Checked on October 24, 2026
The IRS lists three official ways to confirm an EIN: request an Entity transcript, download CP575, Employer Identification Number Verification Notice, from Business Tax Account, or call for Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned. For an eligible user with active account access, downloading CP575 is the most direct way to verify an EIN online. Partnership Designated Officials, the people with full account access, are now inside their annual six-week revalidation window, which starts October 15, according to the IRS.
If a bank, lender, or vendor asks for EIN proof, first ask which official record it wants. Then choose the route you can use today. Access and proof are connected here because CP575 is available through the account. This article provides practical information, not legal or tax advice.
How do I verify my EIN online?
The IRS page on employer identification numbers lists exactly three ways to confirm an EIN. On that page, an Entity transcript is one option, a digital CP575 in Business Tax Account is another for eligible users, and Letter 147C is available by calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line. The table turns that list into a practical choice.
| Official method | Who it fits | Where to get it | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity transcript | Use this when you need an IRS entity record or cannot use the online account route. | Request an Entity transcript through the IRS transcript route linked from its EIN page. | Entity transcript |
| Digital CP575 | Use this when you are eligible for Business Tax Account and already have working access. | Download it in Business Tax Account under Tax Records, according to the IRS. | CP575, Employer Identification Number Verification Notice |
| Letter 147C | Use this when the phone route is more practical or the account is unavailable to you. | Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line and request Letter 147C. | Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned |
For an eligible account user, start with CP575 because it is downloadable. If that route is unavailable, the IRS still lists the Entity transcript and Letter 147C as official confirmation methods. Do not assume that every requester wants the same record. Confirm the requester's document requirement before choosing between the three.
For the general account route, see PATech Labs' detailed path to an EIN verification letter online. That guide covers the broader Business Tax Account path, not the new CP575 notice, Letter 147C, or annual access revalidation.
What is the CP575 notice and can I use it instead of Letter 147C?
Yes. The IRS Business Tax Account page, updated October 16, 2026, says business owners can now download their EIN verification notice from the account. The IRS calls the digital document CP575, Employer Identification Number Verification Notice, and places it under Tax Records.
The same IRS page says the new CP575 is a substitute for the CP575A-J notice series and Letter 147C. The IRS EIN page also identifies digital CP575 as an EIN confirmation method for eligible Business Tax Account users. That makes CP575 the direct online choice when you already have eligible access and need official EIN confirmation.
Keep the two tasks separate on your checklist. CP575 is the EIN verification document. Revalidation is the recurring access check for the person who can reach the business account. A valid document route does not remove the need to maintain account access if your business relies on that online route.
Do I have to revalidate my IRS Business Tax Account?
The IRS page on managing Business Tax Account access says a Designated Official must revalidate that role every year to maintain access. For partnerships, the revalidation period lasts six weeks starting October 15. For all other entity types, the IRS says the six-week period starts June 15.
On the checked date above, the current window applies to partnership Designated Officials. It does not mean that corporations or sole proprietors have an October action window. During the applicable period, the IRS says the Designated Official receives a notification inside the business tax account. The public page does not give a click-by-click revalidation sequence, so use the notification shown in the account.
A Designated User, meaning a person whom a Designated Official or sole proprietor allows into the account, follows a different schedule. The IRS access page says a Designated User must be revalidated every January and June to keep that role. Do not treat that twice-yearly user check as the Designated Official's annual revalidation.
- If you are a partnership Designated Official, sign in during the current window and look for the account notification described by the IRS.
- If your access works and you need EIN proof, go to Tax Records for the digital CP575 identified on the IRS Business Tax Account page.
- If the online route is unavailable, choose the Entity transcript or Letter 147C route listed on the IRS EIN page.
- Record which role needs its next check, Designated Official annually, or Designated User in January and June.
Frequently asked questions
These answers cover the access problems most likely to change which of the three EIN confirmation methods you can use.
What happens if I miss the revalidation window?
The IRS access page says that a Designated Official who does not revalidate must request access to the account again. Registration as a Designated Official ends with a PIN sent by mail, and the IRS says the role becomes active only after the person signs in with that PIN. The IRS does not state a PIN delivery time on the cited access page, so do not build your document deadline around an assumed wait.
One practical safeguard is to consider more than one Designated Official when that setup fits the business. The IRS says an account can have more than one, and says this can preserve continuity if one Designated Official dies or leaves the business. This is account continuity planning, not a substitute for each required revalidation.
Can a single-member LLC use Business Tax Account?
Not when the LLC files as a sole proprietor on Schedule C or Schedule F, both on Form 1040. The IRS Business Tax Account page says the account is not yet available to LLCs that file that way. For those businesses, the official EIN confirmation choices that remain usable are the Entity transcript and Letter 147C routes listed by the IRS.
Partnerships are different. The IRS says Business Tax Account is available to partnerships that file Form 1065, and a Designated Official can register for full access to the partnership's account. That access is why the current October 15 revalidation window matters specifically to partnership Designated Officials.
If you are still forming the business, our federal and state business registration order explains where obtaining an EIN fits, but it does not cover CP575, Letter 147C, or access revalidation. Our separate update on the permanent end of BOI reporting for small businesses covers another federal owner obligation that changed.
How do I get Letter 147C by phone?
The IRS EIN page says to call the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and request Letter 147C, EIN Previously Assigned. Use the number published on irs.gov, not a number supplied in an unexpected email, text, or call. That precaution is our advice, not IRS wording.
If you need to stay available while you are on the IRS line, SkyAria Voice Assistant answers incoming business calls around the clock, understands the request, books appointments, and sends written context to your team while working with your existing business number.
The working choice is simple. Download CP575 when you are eligible and your Business Tax Account access is active. Use an Entity transcript or request Letter 147C when the account route does not fit. If you are a partnership Designated Official, handle the current in-account revalidation notice so that the online route remains available.