What is a W-9 form?
Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, is an IRS document used to give your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to a person or business that will pay you. It is most often requested from freelancers, independent contractors, and vendors.
The payer uses the information on your W-9 to report what they paid you to the IRS, typically on a Form 1099 at the end of the year. The current version is the one marked Rev. March 2024, and it is the template loaded here.
What is a W-9 form used for?
Filling out a W-9 is essential for accurate tax documentation. Here is what it does:
- Provides your Taxpayer Identification Number to the entities that pay you.
- Certifies your U.S. person status for tax purposes.
- Confirms whether you are exempt from backup withholding. Without it, a payer may withhold 24% of your payment.
What information is required?
Before you start, have the following ready:
- Your full legal name, as shown on your tax return.
- Your business name or disregarded entity name, if different.
- Your federal tax classification (individual, sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, or partnership).
- Your mailing address.
- Your Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN).
How to fill out a W-9
Open the form above and work through it line by line:
- Line 1: enter your name.
- Line 2: enter a business name if you have one.
- Line 3: check the box for your tax classification.
- Line 4: add exemption codes only if they apply to you.
- Lines 5 and 6: enter your address, city, state, and ZIP.
- Part I: enter your SSN or EIN.
- Part II: sign and date to certify the information.
The editor guides you field by field, so you will not miss a required box.
Who needs to fill one out?
You typically complete a W-9 when a business needs your taxpayer information to report payments to the IRS. Common situations include:
- Working as a freelancer or independent contractor.
- Providing services as a vendor or consultant.
- Earning interest, dividends, or other reportable income.
- Opening certain financial accounts.
When is it not required?
You do not need to send a W-9 to someone who is not paying you, and you should be cautious about sharing it. A legitimate request comes from a client, payer, or financial institution you actually do business with. If you are an employee, you fill out a Form W-4 instead, not a W-9.
When is a W-9 due?
There is no fixed IRS deadline for a W-9. You provide it whenever a payer requests it, ideally before they make the first payment. Returning it promptly helps the payer issue an accurate Form 1099 and avoids backup withholding on your payments.
Where to get a blank W-9
A blank, current W-9 is a public-domain document published by the IRS. You can use the official Rev. March 2024 template loaded on this page, fill it in, and download it without visiting any government site or creating an account.
How to sign it online
You can sign your W-9 electronically right in the editor. Draw, type, or upload your signature, place it in Part II, add the date, and your certification is complete. The signed PDF is ready to send.
Where to send it
Send your completed W-9 directly to the person or business that requested it, never to the IRS. Share it through a secure channel the requester provides, such as an encrypted email or a document portal, because the form contains sensitive information.
lumr is not affiliated with the IRS. Form W-9 is a public-domain document of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
