--- title: "Form W-9: Definition and Sources | Tax Glossary" description: "Form W-9 is the form a person or business completes to give a payer a correct taxpayer identification number so the payer can file information returns." url: https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/form-w-9 publisher: Wallace CPA phone: +1-877-682-1171 quote: https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/contact --- Federal tax # Form W-9 Form W-9 is the form a person or business completes to give a payer a correct taxpayer identification number so the payer can file information returns. A payer needs your tax ID to report what it paid you. Form W-9 is how you give it. You sign it and return it to the payer. You do not send it to the IRS. Businesses usually ask for a W-9 before they pay a contractor or vendor. They then use it to prepare [Form 1099-NEC](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/form-1099-nec). Keep each W-9 in your files. A missing W-9 can force backup withholding, which is a cost and a hassle for both sides. Good [bookkeeping](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/bookkeeping) includes collecting the form at onboarding. The [small business accounting page](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/services/small-business-accounting) explains the wider routine. [Wallace CPA can helpSmall business accounting](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/services/small-business-accounting) ## Related terms - [Form 1099-NEC](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/form-1099-nec) - [Form W-2](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/form-w-2) - [Employer identification number (EIN)](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/employer-identification-number-ein) - [Bookkeeping](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/glossary/bookkeeping) ## Sources 1. [IRS: About Form W-9](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9) ## Talk to Wallace CPA Call the Southlake office and say what you need: a return, an IRS letter, your books or a new business. Have the notice or last year's return nearby if you have one. [Call (877) 682-1171](tel:+1-877-682-1171)[Send a message](https://wallacecpa.multisites.ai/contact) 180 State Street, Suite 225, Southlake, TX 76092