You are an independent contractor and were asked to send your taxpayer info by filling out a W-9 form. We’re here to help you understand why and how to.
What is a W-9 Form?
A W-9 form is a document you were asked to fill out by a business planning to pay you for work you've done or services you've provided. It's a U.S. tax form used by the company paying you to get your correct name, address, and taxpayer identification number (TIN) — which could be your Social Security number (SSN) or your Employer Identification Number (EIN) if you have a business.
The business needs your information because they must report to the IRS how much they've paid you at the end of the year. If you're working as a freelancer or contractor, it's pretty common to fill out a W-9 form before you start a job. It's a straightforward form, but it's important because it's all about making sure taxes are handled correctly.
How to respond to the request you received
You received an email from a customer who uses Melio to manage their business bills titled: “[customer name] is requesting your taxpayer info (Form W-9)”.
Here’s what the email looks like:
1. In the email, click Add taxpayer info.
2. You’ll be directed to Add your tax info page.
3. Choose how to provide the details: Enter taxpayer info or Upload W-9 (PDF).
Enter details:
1. Select the option Enter taxpayer info.
Melio users can easily e-file 1099 forms using Melio’s sync with Tax1099*. To learn more about this, please see our 1099 e-filling with Tax1099 guide.
* Standard Tax1099 fees apply
2. Under What type of recipient are you? select Business or Individual, and enter your full name. Click Next.
3. Under What’s your Address? Enter your business address. Click Next.
4. Under What’s your Tax Identification? select Social Security Number or Employment Identification number and add it. Click Next.
5. Under What’s your federal tax classification? select the right one from the dropdown list. The options are:
- Individual/Sole proprietor or single-member LLC
- C corporation
- S corporation
- Partnership
- Trust/estate
- Limited liability company
- Other
6. Click Next.
7. Under Share tax exempt payee details, select from the dropdown lists if you have an exempt payee code and FATCA reporting Exempt code. Click Next.
8. Under List your account number(s), enter all your account numbers. Click Next.
9. Next, check the box to agree with the certification.
10. Click Submit & Finish.
Your complete form will be returned as a PDF file to the person who requested that you complete the form.
Upload a file:
You can upload a completed W-9 form as a PDF file.
1. Under Upload W-9, click Choose PDF file.
2. Select a file from your device.
3. Click Upload W-9 (PDF) to finish.
That’s it. Your information was sent to your customer.