IRS

Form W-9

Rev. Mar 2024

Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

Provides your TIN (SSN or EIN) to requester for income reporting. Required for freelancers, contractors, and businesses.

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Plain English

Form W-9 is how you give your Taxpayer ID number to someone who needs to report payments they made to you — like a client, bank, or investment firm. You fill it out and give it to them; you don't file it with the IRS.

Quick Facts

Who: Independent contractors, freelancers, vendors, landlords, and anyone who receives $600+ from a payer in a year.
What: A simple information form that provides your name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number to a requester for 1099 reporting purposes.
When: Before the first payment is made — whenever a new client or payer asks for it before issuing payment.
Where: Given directly to the requester (client, employer, financial institution), not filed with the IRS.
Why: The IRS requires payers to collect your TIN so they can report income paid to you via Forms 1099 (NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, etc.).
How: Enter your legal name, business name (if different), tax classification, address, and your SSN or EIN. Sign and date.

Common Risks & Mistakes

  • •Using wrong tax classification — sole proprietor ≠ LLC ≠ S-Corp affects how income is reported
  • •Entering incorrect TIN or SSN — triggers backup withholding (24%) and delays payments
  • •Failing to update when address or name changes — 1099 may be mailed to wrong address
  • •Leaving required fields blank — incomplete W-9 may be rejected by payer
  • •Confusing W-9 with W-4 — W-9 is for independent contractors, W-4 is for employees
  • •Signing without reading the certification — certifying under penalty of perjury

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Field-by-Field Guide

Line 1
NameREQUIREDtext

Name as shown on your income tax return. Must match IRS records exactly. Do not leave blank.

Line 2
Business Name / DBAtext

Business name or 'doing business as' name if different from Line 1. Leave blank if same.

Line 3
Federal Tax ClassificationREQUIREDselect

Check ONE: Individual/sole proprietor, C Corporation, S Corporation, Partnership, Trust/estate, LLC, or Other.

Line 4
Exemptionstext

Most individuals leave blank. Corporations check for backup withholding and FATCA exemption codes if applicable.

Line 5-6
AddressREQUIREDtext

Number, street, apt/suite, city, state, ZIP. Used for requester to send Form 1099.

Line 7
Requester's Name and Addresstext

Optional. The name and address of the person/entity requesting this W-9.

Part I
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)REQUIREDssn

Enter SSN (individuals) or EIN (businesses). Must be correct — IRS penalties for incorrect TIN.

e.g. SSN: 000-00-0000 or EIN: 00-0000000
Part II
Certification SignatureREQUIREDsignature

By signing, you certify your TIN is correct and you are not subject to backup withholding.

DateREQUIREDdate

Date of signature (MM/DD/YYYY).

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Form Stats

9
Fields
6
Required
8
Sections

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Disclaimer: We do not provide legal advice. We translate legal language into plain English and help you prepare for a conversation with a lawyer.