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W-9 Form

The W-9 form (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number) is used by businesses to collect vendor tax information for 1099 reporting.

Compliance and tax documentsAlso known as: Request for Taxpayer Identification Number, TIN Request

Issued by

IRS (completed by vendor)

Received by

Buyer/Paying Entity

How long to keep it

4 years

IRS: Forms and associated taxes for independent contractors

When it's used

Vendor setup
1099 reporting
Tax compliance

Legal significance

A business collects a W-9 to get the vendor's taxpayer identification number for Form 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC. For most of those payments made after December 31, 2025, the reporting threshold is $2,000 a year, up from $600. Some 1099-MISC payments, such as royalties, keep lower thresholds.

What goes on it

Field	Description	Required
Legal Name	Name as shown on tax return	Yes
Business Name	DBA or trade name if different	No
Federal Tax Classification	Individual, LLC, Corporation, etc.	Yes
Exemptions	Backup withholding and FATCA exemptions	No
Address	Street address, city, state, ZIP	Yes
TIN	SSN or EIN (Employer Identification Number)Example: XX-XXXXXXX	Yes
Signature	Certification of accuracy under penalty of perjury	Yes
Date	Date signed	Yes

Official sources

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