Fill Out IRS Form W-9 Online
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
Internal Revenue Service
Provides a taxpayer identification number to businesses and payers that must report payments made to you to the IRS.
Reviewed July 2026
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IRS Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, is the standard way to give your correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) to a business or other payer that has to report payments made to you. Freelancers, independent contractors, landlords, and vendors are asked for it constantly, because the requester needs your TIN before it can file information returns such as the 1099 series.
You can open Form W-9 in the Universal PDF editor, type your answers directly into the form, add your signature, and download the completed PDF. That gives you a clean, legible copy to send to whoever requested it, instead of a scanned sheet of handwriting.
What is Form W-9 used for
A W-9 collects your name, federal tax classification, address, and TIN so the requester can report certain payments and transactions to the IRS. Common triggers include payments for services performed as an independent contractor, rent, real estate transactions, mortgage interest, cancellation of debt, and contributions to an IRA.
The form also contains a certification. By signing, you confirm that the TIN you provided is correct, that you are a U.S. person for tax purposes, and that you are not subject to backup withholding unless you indicate otherwise. If you fail to provide a valid TIN, the payer may be required to withhold tax from your payments at the current backup withholding rate.
Who needs to file Form W-9
Strictly speaking, nobody files a W-9 with the IRS. You complete it and return it to the person or business that asked for it, and they keep it on file to prepare their information returns. It is intended for U.S. persons, which includes U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and entities such as corporations, partnerships, and LLCs created in the United States.
If you are not a U.S. person, a W-9 is usually the wrong form. Foreign individuals generally use Form W-8BEN and foreign entities generally use Form W-8BEN-E instead.
How to fill out Form W-9
The March 2024 revision is the current version of the form. Working from the top:
- Line 1: your legal name as shown on your income tax return. This line must not be left blank.
- Line 2: your business name, trade name, or disregarded entity name if it differs from line 1.
- Line 3a: check exactly one federal tax classification, such as individual/sole proprietor, C corporation, S corporation, partnership, trust/estate, or LLC with its tax classification code.
- Line 3b: a newer checkbox for partnerships, trusts, or estates that have foreign partners, owners, or beneficiaries, used when the form is given to a flow-through entity.
- Line 4: exemption codes, which only apply to certain payees such as some corporations and exempt organizations. Most individuals leave this blank.
- Lines 5 and 6: your street address, city, state, and ZIP code where the requester should mail your information returns.
- Part I: your TIN. Individuals and sole proprietors usually enter a Social Security number, while entities usually enter an employer identification number.
- Part II: sign and date to certify the information is accurate.
Where to send it
Return the completed W-9 to the requester, not to the IRS. Because the form contains your TIN, send it through a secure channel and keep a copy for your records. A new W-9 is only needed when your information changes, for example a new name, address, TIN, or tax classification.
Frequently asked questions
No. You give the completed form to the business or person who requested it. They use it to prepare information returns, and the IRS only sees the data indirectly through those returns.
Any U.S. person asked for a TIN by a payer that must report payments to the IRS. That commonly includes freelancers, contractors, vendors, landlords receiving reportable payments, and account holders at financial institutions.
The payer may be required to apply backup withholding to your payments at the rate currently set by law, and you may face penalties for failing to furnish a correct TIN. Check the current backup withholding rate on the official IRS website.
Sole proprietors may use either, though the IRS generally prefers the SSN in that case. Corporations, partnerships, and multi-member LLCs use their EIN. Enter whichever number matches the name on line 1.
There is no fixed expiration. It remains usable until the information on it changes, at which point the requester should ask for an updated form.
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