Collect cleaner W-9 and payee data before 1099 season.
Use browser-based tools to review W-9 readiness, build a vendor onboarding checklist, calculate general TIN-solicitation dates, clean payee data, and create a secure W-9 request message.
✓ Local tools keep your data in your browserTurn vendor onboarding into a cleaner filing file.
The best time to fix payee data is before the January filing rush.
W-9 Readiness Checker
Walk through the records you have for one payee and identify the items that still need review.
Check readiness →TIN Solicitation Timeline
Calculate general initial, first annual, and second annual solicitation dates and CP2100/B Notice timing.
Calculate dates →Vendor / Payee Cleanup
Upload a vendor CSV locally, map your columns, and flag missing W-9, name, TIN, classification, and address data.
Clean a file →Missing W-9 Request Generator
Create a professional request message without storing vendor information on the site.
Generate request →Vendor Onboarding Checklist
Use a repeatable pre-payment checklist and download a blank tracking CSV.
Open checklist →W-9 Collection Guide
Understand what Form W-9 does, what the requester keeps, and how it fits into information-return preparation.
Read guide →Guides for the payees that are still incomplete.
Use W-9 collection with—not instead of—TIN cleanup.
A complete W-9 gives you payee-supplied information, but it does not itself confirm that the name/TIN combination matches IRS records. After onboarding, use the pre-filing TIN cleanup checker to catch spreadsheet damage and, if you are eligible, the official IRS TIN Matching program for an IRS match result.
W-9 and vendor onboarding FAQs
What is Form W-9 used for?
Form W-9 is used by a U.S. person to provide a taxpayer identification number and certifications to a requester that may need the information for an information return. The requester keeps the Form W-9 in its records; it generally is not filed with the IRS.
Does a clean W-9 guarantee the IRS will accept a name/TIN combination?
No. A W-9 can look complete and still contain a name/TIN combination that does not match IRS records. Eligible payers can use the official IRS TIN Matching program for a pre-filing match result.
What if a payee never gives me a TIN?
For reportable payments, backup withholding may apply when a payee fails to furnish a TIN in the required manner. Current IRS guidance states a 24% backup withholding rate when the backup-withholding rules apply. Review the current requester instructions and Publication 1281 for the specific payment.
What are initial and annual TIN solicitations?
Publication 1586 describes an initial solicitation when the account, relationship, or transaction is established and, for a missing TIN, up to two annual solicitations if the TIN is still not obtained. Some information-return programs have special solicitation rules, so the form-specific instructions still control.
Do the free tools send vendor data to 1099ERICH?
No. The W-9 readiness checker, payee cleanup tool, request generator, and timeline calculator run in the browser. They are designed as local planning and data-quality tools, not IRS verification services.
IRS sources: Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9 · Publication 1586 · Publication 1281
Move from a free check to the complete 1099ERICH workflow.
The free tools help diagnose individual filing problems. 1099ERICH is the $299 Windows desktop workflow for importing CSV or Excel data, validating records, printing recipient copies, and creating IRIS-ready CSV files.