What a W-9 actually does
A W-9 is the IRS form that businesses use to collect your taxpayer identification number (TIN) — your SSN if you're an individual, or your EIN if you have a business. The requester needs it to issue you a 1099 at year end if they paid you $600 or more. Filling out a W-9 doesn't trigger any tax event; it just records who you are.
Sections explained
- Line 1 — Name: your legal name as it appears on your tax return
- Line 2 — Business name: only if you have a separate business name (DBA)
- Line 3 — Federal tax classification: Individual / Sole Prop / C Corp / S Corp / Partnership / LLC / Trust
- Line 4 — Exemptions: usually blank for individuals
- Lines 5–6 — Address: where the requester will mail the 1099
- Part I — TIN: SSN for individuals, EIN for businesses
- Part II — Certification: signature + date
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong year's W-9 (always use the current IRS version)
- Filling in 'Business name' when you don't have one (leave Line 2 blank)
- Putting EIN where SSN goes (or vice versa) — match what you actually have registered with the IRS
- Forgetting to sign — unsigned W-9s are returned
Privacy
W-9s contain your SSN, which is sensitive. Send via secure email (encrypted), the requester's secure portal, or password-protect the PDF before sending. Don't text or send via DM.