IRS EIN Phone Number, Fax Number and Hours
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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Start Now →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, questions about an issued EIN, closing an account |
| SS-4 fax, US applicants | 855-641-6935 | Any time | Applying by fax when the online tool refuses the name or the responsible party has no SSN |
| 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, international | 855-215-1627 from inside the US, 304-707-9471 from outside | Any time | Applying by fax with no US address |
| SS-4 by mail | Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999 | n/a | Applying by mail; slowest route |
Check the IRS “where to file” page linked in the sources before faxing. The numbers above were current when this page was written, and the IRS changes fax numbers without much announcement.
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 close the EIN account if you send the written request.
It will not
Issue a new EIN to a US applicant by phone; that ended years ago and every call asking for it is redirected to the online tool or the fax route. 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 time to call
The line opens at 7 a.m. in your time zone, and the first hour is consistently the shortest wait. Mondays, the days after a federal holiday, and the weeks around the January, April and October filing deadlines are the longest. Calls made late in the day are sometimes refused with a message that the queue is full; that is not a mistake on your end, it is the queue.
Faxing Form SS-4: what actually happens
Fill the SS-4 completely, sign it, and include a return fax number on the form. The IRS faxes the EIN back to that number, typically within a few business days when the form is complete and the name does not conflict with an existing record. A fax with no return number is answered by mail, which takes weeks. If nothing comes back in two weeks, the fax usually did not go through or the form was incomplete; confirm by calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line before sending it again, because a second application for the same entity can produce a duplicate EIN. The SS-4 walkthrough covers each line.
Routes that do not exist
There is no IRS email address for EINs, no live chat, and no online lookup for your own number. 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 at 7 a.m. local time with a fax number ready and ask for it by name. The agent sends it during the call. 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 7 to 10 when the IRS requires the application by fax. One flat $197 service fee. No upsells, no subscriptions.
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Related guides
- Lost Your EIN? Find It Fast or Get a 147C Letter The CP 575 is issued once and never reissued. How to get the 147C verification letter banks accept instead, and the five places your EIN is already written down.
- IRS CP 575 Letter: What It Is and Where to Find Yours The notice the IRS issues when it assigns an EIN, created once and never reissued. What it contains, where your copy went depending on how you applied, and what banks accept instead.
- 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
EIN Registration is an independent document preparation and filing service and is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.