W-9
Business & Finance abbreviation · Tax
| Stands for | Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (IRS Form W-9) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Business & Finance |
W-9 stands for Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (IRS Form W-9), a tax abbreviation.
Form a US contractor, freelancer, vendor or account holder gives to a business that will pay them, supplying name, tax classification and taxpayer identification number. The payer keeps it on file and uses the details to prepare Form 1099 at year-end; it is never sent to the IRS.
Example: Before we can pay your first invoice, please send a signed W-9.
Usage notes
Failing to supply a correct TIN allows the payer to apply backup withholding, currently 24% of each payment. Banks and brokerages also request a W-9 when accounts are opened. Because the form carries a Social Security number, it should travel through a secure channel; fake W-9 requests are a common phishing tactic. Foreign persons complete a W-8 series form instead.
Related abbreviations
More tax abbreviations
- 1031 – Like-kind exchange (Internal Revenue Code section 1031)
- 1040 – U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (IRS Form 1040)
- 1040-ES – Estimated Tax for Individuals (IRS Form 1040-ES)
- 1040-NR – U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return (IRS Form 1040-NR)
- 1040-SR – U.S. Tax Return for Seniors (IRS Form 1040-SR)
- 1040-X – Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (IRS Form 1040-X)
- 1041 – U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts (IRS Form 1041)
- 1065 – U.S. Return of Partnership Income (IRS Form 1065)
- 1095-A – Health Insurance Marketplace Statement (IRS Form 1095-A)
- 1098 – Mortgage Interest Statement (IRS Form 1098)
- 1098-E – Student Loan Interest Statement (IRS Form 1098-E)
- 1098-T – Tuition Statement (IRS Form 1098-T)