I need to provide a W-9 for some consulting I’m doing. I’ve only done a little over my career, so I’m not up on all the tips and tricks.
The customer wants a W9, which of course I can download from the IRS. However, I’d like to give a more professional look (and maybe insinuate my “company” is more than just me) so I’d like one that I can either fill and print online or download and print, so that the information isn’t hand written.
I’ve found some online, but since I have to include my SS# I get a tad nervous.
Anyone got a way to do this? If not I’ll just fill it in by hand.
Thanks!
Just download a regular PDF version and load it up in your favorite photo editing software to fill in the fields by using the Text button. No, it won’t be perfectly lined up, but it’ll work just fine and have, maybe not professional look, but it’ll be a step up from being handwritten.
I typically use my really old copy of Photoshop, but even MS Paint will be able to handle it (I think).
One trick I’ve learned is, when filling in multiple fields on the same line (though there aren’t many on a W9), instead of dropping the cursor into each field, only drop it in the first, type what you need to type and then use the space bar to get to the next field. That’ll keep them inline with each other.
The best way to do it used to be on a website called PDFEscape, but for someone unknown reason they changed how it works a few years ago and made it almost entirely useless since most features no longer work properly. If they ever fix it, that’s the place to go for this kind of thing.
ETA, at least on my computer (Win 11, Firefox and Chrome), the W9 you can get from the IRS is fillable. If you can type on it, you should be able to download it. I’m assuming you’re okay with entering your SSN that way (locally, on your browser).
Problem with Google is it gives you links to paid advertisers, sometimes a whole page full of them, before it will link to the horses mouth. They no longer prioritize giving you the best reference for you. Instead it’s the most profitable reference for them. Those two things are almost never the same, and doubly so when you’re seeking info from a government agency.
Going to IRS.gov, then typing “form ###” into their search box ensures you’re not being lured away.
I should clarify that I did download the form from the IRS originally, but whatever I downloaded looked (just aesthetically) a little different from the link provided by @Joey_P . But it turns out it was “fillable,” but I didn’t realize it.
In any event, W9 sent (along with the New Vendor Form, which incidentally had net-90 terms on it, but my consulting agreement says net-30, so I fixed that!).