How to Request a 147C Letter From Outside the US

A founder in Cairo finishes forming her Wyoming LLC, gets her EIN by fax, then a payment platform asks for "an official IRS letter confirming the EIN." She can't find the original CP 575 notice, and there's no IRS office in Egypt to walk into. This is the exact moment the 147C letter exists for, and requesting one from outside the US is more manageable than it first looks once you know the rules the IRS applies.

What is a 147C letter and why would a non-resident founder need one?

A 147C letter is an official IRS document that confirms the Employer Identification Number (EIN) already assigned to your business. It does not create a new EIN; it re-states the one you have, which makes it the standard replacement when you lost or never received the original CP 575 EIN confirmation notice. Banks, payment processors, and platforms frequently ask for it because the CP 575 is issued only once and cannot be reprinted.

For a non-resident founder, this matters because the CP 575 is the single original confirmation the IRS sends when the EIN is first assigned. If it went to an old address, never arrived overseas, or got misfiled, the 147C becomes the only way to get an IRS-stamped document that proves your EIN. Many bank and platform onboarding teams accept a 147C in place of the CP 575.

The letter shows your legal entity name, your EIN, and confirmation that the IRS has the two linked in its records. That last point is what payment and banking partners care about: they want assurance that the name and number you entered on their form match what the IRS holds.

Can you request a 147C letter from outside the US?

Yes, you can request a 147C letter from outside the US, and you do it by phone with the IRS rather than through any online portal. There is no web form that issues a 147C; the IRS verifies your identity over the phone and then sends the letter, most practically by fax for callers abroad. The number for businesses without a US presence is the IRS international line for the Business and Specialty Tax department, which is staffed during US Eastern-time business hours.

A 147c letter request from abroad has one logistical wrinkle: time zones and phone access. The line operates on US hours, so a founder in Cairo is typically calling in the late afternoon or evening local time. Plan for a direct call where you may wait on hold, and have a working international calling method, since a VoIP softphone usually works well and keeps costs down.

You do not need to be a US citizen, hold an SSN, or be physically present in the US to request the letter. What the IRS requires is that you are an authorized person for the entity, meaning a responsible party, owner, or officer on file, or someone holding a valid Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) or Form 8821 authorization.

What information do you need before you call the IRS?

Before you call, gather the documents and details the IRS agent will use to verify you, because they will not send the letter until your identity and authority are confirmed. Having everything in front of you turns a stressful call into a five-to-ten-minute task.

1. Your EIN, if you have any record of it. If you genuinely cannot find it, the agent can still locate the entity using the legal name and other identifiers, but having the number speeds things up.
2. The exact legal name of your LLC as registered with the Wyoming Secretary of State, spelled and punctuated precisely as filed.
3. The business mailing address on file with the IRS, which is often your US business or registered agent address.
4. Your name and your role in the company (for example, member, owner, or responsible party).
5. A fax number where the IRS can send the letter. For overseas founders this is usually an online fax service that delivers to your email inbox.
6. Patience for identity questions, which can include confirming the responsible party and details from the original EIN application.

If you are not personally the responsible party on record, you will need a filed Form 2848 or Form 8821 authorizing you to receive the entity's tax information. Without that, the IRS will only release the letter to the person they have on file.

What are the step-by-step instructions to request the 147C from abroad?

Requesting a 147C from outside the US follows a short, repeatable sequence: call the IRS international business line, verify your identity, ask specifically for a 147C, and choose fax delivery. The steps below walk through it in order.

1. Set up an international calling method. A VoIP softphone or a calling app that reaches US numbers is usually the most practical option from Egypt or anywhere outside the US, and it avoids surprise mobile charges.
2. Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line designated for international callers during US Eastern business hours. Build in time for hold queues.
3. State clearly that you are calling to request a 147C letter to verify your existing EIN. Using the term "147C" helps the agent route you.
4. Answer the identity-verification questions. The agent confirms you are an authorized person before releasing any information.
5. Request fax delivery. Mail delivery to an international address can take weeks and sometimes never arrives, so fax to an online fax number tied to your email is the practical choice.
6. If the agent offers to fax while you stay on the line, accept it. Faxing in real time lets you confirm receipt before you hang up.
7. Save the received PDF in multiple places. You will likely be asked for it again by future banks or platforms, so keep it with your formation documents.

The IRS leans on fax for these requests for the same reason EIN confirmations are often faxed: it is faster than international mail and creates a verifiable transmission record. A working fax destination, even a software one, is the single most useful thing to have ready.

How does CORPBOLT fit into getting and confirming your EIN without an SSN?

CORPBOLT is built for the situation that makes a 147C letter necessary in the first place: non-resident founders who form a US company and then need to prove its EIN to banks and platforms. The relevant capability is that CORPBOLT can obtain an EIN for your Wyoming LLC without an SSN, which removes the most common roadblock founders hit when the IRS online tool rejects applicants who lack a Social Security Number.

CORPBOLT is a U.S. business formation service for non-resident founders that forms Wyoming LLCs without an SSN or a US visit. Plans start from $349/year, with the EIN included from $599. (corpbolt.com)

It is worth being precise about how the EIN works. The EIN itself is free from the IRS; you never pay the government for the number. When a service charges, it is for preparing and filing the application correctly, not for the EIN. For non-resident founders without an SSN, the application goes in on Form SS-4 by fax or mail rather than the online tool, and the IRS controls the timing. By fax it typically takes a few weeks, and no provider can promise a date because the IRS, not the filer, decides.

CORPBOLT's role is forming the Wyoming LLC, securing the EIN without an SSN, providing the registered agent and a US business and mailing address, and helping you get bank-ready. That bank-readiness is preparation only: organizing the documents a bank or payment platform will ask for so you arrive with the right paperwork. CORPBOLT does not open accounts or introduce you to a bank; the bank or platform always decides whom it accepts.

What does the 147C have to do with banking and payment platforms?

The 147C letter usually surfaces during banking and payment onboarding, when an institution wants IRS-issued proof of your EIN and the original CP 575 is missing. A bank or a processor like Stripe or PayPal may flag an EIN that cannot be independently confirmed, and the 147C resolves it. Getting the letter in hand before you apply removes a predictable point of friction.

For the Cairo founder from the opening, the human touch is in sequencing. Rather than starting a bank application and then scrambling when the EIN verification request lands, she requested the 147C first, saved the faxed PDF, and attached it proactively. That small reorder turned a likely back-and-forth into a single clean submission.

Keep your expectations grounded. Holding a 147C does not guarantee any account, because acceptance depends entirely on the institution's own policies for non-resident-owned US LLCs. The letter simply ensures that when EIN verification comes up, you can answer it instantly with an IRS document instead of a delay.

What can go wrong, and how do you avoid it?

The most common failure point with a 147C request from abroad is an identity or records mismatch, where the name or address you give does not match what the IRS has on file. The IRS will not release the letter if it cannot confirm you, so accuracy matters more than speed. Confirm your exact legal entity name against your Wyoming filing and your IRS address before you dial.

• Calling outside US Eastern business hours. The international line is staffed on US time, so confirm the hours before you call from your time zone.
• Relying on international mail. Postal delivery overseas is slow and unreliable; always ask for the fax option.
• Not being the authorized person. If you are not the responsible party on record, have a filed Form 2848 or Form 8821 ready or the IRS will decline to share the information.
• Misremembering the legal name. Even a small punctuation difference can stall verification, so match the Wyoming Secretary of State filing exactly.
• No fax destination ready. Without a working fax number, you may finish the verification only to have nowhere to receive the letter.

FAQ

Is the 147C letter the same as the CP 575?

No. The CP 575 is the original one-time EIN confirmation the IRS issues when the number is first assigned, while the 147C is a replacement confirmation you request later. The IRS will not reprint a CP 575, so the 147C is the standard substitute when the original is lost.

Does requesting a 147C cost anything?

No, the IRS does not charge for issuing a 147C letter. Your only possible costs are an international phone call and an online fax service, both of which are minor. As with the EIN itself, the document from the IRS is free.

Can I get a 147C without an SSN?

Yes. The 147C is tied to your entity's EIN and your authority over the business, not to a Social Security Number. Non-resident founders who hold an EIN obtained without an SSN can request the letter the same way any other entity does, by phone with identity verification.

How long does it take to receive the 147C?

If you request fax delivery and the agent faxes it during your call, you can receive the 147C within minutes. The IRS controls the process, so hold times vary, but fax is far faster than international mail, which can take weeks or fail to arrive.

Who can I authorize to request the 147C on my behalf?

The IRS will release the 147C to the responsible party or an authorized officer of the entity, or to a third party who holds a valid Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) or Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization). Without one of those on file, the IRS will only speak with the person it already has on record.