CP-575

What is the CP-575 letter?

The letter the IRS posts to confirm your EIN. Banks and payment providers often ask to see it. It goes to the mailing address on the application. A reliable, authorised US address is recommended; foreign addresses are allowed.

When the IRS assigns an EIN it posts a confirmation notice, CP-575, showing the number and the company name exactly as the IRS now holds them. It is the document a bank means when it asks for “EIN confirmation”.

Two things about it catch people out. It is posted, on paper, to the mailing address on the application — so if that address does not work, the letter does not arrive. Confirm that your address provider accepts and forwards IRS letters. International mail can be delayed or lost. It is issued once: the IRS will not print another.

None of that stops you using the EIN. The number is live from the moment it is assigned, and you can open accounts with it before the letter turns up.