A 147C is a letter from the IRS confirming an EIN that has already been issued. It is not a new application, and it costs nothing. It exists for when you have an EIN but need official proof of it.
You will most often be asked for one by a bank or a payment processor during onboarding, or if your original EIN confirmation letter (the CP 575) has been lost. The CP 575 is only ever issued once, so a 147C is the standard replacement — losing the original is inconvenient, not a problem.
→ EIN Verification Letter : 147C
