If your business has an EIN, the IRS sent you a CP 575 at some point. Most owners glanced at it, filed it somewhere safe, and forgot it existed until a bank or payroll vendor demanded proof of the business's tax ID. Then the hunt started. The CP 575 is one of those IRS documents that carries outsized weight, not because it's complicated (it's a one-page letter) but because you only ever get one. Losing it sets up a separate IRS process worth knowing about before you need it.
What the CP 575 Actually Contains A CP 575 is a single-page letter with the nine-digit EIN, the legal business name as registered with the IRS, the business address, the effective date of the EIN assignment, and the responsible-party designation. It also includes filing instructions tied to your entity type. That's the whole document. No renewal date, no account balance, no ongoing management required.
Banks, credit-card processors, state tax authorities, and third-party payroll providers often ask for the CP 575 when opening accounts or verifying identity. It carries more weight than a typed statement of the EIN because it originated with the IRS.
Why the IRS Only Issues It Once The CP 575 is generated the moment the EIN is assigned, whether through online application, Form SS-4, fax, or phone. The IRS does not reissue the original. Once it's lost or destroyed, that specific document is gone. The rationale is partly practical (the EIN itself doesn't expire) and partly administrative: reissuing would create version-control and fraud risks.
What If My Business Name or Address Has Changed? The CP 575 still reflects the original registration. Name and address changes get reported on your next business tax return or via Form 8822-B. Verification afterward runs through IRS records, not a refreshed CP 575.
How to Get a Replacement When Your CP 575 Is Gone The IRS issues a 147C letter as the official replacement. Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line at 800-829-4933, verify identity as an authorized officer, and request the 147C. The IRS faxes it immediately (fastest option) or mails it in about four to six weeks. A 147C is accepted in place of a CP 575 by essentially every bank and payroll vendor.
Authorized officers means exactly that. Third-party accountants or bookkeepers need a Form 2848 Power of Attorney on file first, or the IRS will refuse to discuss the account.
Where the CP 575 Form Fits in Your Compliance Stack Treat the CP 575 as a permanent record: a scanned copy in digital storage, the original in a physical safe or fireproof cabinet. Most small businesses don't think about it for years, then suddenly need it on short notice when opening a bank account or onboarding with a new vendor. Loop your finance or ops lead into knowing where the document lives so it's not a fire drill when it surfaces. If it's already lost, request the 147C now rather than when you're under a deadline.
Full IRS guidance on EIN applications and the CP 575 lives at irs.gov/businesses . Instructions for verifying an existing EIN and requesting a 147C are at irs.gov .
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