How to Fill Out a W9 Form as an Individual

Two options are available in this section. You can enter your Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). Typically, you specify your SSN when filing as an individual or individual member LLC. Use your EIN when filing a multi-member LLC that is classified as a corporation or partnership. If you are a sole proprietor, you can use one of the two numbers, but your SSN is preferable. Welcome to this IRS video on how to fill out Form W-9. The information presented here is current at the time of presentation. This material is not an official guide. All the stories, names, characters and incidents described in this production are fictional. Identification with real people (living or deceased), places, buildings and products is not planned or should be derived.

We register and maintain this program in accordance with federal record-keeping legislation. Now, let`s get started. There are 18 different 1099 forms, each related to the type of income. This includes freelance or contract income, but also income from real estate sales, debt relief, pension contributions, etc. The amount you need to report depends on the type of income, starting at just $10 for interest earnings and up to $20,000 for special credit card transactions. Now, if you carefully read the fine print in the W-9 instructions, it seems to indicate that most people don`t need to sign this form at all. You usually only need to sign it if the IRS has informed you that you have previously provided an incorrect TIN. Aside from the technical details, the person who asked you to fill out Form W-9 will likely consider it incomplete or invalid if you haven`t signed it, and good luck trying to convince them otherwise. For the 2018 tax year, a tax form 1099 is only required for payments over $600.

Income under $600 should still only be included on a person`s annual tax forms. Your customer, bank or other financial institution will have to send you a W-9 itself if you need to fill out one. If you think you need to fill one out, it`s probably already on the way. You can also find a PDF version on the IRS website. Note that you are not sending this form to the IRS. You send it to the employers who have asked you to. While it`s relatively easy to fill out a W-9, always check that your information is complete and accurate. If you don`t know how to fill out something, you should look for a tax advisor to help you understand your taxes. Form W-9 is an irs tax form that is completed by providing information about a freelancer or entrepreneur, including name, address, and Tax Identification Number (TIN).

The company that employs freelancers and entrepreneurs uses the information to prepare Form 1099-MISC and report to the Internal Revenue Service the amount of income paid to the entrepreneur or freelancer. All FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) codes on the form are correct. U.S. citizens require U.S. citizens to declare foreign financial assets held outside the United States. If you are the recipient of the payments specified in box 5 or field 7 for non-employee compensation on Form 1099-MISC, you must provide your correct TIN. You must sign the certification if you have been informed that the TIN previously provided is incorrect, or if there is a problem with the information provided to the IRS at an earlier time. Protect confidential information by sending it via encrypted email, manual delivery, or mail. Step 5: Provide your address, city, state, and zip code. What happens if your home address is different from your business`s? What address do you need to provide on Form W-9? Use the address you will use on your tax return. For example, if you are a sole proprietor who rents offices but files your tax return with your home address, enter your home address on Form W-9 so that the IRS has no problem matching your 1099 with your Form 1040.

If you work as a freelancer or independent contractor, most of your clients should ask you to complete Form W-9, Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Certification. This form helps companies obtain important information from their suppliers to prepare information returns for the IRS. Businesses must file information returns using Form 1099-MISC if they pay a freelancer or independent contractor a total of $600 or more during the year. The title of Form W-9 is officially Application for Taxpayer Identification number and certification. Employers use this form to obtain the Tax Identification Number (TIN) from entrepreneurs, freelancers and sellers. The form also contains other personal data such as your name and address. One of your clients asked you to fill out a W-9 form before you could pay. Why do they need this form that asks for your tax classification and tax identification number! The short answer is – the IRS. The IRS requires businesses to add up all “reportable” payments made to suppliers and independent contractors during the calendar year and report these payments to the IRS. This requirement is similar to how companies must report all wages paid to employees. Form W-9 – Application for Tax Identification and Certification Number – is a commonly used IRS form. If you have your own business or work as an independent contractor, a client may ask you to complete and send a W-9 so that they can accurately prepare your Form 1099-NEC and report the payments they make to you at the end of the year.

Since companies that hire independent contractors do not withhold income taxes and FICA taxes, it is up to the self-employed to meet these IRS tax obligations. You can cross out point 2 when you complete Form W-9 as part of a real estate transaction. Point 2 does not apply in this case, so it does not matter whether you are subject to the retention monies. If you are not a U.S. person, you should not use this form. You will likely need to submit Form W-8. There are four common situations where you may need to fill out a Form W-9 and send it to someone: These payments are usually reported to the IRS on Form 1096 and to the seller or independent contractor on Form 1099. The combination of your tax classification (for example. B, individual, company or LLC) and the type of payment made (para. B payments for services, attorneys` fees, or rent) determines what must be reported to the IRS.

Payments for “services” to “individuals” must be reported. However, most payments to “businesses” for “services” are not reportable. Your Social Security number or employer identification number is required to specifically identify you to the IRS. Part II – Certification: Sign and date your form. What if your business is new and doesn`t have an ON? You can still fill out Form W-9. The IRS says you should ask for your number and write “requested” in the field for the TIN. You should receive this number as soon as possible, as you will be subject to a security hold until you do. You can apply for an EIN on the IRS website.

For more information about retaining backups, see the following instructions for Step 8, Part II. Line 4 – Exceptions: If you are exempt from withholding backups, enter your tax code for the exempt beneficiary in the first field. If you are exempt from FATCA reporting, enter your exception to the FATCA reporting code in the second field. In general, individuals (including sole proprietors) are not exempt from keeping backups. For more information about exceptions, see the “Specific Instructions” in line 4 illustrated with Form W-9. Form W-9 must be completed by self-employed individuals such as independent contractors, suppliers, freelancers and consultants. This form allows companies to keep track of their external employees. As an entrepreneur or freelancer, you may have completed assignments for multiple companies. This means that you may need to fill out several W-9 forms per year. Form W-9 – Application for Tax Identification and Certification Number – is a commonly used IRS form for business owners and independent contractors. Find out why you might be asked to fill out a W-9 and how exactly to do it. Please do not enter any personal data.

Your comment is voluntary and remains anonymous, so we do not collect any information that would allow us to respond to requests. If your entity is exempt from the backup exclusion, fill in the first line with your code. This should apply to most entities. However, if your business is not, the company that hired you for your services must withhold income tax from your salary at a flat rate of 24% and send it to the IRS. This is called security retention. When you start a new job, there is a lot of paperwork to fill out, from direct deposit documents and benefit deposits to your Form W-4. But if you`re an entrepreneur or self-employed, income tax works a little differently. You must continue to report your income to the IRS, and businesses that use your services must also report that income. This is where the W-9 form comes in. This section defines how you, the independent contractor, are classified with respect to federal taxes. You will check the first box if you file a return as an individual, sole proprietor, or limited liability company (LLC) that is owned by an individual and is not considered for U.S. federal tax purposes.

A sole proprietorship operates under the owner`s social security number and has not been registered as another type of business. Taxes apply to LLCs with a single member in the same way. Employers should also not ask you for a W-9. .