Founders keep hitting the same wall: “I lost my EIN letter.” Or they dig through email for a CP 575 PDF, screenshot an old IRS notice, and hope Mercury, Stripe or a payment provider will accept whatever they find.
That is the wrong wall. You do not have a lost-PDF problem. You have a counterparty that wants IRS-issued proof that the Employer Identification Number belongs to this LLC. The original CP 575 is a one-time confirmation. When a bank or processor asks again, the document they usually mean is Form 147C, the EIN verification letter.
At OtoCo we form onchain US wrappers for builders who already live in wallets: Instant Series LLCs and Standalone filings in Wyoming and Delaware, with EIN and registered agent cover in the same stack. This guide is the 2026 ops pillar for non-resident founders who already have an EIN and need to re-prove it. It is not the EIN without an SSN guide. That piece is how you get the number in the first place. This piece is what you do when someone asks you to prove it again. OtoCo is not a bank, not a CPA, and not a law firm.
Short answer: An EIN verification letter (often called a 147C letter) is IRS confirmation that a specific EIN belongs to a specific entity name and address. Banks, Stripe and payment providers ask for it because the original CP 575 is one-time only and a screenshot is not enough. Non-resident responsible parties usually request it from the IRS by phone or fax, with formation, EIN and mailing details that match. Keep name and address consistent across formation, EIN, bank and Stripe so the letter and your KYC stack say the same thing. OtoCo forms the LLC and obtains the EIN. Retrieving a 147C is still an IRS process on your side. OtoCo is not the IRS.
The wrong wall: “lost letter” vs IRS proof
Remote founders in Spain, Brazil, Argentina and across LATAM often treat the EIN like a password: write it once, save the PDF, move on. Months later a US bank, Mercury-style fintech, Stripe or another processor freezes onboarding and asks for “IRS verification,” “EIN confirmation letter,” or “Form 147C.”
Searching Drive for the CP 575 is understandable. It is also incomplete. The CP 575 is the notice the IRS issues when the EIN is assigned. Many founders never receive a durable copy, especially after fax or phone issuance. Even when you still have it, some compliance teams want a current IRS letter that restates the entity name, EIN and address on IRS records.
In plain English: the bank is not grading your filing cabinet. It is asking whether the IRS will vouch that this tax ID and this company are the same thing.
What a 147C letter is (plain English)
Form 147C is the IRS’s EIN verification letter. It confirms that an Employer Identification Number is assigned to a named entity at a listed address. Providers use it as official proof when:
- You cannot produce the original CP 575
- The CP 575 is incomplete, illegible or mismatched
- Compliance wants fresh IRS-letterhead confirmation, not a founder screenshot
It is not a new EIN. It does not reset your tax history. It does not replace state formation documents. It is a verification artefact for the number you already have.
If you do not have an EIN yet, stop here and follow the step-by-step EIN without SSN guide. This article assumes the LLC already exists and already has a tax ID.
Who asks for it, and why
In 2026 the usual requesters are:
- US business banks and fintechs opening accounts for foreign-owned LLCs
- Stripe and similar payment processors during business verification
- Payment service providers, payroll tools and marketplaces that need tax-ID proof beyond a typed number
- Occasionally accountants or counterparties who want IRS letterhead, not a state Certificate of Good Standing
Why them? Because anyone can type nine digits into a form. A 147C letter is harder to improvise. It ties the EIN to the legal name and mailing address on IRS records, which is exactly what KYC teams compare against your Articles, operating paperwork and application.
If your immediate problem is the bank account itself, pair this with the foreign-owned LLC bank account guide. If Stripe is the blocker, see how to get Stripe for a foreign-owned US LLC.
CP 575 vs 147C: one-time vs re-proof
Keep the distinction sharp:
- CP 575 — original assignment notice when the EIN is created. Often one-time, easy to misplace after fax/email/mail.
- 147C — later verification letter confirming the EIN still belongs to that entity. This is what most banks mean when they say “IRS EIN letter” after the fact.
You do not “upgrade” a CP 575 into a 147C. You request verification when the original notice is gone or insufficient. Do not invent a third document. Do not upload a Certificate of Good Standing and hope it substitutes for IRS proof. State standing and federal EIN verification are different machines.
How non-resident founders request a 147C
The IRS does not hand 147C letters through a casual public web form the way founders expect. For most foreign responsible parties, the practical paths are phone or fax through IRS business lines that handle EIN verification. Exact numbers, hours and fax targets change; use the current IRS “Employer ID Numbers” / contact pages on irs.gov before you dial, and treat any number you find in a random blog comment as suspect.
What does not usually work:
- Emailing a generic IRS inbox and attaching a selfie
- Asking the bank to “pull it for you”
- Re-filing SS-4 to “regenerate” an EIN you already have
Re-filing SS-4 for an existing LLC is how founders create duplicate-EIN messes. If you already have a number, verify it. Do not apply again unless a qualified advisor tells you the entity truly never received one.
What to have ready before you call or fax
Have the formation and EIN stack open before you contact the IRS:
- Exact legal name of the LLC as filed (including LLC / L.L.C. punctuation if that is how it was registered)
- Formation state and entity type
- EIN (nine digits)
- Responsible party name as shown on the EIN application
- Business mailing address on IRS records
- Formation date and any prior IRS correspondence you still have
The person calling should be someone the IRS can treat as authorised for the entity, typically the responsible party on the EIN record. If your English-language call will be painful, plan for a quiet hour, a US callback number if you have one, and a written fax packet as backup. OtoCo is not a call centre for the IRS.
Phone path
Expect identity and entity questions first. Agents verify that you are tied to the entity, then that the EIN, name and address match IRS records. If verification succeeds, they can arrange issuance of the 147C letter according to current IRS procedure (often mail or fax to an address on file). Ask clearly for the EIN verification letter / Form 147C, not a “new EIN.”
If the agent says the address on file is wrong, that is your real problem. Fix the IRS address record before you expect a clean letter that banks will accept.
Fax path
When phone queues fail or your responsible party cannot stay on the line, founders often fax a written request with entity details, EIN, responsible party information, and a return fax or mailing address that matches IRS records. Keep the packet boring and complete. Do not send passport photos in a random collage. Do not invent letterhead that looks like the IRS.
Turnaround is not instant. Build buffer into your Mercury / Stripe timeline instead of promising a same-day PDF.
Details that must match the formation record
Banks compare stacks. The 147C only helps if it agrees with everything else:
- Legal name — same spelling as Articles / Certificate of Formation and the EIN record
- EIN — same nine digits you typed into the bank and Stripe
- Mailing address — same business address used for EIN, banking and processor KYC
- Responsible party — consistent with who controls the company on paper
Common failure modes:
- Trading name on the bank app, legal name on the IRS letter
- Personal Airbnb address on the EIN, virtual mailbox on Stripe, founder mum’s address on the bank form
- Series / series-box naming that does not match how the processor stored the entity
- Re-formed entity with a new state filing but the old EIN story still in your head
If formation, EIN, bank and Stripe disagree, the 147C will not magically reconcile them. Align the records first, then request the letter.
Keep name and address consistent across formation, EIN, bank and Stripe
This is the unsexy half of the guide, and it is where most non-resident friction lives.
Pick one legal name string and reuse it everywhere. Pick one US business mailing address that can receive IRS mail and reuse it for EIN updates, banking and processors. Keep the registered agent address as the agent address, not as a casual stand-in for every form unless that is truly how your stack is designed.
When something changes (new mailbox, new manager, new DBA), update the IRS and the bank in a deliberate order. Do not let Stripe be the first system that learns your company moved. Consistency is how you avoid a second 147C request six months later because the letter still shows the old flat in Lisboa.
For the broader address problem, see how to get a US business address for your LLC. For standing and renewals that keep the company Active while you chase federal paperwork, see the good-standing guide for non-residents.
How OtoCo fits
OtoCo’s job in this stack is the company layer: form the Wyoming or Delaware LLC, obtain the EIN without an SSN where that path applies, and keep registered agent cover visible so the entity stays usable. We care that formation name, EIN issuance and agent posture start aligned, because misaligned stacks are what turn a later bank request into a scavenger hunt.
What OtoCo is not: the IRS, your bank’s compliance desk, or a substitute for reading the current IRS contact instructions when you need a 147C. If you still need the EIN itself, start at otoco.io and use the EIN-without-SSN playbook. If you already have the number and only need verification, use this guide, then return to banking or Stripe with matching documents.
FAQ
Is a 147C the same as a CP 575?
No. CP 575 is the original assignment notice. 147C is a later verification letter. Banks often accept either when details match, but many ask for 147C specifically when the CP 575 is missing.
Can I download a 147C from an IRS dashboard as a non-resident?
Do not assume a self-serve download. Most foreign responsible parties still use IRS phone or fax verification paths. Check current IRS guidance before you invent a portal workflow.
Will Stripe accept a screenshot of my EIN confirmation email?
Sometimes for early steps, often not for final business verification. Plan on IRS letterhead that matches your legal name and address.
Do I need a new EIN if I lost the letter?
No. Losing paperwork is not losing the number. Request verification. Re-applying can create a worse problem.
Does OtoCo issue 147C letters?
No. Only the IRS issues EIN verification letters. OtoCo forms the LLC and obtains the EIN. OtoCo is not the IRS, not a CPA, and not a law firm.
What if the letter’s address does not match my bank application?
Fix the mismatch. Update IRS records and align bank / Stripe applications to the same mailing address before you burn another week in review.
Bottom line
You do not have a lost EIN problem. You have a bank or processor that wants IRS proof the EIN belongs to your LLC. Know CP 575 versus 147C, request verification by phone or fax with matching formation details, and keep name and address consistent across formation, EIN, bank and Stripe. Boring. Correct.
Ready to keep the company layer tidy? Start at otoco.io.
