Lost or Forgotten EIN for Your US LLC: How to Find It

Your bank, Stripe or another service asks for the EIN of your US LLC and you cannot find it. There is an order to try things in, and one thing not to do: apply for a second EIN.

In short:

• Look in four places. The IRS lists them: the notice issued when you applied for the EIN, the bank that holds your business account, agencies where you applied for state or local licenses, and past business tax returns.
• Still stuck? The IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line, 800-829-4933, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The IRS says it verifies your identity and gives you the number by phone if you are authorized to receive it.
• Do not apply for a new EIN. The IRS says a business entity should have only one EIN.
• If you need written proof, not just the number, that is Letter 147C or the digital CP575. See our guide to IRS Letter 147C.

The four places the IRS says to look

1. The notice issued when you applied. For a new EIN the IRS sends a notice (the CP575A-J series).
2. The bank that has your business account. The IRS suggests contacting it.
3. Agencies where you applied for state or local licenses. The number may appear on those applications.
4. Past business tax returns. For a foreign-owned LLC, that means a Form 1120 with Form 5472, or a Form 1065, filed in an earlier year.

If you still cannot find it

The IRS 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 (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). It says it will verify your identity and provide the number by phone if you are authorized to receive it. Who is authorized, and how a third party holding a Form 8821 can obtain the letter, is covered in our Letter 147C guide.

Why not to apply for a new EIN

It is tempting to apply again when the number is lost. The IRS says "a business entity should have only one EIN". If you have more than one and are not sure which to use, the same IRS line says it will tell you which number to use.

When you need the letter, not just the number

Banks and payment providers may want written confirmation of the EIN and a matching name. That is a different request: the digital CP575 (available through Business Tax Account) or Letter 147C. The IRS says the original CP575A-J series "cannot be duplicated or recreated". Melya's EIN Letter (147C) and Name Mismatch Fix ($99) covers the request: with your signed Form 8821, we request the IRS letter that proves your EIN and fix the mismatch.

If a letter from the IRS arrived and you are not sure what it is, see what CP215, CP575 and Letter 147C mean.

Your checklist

• Look for the EIN notice the IRS issued when you applied.
• Ask your bank for the EIN it has on file for the LLC.
• Check old tax returns and state or local license applications.
• Call the IRS line only after those steps, and only if you are authorized.
• Do not apply for a second EIN.
• Decide whether you need the number only, or written proof for a bank or other service.

Related guides

• getting an EIN without an SSN
• who must file Form 5472
• closing a US LLC and the final Form 5472

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a new EIN if I lost mine? The IRS says a business entity should have only one EIN. Look for the existing number first.

Who can the IRS give the number to? The IRS says it verifies your identity and provides the number by phone if you are authorized to receive it.

Can I get a copy of my original CP 575? No. The IRS says the original CP575A-J series cannot be duplicated or recreated.

Does the IRS line work from abroad? The IRS page gives the number and its hours in local time. It does not say how to call from outside the United States, so check the IRS site for international contact options.

Sources

• IRS, Employer identification number: "Lost or forgot EIN" and "Multiple EINs".
• IRS, Understanding your CP575 notice.
• IRS, Business Tax Account: EIN verification notice.