,
5 Earnings, and
6 Foreign Earned Income.
7 Type of taxpayer.
8 For married filing jointly; See Additional Instructions, at
9 For married filing separately; see Additional Instructions, , page 3.
10 Number of dependents.
11 Number of qualifying dependents.
12 Number of spouse-dependents.
13 Number of child's/children's/minor's qualifying dependents.
14 Maximum amount.
15 Form 1040X, U.S. Individual Income Tax
Tax Form, (return), (including applicable schedules),
(including additional forms for the following taxpayers:
(1) Married/common-law spouse and qualifying spouse(s) who are
(a) married/common-law taxpayers for the
(b) First and Second income years; or
(c) Married/common-law taxpayers (or surviving
(e) spouse for the First and Second income
(f) Third and Fourth income years);
(g) Surviving spouse (for any of the
(h) Fifth and Sixth income years); and/or
(i) Surviving spouse who is not a student, employee or
(j) Surviving spouse (or surviving spouse who is
(k) A dependent in the custody or possession of another
(1) In the case of a surviving spouse whose spouse is not
(2) In the case of a survivor in the case of
(3) In the case of an individual whose surviving spouse's spouse
(4) Other.
18 No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 21, 32, 35,
21-24, 26, 28-29, 33-35, 45, 47, 48,
52, 53(e), 53(f), 56(e), 57, 58, 59-61, 63A,
64A, 66A, 67, 68A, 69A, 74, 75, 77A, 78A,
(1), 79, 80-81, 83, 85-86, 87, 90-91, 89A/92
(2), 93-94, 95, 96-102, 104, 106, 108-111, 113, 114, 115, 136
(3), 138(a),139,141A, 145-153, 157, 158-159, 179-181,
182-183;
36, 182(a), 183A, 185
Being self-employed in the U.S. has its drawbacks and benefits. On one hand, you’re able to choose
your own working
schedule and take back control over your free time. Still, this doesn’t mean you don’t have any
obligations.
Reporting your earnings and submitting all the necessary tax documents is now your sole
responsibility. That’s why
it’s important to keep your paperwork organized while being aware of the tax rules and deadlines
imposed by the
IRS.
How To Guide
How to fill out a W-9 Form
- Click the orange button Fill Online to load W-9 Form.
- Wait until the form is loaded and a pop-up window appears.
- In the pop-up window click on Watch Video if you need step-by-step instructions on how to
fill the form.
- Fill out colored fields only. Click on the field and wait until notification Please enter
text appears --> insert the relevant information.
- Move to the next fillable field by clicking on Next in the pop-up window.
- Once you have completed all the fields of the form click Done on the right top corner.
- Choose from a variety of options: to print W-9, save to the device, share, sent via email,
etc.
The W-9 is a single-page IRS tax document also known as the
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and
Certification.
Along with other information returns required by the IRS, Form W-9 is one of the most frequently
used tax
reporting documents in the United States. Although the form itself doesn’t have to be sent to the
IRS, it contains
important information which regulates the relationship between employers and employees. Let’s take a
closer look at
Form W-9 and find out more about its peculiarities.
Typically, a W-9 is used when a company or business receive services from a freelance contractor.
That’s why every
employer in the U.S. has to provide a Form W-9 to each self-employed worker i.e. independent
contractor, LLC
contractor, vendor, freelancer or invited consultant they hire. The contractor, in return, has to
fill out and
submit the W-9 and send it back to the employer who is obliged to keep the form for several years.
Technically
speaking, the W-9 serves as confirmation that a newly hired contractor is responsible for paying his
or her own
income tax and for covering Medicare and Social Security.
As mentioned above, the form doesn’t have to be sent to the Internal Revenue Service. Instead, it is
sent to your
employer or the human resources department of the company you work for. The information provided on
the W-9 is used
by employers to fill out another tax document known as the Form 1099. Subsequently, it enables the
IRS to match
independent contractors’ earnings with their annual income tax using the W-9.
The form contains all the necessary details about a self-employed person, i.e. his or her name,
business name (if
applicable), address, social security number (or employer identification number) followed by a
signature and the
date the document was completed. By signing the completed Form W-9 you certify that all the
identifying information
provided on the form is correct and that you’re exempt from backup withholding.
W-9’s are usually updated once a year. However, in some cases, an unscheduled form review may also
take place at the
behest of the employer. For instance, your W-9 may be reviewed when your contact information (i.e.
name, business
name, address) or tax ID number changes and has to be updated.
Find more information about completing a W-9 on WikiHow.
Who Needs to Fill Out a W-9?
Usually, one is considered a candidate for a W-9 if he or she was hired by a company or business to
work on a
freelance basis or short-term project. Another condition is that in order to fall under the “W-9
category”, your
yearly income should exceed $600. Also, in some cases, a business or individual may ask you to fill
out the W-9 to
report estate transactions, debt cancellations, mortgage interest payments or acquisition of secured
property
If you provide professional services to more than one company or business, you may have to fill out
several forms.
It’s also important to check your status with the company or employer you’re working for and make
sure you’re
classified as a freelancer, not a full-time employee. Otherwise, the company may unexpectedly send
you a W-4 instead
of a W-9.
When am I exempt from Filling Out a W-9?
Freelance workers should be aware of cases when filling out a W-9 is not a good idea. For instance,
you might receive
a W-9 from an unexpected source and it’s important to know what to do in this situation. First of
all, you have to
ensure that an individual or business asking you to complete a W-9 has an appropriate reason for
this.
It’s a well-known fact that some monetary institutions (i.e. banks) use the W-9 each time they want
to report
dividends at the end of the year. The problem here is that, most likely, the financial institution
already knows
your tax ID number which means that completing and submitting Form W-9 in your case is totally
useless.
In most cases, a business or financial institution provides you with a blank Form W-9 that you need
to fill out
before cooperation is established. The blank W-9 is available for
download at the IRS website.
Finally, there’s a convenient and simple way to fill out a fillable Form W-9 sample online via
pdfFiller.
Completing the form online is a straightforward procedure. The detailed instructions about how to
correctly fill out
your W-9 are available on pages 2-6 of the form. The video below features step-by-step instructions
on how to
effortlessly process your W-9:
Video instructions and help with filling out and completing
w9 form 2023
W-9 and its Components
The W-9 is quite short, less than one page long. It consists of 7 lines and 2 parts followed by the date and signature fields. Here’s what you need to know when filling out your W-9:
- Line 1. The form starts with the Name field. Provide your full name and make sure it’s spelled correctly (the spelling should be identical with other tax forms you’ve filled out).
- Line 2. The Business Name field. You should only fill out this section of the W-9 if you own a business and your business name (trade name, DBA name, entity name) is different from the one indicated in Line 1 of the form.
- Line 3. Tax classification. In this line you should indicate your tax status according to the IRS classification. Depending on whether you fill out the form as an individual, corporation, limited liability company (LLC), partnership or trust/estate, check the respective box below. Only one box has to be checked in this line.
- Line 4. Exemptions. If your entity is exempt from backup withholding, fill in the first line with your code. If you are exempt from reporting required by the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), fill in the second line. Note that individuals do not fill out this section.
- Line 5. Address. In this line you should enter your address (street and apartment number) so your employer could mail you information returns and notifications.
- Line 6. Enter your state, city and ZIP code.
- Line 7. Account numbers. Here you can list any additional account numbers your employer might need. If you don’t have any, leave this section blank.
The second part of the form contains all the necessary personal details used by your employer to report the earnings paid to you. This section has to be filled out as follows:
- Part I. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). You have two options here. Provide your Social Security Number if you fill out the form as an individual or single-member LLC or the Employment Identification Number if you fill out the form as a corporation or partnership. In case you’re a sole proprietor, both numbers could be filled in. Resident aliens who aren’t eligible for a SSN are allowed to indicate their TIN instead.
- Part II. Certification. The last but not the least important part of your W-9 which confirms that the data you’ve entered is correct. Revise your document and make sure everything is correct, then sign your Form W-9 and insert the current date in the respective field.
Typical Questions about Form W-9
When should you update or send out a new W-9?
It is mandatory to provide your employer or client with a new W-9 every time your personal or business details (Social Security Number) change. For instance, if you move, your address will be different and the employer won’t be able to reach you. You may also have changed your name after getting married, etc.
What to do if you receive a request for a W-9 from an unexpected source?
According to the law, you are not obliged to fill out and sign a Form W-9 if an individual or company who mailed it to you doesn’t have a legal reason to ask you for it. If you receive a W-9 from an unexpected source, the best decision would be to ask them, if possible, why they want you to fill out a W-9. If the answer is unclear, or there’s no answer at all, you have a legal right to refuse to complete the form.
Remember that keeping your personal information safe is crucial for your business. It is recommended that you verify that every request for a W-9 is legitimate before (not after) completing and sending out your copy of the form.
Even if you receive a W-9 from a trusted source, it’s in your interest to complete the form and send it back in the most secure way possible. That’s why you may want to try filling out an electronic fillable template online at w9.pdffiller.com.
Submit your tax papers electronically and rest assured your personal information is safe.
What if I fail to submit my Form W-9?
You’re required to fill out every W-9 form requested by an individual or business you’re providing professional services for. If an employer or business partner requests a W-9 from you and you don’t submit one, you may be subject to backup withholding. In this case, the employer has a right to withhold 28 percent of the money you’ve earned and forward this information to the IRS.
Make sure you’ve accurately completed your document and submitted it on time. Double check the information on the form. Providing an incorrect TIN may cause severe penalties and lead to issues with your payments or tax return.
What is w9?
Form W-9 is used in the United States income tax system by a third party who must file an information return with the Internal Revenue Service. It requests the name, address, and taxpayer identification information of a taxpayer.