How to request a W-9 from a vendor
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Email the vendor the current Form W-9 from irs.gov before you pay the first invoice, and ask for it back completed, signed and dated. Ask for it through a secure upload rather than as a plain attachment, since it carries their tax ID. Collect it when the vendor is set up, not in January: the name, tax classification and TIN on it are what the 1099-NEC needs by January 31.
Why bookkeepers need a W-9
The W-9 tells you whether a vendor gets a 1099 and what to put on it. The tax classification shows whether the vendor is an individual, partnership, LLC or corporation, and corporations are generally exempt except for some payments such as attorney fees. The name and TIN have to match IRS records, or the 1099 can come back with a mismatch notice. Chasing W-9s in January, when vendors are slow to answer, is how 1099s end up late.
What exactly to ask for
The current revision of Form W-9, filled in by the vendor, with the TIN in Part I and the signature and date in Part II, for each vendor or contractor paid during the year. Ask again when a vendor changes its name, entity type or bank details. If you keep the books for a client, the request can go out under the client’s name, and the client keeps the signed original.
What to check when it arrives
- The name on line 1 matches the name the TIN is registered under, with the business name on line 2.
- A federal tax classification box is checked, so you know whether a 1099 is due.
- The form is signed and dated, and the TIN has the right number of digits for an SSN or EIN.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Form W-9 needed before your first payment
Hi [Vendor name],
Thank you for working with us. Before we pay your first invoice, we need a completed Form W-9 on file for our year-end 1099 reporting.
Please download the current form from irs.gov, fill in your legal name, your business name if it differs, your tax classification and your taxpayer ID number, then sign and date Part II. A signed PDF or a clear scan both work. If we sent you a secure upload link, please use it rather than a plain email attachment.
Could you send it by [date]? If you are unsure which name or number to use, your accountant can confirm it.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a W-9 or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.