EIN Verification Letter: Download from IRS Business Tax Account
If you have ever tried to open a business bank account, apply for a payment processor, or respond to a state-agency vendor request, you have almost certainly been asked for proof of your Employer Identification Number. Historically the only options were the original CP 575 A-J notice you received when the EIN was first issued, or Letter 147c EIN Previously Assigned, which you had to call the IRS to request — often waiting on hold and then several weeks for the letter to arrive by mail.
The IRS has now closed that gap. Through the IRS Business Tax Account, designated officials can log in and download an EIN verification letter as a digital notice — instantly, and as often as needed. At SW Accounting & Consulting Corp we have already routed several Los Angeles clients through the new download path, and it saves days at exactly the moment a business does not have time to lose.
What is the new EIN verification letter, and who can download it? 📄
It is a digital IRS notice that verifies your EIN — accepted by banks and financial institutions in place of the original CP 575 or Letter 147c — and it is available through the IRS Business Tax Account to designated officials.
The IRS explains that the letter can be used instead of Letter 147c (EIN Previously Assigned) or the original CP 575 A-J. In other words, the same document your bank has always asked for, but delivered as a downloadable notice from inside your Business Tax Account rather than as physical mail. Access is limited to users who serve as designated officials on the account — typically sole proprietors and the officers, partners, or members with authority for the entity — because verifying an EIN is a sensitive action tied to control of the business.
Why does the EIN verification letter matter for a small business? 🏦
Because almost every meaningful business relationship — banking, payroll, payment processing, state licensing — will eventually ask you to prove the EIN, and paper mail is the wrong speed for that request.
In our practice, requests for proof of EIN cluster around a handful of moments: opening or reopening a business bank account, onboarding with a payment processor such as Stripe or Square, registering with a state tax agency (California CDTFA, EDD, and FTB all commonly ask), applying for a business credit card, closing on a commercial lease, and setting up ACH for a new vendor. Each of these can stall for weeks if the only accepted document lives in a filing cabinet or has to be mail-ordered from the IRS.
The new download route removes that failure mode. You no longer have to explain to a bank that the IRS said "four to six weeks" while your operations are paused waiting for a piece of paper.
What is the difference between CP 575, Letter 147c, and the new download? 🔎
CP 575 is the original one-time confirmation issued when the EIN is assigned; Letter 147c is a mail-ordered replacement; the new Business Tax Account download is a self-service digital equivalent.
- CP 575 A-J: the confirmation notice the IRS issues one time when the EIN is first assigned. Most business owners lose it or never received a copy after formation.
- Letter 147c (EIN Previously Assigned): the traditional replacement — request by phone to the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933; delivery by mail or (in limited cases) fax to a caller present with the fax machine.
- Business Tax Account EIN verification letter (new): a digital notice, downloaded on demand from inside the BTA by a designated official. The IRS states it "can be used instead of the letter 147c EIN Previously Assigned or the original CP 575 A-J."
How do I download my EIN verification letter from the IRS? ✅
Sign in to the IRS Business Tax Account as a designated official for the entity, then download the EIN verification letter from within your account.
A practical checklist for owners and their bookkeepers:
- Confirm you are a designated official. A sole proprietor, corporate officer, partner, or LLC member with authority for the entity qualifies; a bookkeeper without that designation does not.
- Have your ID.me credentials ready. The IRS uses ID.me for individual-identity verification before you reach the Business Tax Account.
- Sign in to your IRS Business Tax Account and select the entity whose EIN you need to verify.
- Download the EIN verification letter and save it as a PDF in the entity’s permanent records.
- Provide the PDF to the bank, processor, or state agency that requested proof of EIN.
EIN verification letter at a glance 📊
| Document | How you get it | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| CP 575 A-J | Issued once, when the EIN is first assigned | Not reissued |
| Letter 147c | Phone request to IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line | Weeks by mail |
| BTA EIN verification letter | Log in to IRS Business Tax Account & download | Immediate |
📌 Key Takeaways
- The IRS Business Tax Account now lets designated officials download an EIN verification letter.
- It is accepted instead of the original CP 575 or Letter 147c.
- The old path — call the IRS, wait weeks for mail — is no longer the only option.
- Every established business should save a current copy as a PDF before the next banking or licensing request.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Q. Is the downloaded EIN verification letter accepted by banks?
Yes. The IRS states the letter is a digital notice that can be taken to a bank or financial institution for verification purposes, and used instead of Letter 147c or the original CP 575.
Q. Who is a "designated official" for Business Tax Account purposes?
Individuals with authority for the entity — such as sole proprietors, corporate officers, partners, and LLC members — who have been established as users of the Business Tax Account for that EIN.
Q. Can my CPA or bookkeeper download the letter for me?
Only if they are set up as a designated official on the Business Tax Account for that entity. Otherwise the owner or officer must log in personally.
Q. What if I still need Letter 147c?
The traditional path still exists. Call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 to request Letter 147c, but expect a mail-delivery wait — which is precisely why the new download is worth setting up in advance.
Q. Do I need an ID.me account?
Yes. The IRS uses ID.me to verify the individual’s identity before granting access to the Business Tax Account, so having an active ID.me credential is a prerequisite.
Q. Does the new letter replace the need to keep the original CP 575?
For practical proof-of-EIN purposes, yes — the download can be used instead of the original CP 575. But if you still have your CP 575, keep it with your entity records; it is your first-issued confirmation.
If you would like SW Accounting & Consulting Corp to set up your Business Tax Account access or pull an EIN verification letter as part of a broader entity clean-up, contact our Los Angeles office. Primary sources: IRS Understanding your CP 575 notice, IRS Business Tax Account, and IRS Lost or Misplaced Your EIN.
