRS document.

What It Contains

• The EIN in XX-XXXXXXX format
• The legal name of the entity as recorded by the IRS
• The mailing address on file
• The date the EIN was assigned
• The form types the IRS expects the entity to file, and when

Check the legal name carefully the day it arrives. If the IRS has recorded a spelling that differs from your state formation documents, it is far easier to correct immediately than after a bank has rejected an application because the names do not match.

When It Arrives

Usually four to six weeks after the EIN is assigned, sent by mail only. There is no electronic delivery of the CP 575, and the IRS will not email it.

If you applied from outside the United States and gave a non-US mailing address, allow longer and be aware that international mail is not guaranteed. This is one reason many international founders end up requesting a 147C letter within the first year: the CP 575 was issued correctly but never arrived.

If You Have Lost It

Request Letter 147C instead. It is the EIN verification letter, it confirms exactly the same information, and it can be requested as many times as you need. It is free, and it is available by telephone only.

There is no process, fee, or form for obtaining a duplicate CP 575. Asking the IRS for one simply results in being offered a 147C, so it is quicker to ask for that directly.

CP 575 vs Letter 147C

What Banks Actually Accept

Nearly every US bank and payment processor accepts Letter 147C in place of the CP 575, because both are IRS-issued and carry the same information. Occasionally an onboarding checklist names the CP 575 specifically, usually because whoever wrote it assumed the document could be replaced.

If that happens, explain that the IRS issues CP 575 only once and that Letter 147C is the official verification letter. Institutions that handle business accounts regularly will recognize this immediately. For what banks look for more broadly, see EIN requirements for banking.

How StartGlobal Helps

We obtain your EIN as part of formation, with no SSN required, and keep the confirmation documents in your dashboard so that a lost letter is an inconvenience rather than a problem. See EIN and Tax Registration, or read about getting an EIN without a Social Security Number.

Frequently Asked Questions