IRS EIN Phone Number: Which Line to Call, and What It Can Do
Last updated November 1, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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Business and Specialty Tax Line, 800-829-4933
Mon to Fri 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., your local time
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International EIN line, 267-941-1099
Mon to Fri 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern (not toll-free)
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For the online application’s hours as well, in your time zone, use the live IRS EIN hours tool.
Every IRS EIN contact route
| Route | Number | Hours | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Specialty Tax Line | 800-829-4933 | Mon to Fri, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local | Lost EIN, 147C letter, status of a faxed or mailed SS-4, questions about an issued EIN |
| International phone line | 267-941-1099 (not toll-free) | Mon to Fri, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern | Applying by phone when the business has no US address |
| SS-4 fax (Fax-TIN) | 855-641-6935 in the 50 states and DC; 855-215-1627 or 304-707-9471 otherwise | Any time | Applying by fax; which number, what to send and what comes back are in the fax guide |
Checked against IRS.gov on November 1, 2026. The SS-4 instructions say the fax numbers may change without notice.
What to have ready before you call
- The entity’s exact legal name as it appears on the CP 575 or the state filing.
- The address the IRS has on file, which is the one from the original SS-4 unless you filed Form 8822-B since.
- Your own name, title, and SSN or ITIN. The agent verifies you are an owner, officer, partner or trustee before saying anything.
- A fax number you can receive at, if you want a 147C during the call rather than by mail. An online fax service works.
- For a business you represent rather than own: a Form 2848 or 8821 already on file with the IRS, or the agent will decline.
What the phone line will and will not do
It will
Read your EIN to a verified authorized person, send a 147C letter by fax or mail, confirm which legal name and address are on file, explain a notice you received about the EIN, and confirm the EIN on an application you faxed once the IRS has processed it.
It will not
Issue a new EIN to a US applicant by phone; the SS-4 instructions say only international applicants can receive an EIN by telephone. It will not look up another company’s EIN, will not send anything by email, and will not talk to anyone who is not on the account or authorized on a filed form.
Hold times and the best days to call
The IRS publishes its own averages: about 8 minutes from January to April and about 15 minutes from May to December. It says waits are shorter Wednesday to Friday and longer on Mondays and Tuesdays, over the Presidents Day weekend and around the April filing deadline. Neither line has weekend hours, and the IRS says its offices are closed on federal holidays.
Faxing Form SS-4 instead
The fax line has no hours and no hold queue. Send the completed SS-4 with a fax number you can receive at, and the IRS faxes back a cover sheet with the EIN on it rather than your form. If nothing has come back after about 11 business days, call 800-829-4933 to have the number confirmed by phone, which beats sending the form again: a second application for the same entity can produce a duplicate EIN. The guide to applying by fax has the numbers by location and the usual reasons nothing comes back.
Routes that do not exist
There is no IRS email address for EINs, no live chat, and no lookup for another company’s number. Some businesses can now download their own EIN notice from an IRS Business Tax Account, and the EIN confirmation letter guide explains who qualifies. Any website offering an “IRS EIN lookup” is either searching public filings of other companies or guessing. The IRS also does not text. If you receive a message claiming to be the IRS about your EIN, it is not.
Quick answers
Can I call the IRS to get a new EIN?
Only if the business has no US address, through the international line. Everyone else applies online, by fax or by mail.
What is the fastest way to get a 147C letter?
Call 800-829-4933 with a fax number ready and ask for it by name. The agent can fax it during the call; by mail the IRS manual tells agents to quote 10 to 14 business days. The 147C guide has the script.
Is there a different number for trusts and estates?
No. Trustees and executors use the same Business and Specialty Tax Line, and the same verification applies: the agent checks that you are the fiduciary named on the SS-4.
Get Your EIN the Easy Way
Answer a few questions in about 5 minutes. Our specialists prepare your IRS Form SS-4, file it, personally handle any rejection or name conflict along the way, and get your EIN to you, typically within 2 to 4 business days, or about 11 when the IRS requires the application by fax. One flat $197 service fee. No upsells, no subscriptions.
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Related guides
- Lost EIN? How to Get an IRS 147C Verification Letter The 147C is the letter the IRS sends to confirm an existing EIN when the CP 575 is gone. Who may ask, the exact call, fax or mail delivery, and the five places your EIN is already written down.
- EIN Confirmation Letter: CP 575 vs 147C vs the Digital CP 575 Three IRS documents prove an EIN, and which one you can get depends on how you applied and how your business files. Who gets each, how it arrives, how long it takes, the 30-day rule, and what banks accept.
- How to Apply for an EIN by Fax: SS-4 Fax Numbers and What Comes Back 855-641-6935 for the 50 states and DC, two other numbers for everyone else. What to send, how long the IRS takes, the cover sheet it faxes back, the designee signature rule, and what to do when nothing comes back.
- How to Get an EIN Number: 4 Ways, Step by Step Online, fax, mail, and the international phone line. Real timelines, what you need, and what can go wrong.
- How to Get an EIN Without an SSN Foreign founders can get an EIN with no SSN and no ITIN, just not through the IRS online tool. The route that works.
- IRS EIN Online Application Not Working? Every Cause and Fix Closed hours, session timeouts, the one per day rule, browser traps and the reference numbers, in the order to check them. Plus the method that does not depend on the website at all.
Sources
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.