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W-9 Filing Helper

The single most common W-9 mistake: single-member LLCs putting their LLC name + EIN when they should use individual name + SSN. This walkthrough picks the right boxes for your entity type and produces a printable summary.

⚠️ This is filing guidance, not the form itself. Download the official IRS Form W-9 (Rev. Oct 2018) at irs.gov and fill it in based on the summary below. Always use the official IRS PDF.

— Your entity type
— Your details (optional)
Fields are optional — entering them produces a more complete summary. Nothing is sent to our servers.

Enter only the last 4 to keep your full TIN out of the summary text.

— Filing summary
CLASSIFICATION
Individual / sole proprietor

Individual / sole proprietor (Box 1, item "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC")

Line-by-line
  • Line 1 (Name)[Your legal name (matches your SSN)]
  • Line 2 (DBA)[Optional: your DBA / business name on Line 2]
  • Line 3 (Classification)Individual / sole proprietor
  • Line 5 (Address)[your address]
  • Line 6 (City, ST, ZIP)[city, state, ZIP]
  • Part I (TIN)SSN
  • Part IISign + date
📋 TIN guidance

Use your Social Security Number unless you specifically applied for an EIN as a sole prop. Most sole props use SSN.

⚠️ Common pitfalls for this entity type
  • Do NOT put your business DBA on Line 1 — that goes on Line 2
  • Do NOT check the LLC box if you're not actually an LLC
  • Address must match where you file taxes, not necessarily your business address
Printable summary
W-9 filing summary — Individual / sole proprietor

Line 1 (Name):           [Your legal name (matches your SSN)]
Line 2 (DBA):            [Optional: your DBA / business name on Line 2]
Line 3 (Classification): Check "Individual / sole proprietor"
Line 5 (Address):        [your address]
Line 6 (City, ST ZIP):   [city, state, ZIP]
Part I (TIN):            SSN
Part II:                 Sign + date

TIN guidance: Use your Social Security Number unless you specifically applied for an EIN as a sole prop. Most sole props use SSN.

Common pitfalls:
- Do NOT put your business DBA on Line 1 — that goes on Line 2
- Do NOT check the LLC box if you're not actually an LLC
- Address must match where you file taxes, not necessarily your business address

Download official IRS Form W-9: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf
Download official IRS W-9 PDF
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What a W-9 actually is (and isn't)

A W-9 is a tax form the IRS uses to collect taxpayer information from US-based independent contractors. The client requesting it needs to issue you a 1099-NEC at year-end if they paid you $600+. The W-9 gives them your name, address, and TIN (Tax Identification Number — either an SSN or EIN) so they can fill out the 1099 correctly.

A W-9 is NOT a tax payment, it's NOT a contract, it's NOT submitted to the IRS by you (the client keeps it on file). It's purely an information-collection form. Filing it incorrectly doesn't cost you tax — but it can cause your client to issue an incorrect 1099, which then triggers IRS notices that you have to clean up.

  • Who fills it out: YOU (the freelancer / contractor / vendor).
  • Who keeps it: the client requesting it. Not submitted to the IRS by you.
  • What triggers it: a US client paying you $600+ in a calendar year.
  • What it produces: lets the client issue you a correct 1099-NEC at year-end.
  • How long is it good for: until your info changes (name, address, business structure, TIN). Then file a new one.

The single most common W-9 mistake

If you're a single-member LLC with default tax treatment (no S-Corp election filed), you put YOUR INDIVIDUAL NAME on Line 1 and use YOUR SSN — not the LLC name and not the LLC's EIN. The IRS treats single-member LLCs as "disregarded entities" — for tax purposes, they don't exist; the income flows directly to your individual return.

Get this wrong and the 1099 your client issues will have a name/TIN mismatch with what the IRS sees on your return. The IRS sends a CP2000 notice ("we noticed unreported income") and you have to spend an afternoon writing a response.

Counter-intuitive but correct: even if you formed an LLC specifically to look more "professional", you still use your individual name + SSN on the W-9 unless you actively filed Form 2553 to elect S-Corp treatment.

  • Single-member LLC, no S-Corp election: individual name + SSN. The LLC name goes on Line 2, not Line 1.
  • Single-member LLC WITH S-Corp election: LLC name + LLC's EIN. Write "S" in the LLC tax classification box.
  • Multi-member LLC: always uses LLC name + LLC's EIN. Default is partnership ("P"); else "S" or "C".
  • Pure sole prop, no LLC: individual name + SSN. Put DBA on Line 2 if you have one.

When to use SSN vs EIN

SSN: use if you're a sole proprietor (no LLC) or a single-member LLC with default tax treatment. The IRS taxes you personally; your SSN is your TIN.

EIN: use if you're an LLC that elected S-Corp treatment, a corporation (S or C), a partnership, or a multi-member LLC. These are separate taxable entities; the EIN identifies them.

Optional but recommended: even if you're a sole prop allowed to use SSN, you can apply for an EIN separately (free, takes 5 minutes online at irs.gov) and use that on W-9s. This keeps your SSN off business documents that could leak — useful security practice for active freelancers.

  • SSN: sole prop / single-member LLC default. Or any individual without business structure.
  • EIN: S-Corp / C-Corp / Partnership / Multi-member LLC / Single-member LLC with S-Corp election.
  • Get an EIN even as a sole prop: free at irs.gov, keeps your SSN off W-9s. Strong security move.
  • Don't mix: name on Line 1 must match the TIN. Individual name → SSN; entity name → EIN.

Filling out the W-9 step by step

The official IRS Form W-9 has 8 sections. Here's what each one asks for and the most common right answer:

Line 1 (Name): your legal taxpayer name. Individual name if SSN; entity name if EIN. THIS MUST MATCH WHAT THE IRS HAS ON FILE FOR YOUR TIN. Line 2 (Business name / DBA): leave blank unless you're a sole prop with a DBA. If your name is "Jane Smith" and your business is "Jane Smith Design" — Jane Smith on Line 1, Jane Smith Design on Line 2. Line 3 (Federal tax classification): the entity-type checkbox. Individual / Sole prop, C Corp, S Corp, Partnership, Trust, LLC. If LLC, also write "C", "S", or "P" in the LLC box for tax classification. Line 4 (Exemptions): leave blank unless you're a tax-exempt organisation. Most freelancers leave this blank. Line 5 (Address): your mailing address. Where the 1099 will be sent in January. Line 6 (City, state, ZIP): same address. Line 7 (Account numbers): leave blank usually. Optional reference for your client. Part I (TIN): your SSN or EIN, depending on Line 1. Part II (Certification): your signature. By signing, you're certifying that the TIN is correct and you're not subject to backup withholding.

  • Line 1 must match TIN: name + TIN are validated against IRS records. Mismatches trigger CP2000 notices.
  • Sign + date Part II: unsigned W-9 is invalid. Date it the day you fill it out.
  • Address is for 1099 mailing: use the address you actually want IRS forms sent to.
  • Don't submit it electronically without encryption: contains your SSN. Use a secure file share, not plain email.

When you give a W-9 vs. when you ask for one

You GIVE a W-9 to clients who pay you for services. You ASK for a W-9 from any subcontractor or vendor you pay $600+/year for services. Both relationships need to be documented before payment, ideally before the contract is signed.

For your subcontractors: collect their W-9 BEFORE issuing payment. If you don't have one and you've paid them $600+, you're technically required to do "backup withholding" of 24% from their payments, which is a giant headache. Always collect upfront.

For your clients: give them the W-9 before sending your first invoice. This is a standard onboarding step — most legitimate B2B clients will request it; if they don't, you should preemptively send it to make their year-end 1099 process clean.

  • Give W-9 to clients: before first invoice, ideally during contract signing.
  • Ask for W-9 from subcontractors: BEFORE paying them. Avoids backup withholding requirement.
  • No W-9 = 24% backup withholding: you have to withhold 24% from their pay and remit it to the IRS.
  • Update when info changes: name change, address change, EIN change → fresh W-9 to anyone holding the old one.

Frequently asked questions

  • SSN, with your individual name on Line 1 and the LLC name on Line 2. UNLESS you specifically filed Form 2553 to elect S-Corp tax treatment for your LLC, in which case use the EIN with the LLC name on Line 1. This is the most common W-9 mistake — get it right.
— W-9 done. What’s next?

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