What Makes a Vendor Ask for a W9 Form?

A Form 1099-NEC must be given to you by the payor if you are self-employed and receive more than $600 in annual payments from either a person or a company.

This form serves as the IRS's method of income verification. Before your customer can complete your Form 1099, you must provide them with the correct taxpayer identification number. Form W-9 is the tool used to gather data.

What is Form W-9?

W9 forms are documents that clients or employers submit annually to the IRS.  It acts as proof that a company has disbursed money to someone. The W9 is a one-page document that includes a few questions.

A Social Security number is necessary in addition to the vendor's name and address. If the seller is not an individual or single proprietor, they must include their taxpayer identification number (TIN) in its place.

The aim is to record the commercial connection. You'll have a legitimate taxpayer identification number after you make reportable payments. This makes backup withholding simple.

Do My Vendors Need to Give Me a W9?

Yes. Vendors, staff, and independent contractors should all provide W9 forms to you. Essentially, any transaction in which you are the payor. Vendors must still complete one, even if they are exempt from backup withholding.

They will only enter an exempt payee code to give a record of the vendor connection. The other fields could even be left empty. You will be ready to submit your taxes when the time comes. Only international vendors are exempt from completing a W9 form.

A Form 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC must typically be completed at the end of each calendar year. This serves as a record of the sum you disbursed. However, you wouldn't have to complete the 1099 if you didn't get enough reportable payments.

Instead, W-8 forms will need to be completed by these entities. When a 1099 is required, good accounting software will notify you. Get your form from W9 sodapdf as quickly as you can. It's simpler to keep your tax records organized than to scramble to gather them at the last minute.

What Justifies a Vendor's Need for This Data?

It's simple to see why a W9 is crucial for your company. Every supplier and worker needs one. But why on earth would a supplier want that information from you? There is one case where this may occur: if you're purchasing something to resale for a commission.

For instance, if you work as a representative, they could want a W9 from you. But in that situation, you're receiving a commission from them. In other words, they request your W-9 information in their role as an employer, not a vendor.

However, this restriction will only apply if you purchase more than $5,000 in merchandise for resale. You might not even reach that amount of expenditure if you sometimes sell beauty palettes on the weekends.

Key Takeaways

Unquestionably, the W9 form is a crucial component of every firm. They must be kept on file, and you must consult them when determining tax withholding. However, there aren't many situations where a vendor asks a customer for one. The W9 is purely for employer compliance in all other situations.