Getting a W-9 form from your independent contractors and freelancers is simple and hassle-free with Melio. Send an electronic form for them to fill out online. Alternatively, If you already have the contractor’s complete form, you can add it to your account. All within your Melio dashboard.
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If you have a complete form you can add it to the vendor’s details.
This article will walk you through:
- Understanding what a W-9 Form is.
- Send a W-9 form to your independent contractors.
- How the request appears in your Melio account.
- Understanding how your independent contractors fill out the form.
What is a W-9 Form?
A W-9 form is officially titled "Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification". It's the method by which you request your independent contractors and freelancers to verify their name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
To comply with IRS regulations, by January 31st of every year you must file a 1099 report. This report includes any independent contractor who received $600 or more from you in the previous year through cash or equivalent methods. Filing this report requires you to have a W-9 form from each one of them.
We recommend you to secure a signed W-9 form from your freelancers and contractors before issuing their first payment. This ensures you have all necessary information on hand when it's time to file your tax reports, saving you the nuisance of tracking down vendors at the last minute.
How to send a W-9 form through Melio
Melio enables you to send a W-9 form request to:
- A new vendor that is an independent contractor.
- A saved vendor that is an independent contractor.
Send a W-9 form to a new vendor
Remember to send a W-9 form to independent constructors only.
1. Sign in to your Melio account.
2. Click Pay in the left sidebar.
3. Go to the Vendors tab.
4. Click Add vendor.
5. In Add vendor, enter the vendor details and check the box next to Mark as 1099 contractor.
6. Choose Request W-9 from vendor. Your vendor will get an electronic form to fill out online.
Note: Already have your contractor’s W-9 form?
Click Upload vendor W-9 and add it from your device.
7. Click Continue and send request to send the W-9 form and complete adding the vendor’s details.
Send a W-9 form to a saved vendor
Remember to send a W-9 form to independent constructors only.
1. Sign in to your Melio account.
2. Click Pay in the left sidebar.
3. Go to the Vendors tab.
4. Click the vendor you want to send the W-9 form to.
5. In the vendor details page, scroll down to Taxpayer info.
6. Check the box next to Mark as 1099 contractor.
7. Choose Request W-9 from vendor. Your vendor will get an electronic form to fill out online.
Note: Already have your contractor’s W-9 form?
Click Upload vendor W-9 and add it from your device.
8. Click Send request to finish.
How the request appears in your Melio account
You can confirm sending the request to fill the W-9 form, by checking the vendor’s details.
1. Go to the Vendors tab and click the name of the vendor.
2. Scroll down to Taxpayer info.
3. Under W-9 Collection you can see that your request is Pending vendor and when it was sent.
You’ll get an email when your vendor sends you back the completed form.
Here’s what the email looks like:
1. Click Review vendor profile.
2. You’ll be directed to the Vendors tab.
3. In the vendor details page, you see a confirmation message at the top.
4. Scroll down to Taxpayer info.
5. Under W-9 collection you see the complete form attached. Open it by clicking the file. You can replace or delete it if there’s a problem with it.
Understanding how your independent contractors fill out the form
Your constructor will get an email asking them for their taxpayer info (Form W-9).
To see what your independent constructor gets and how to fill out the form, see here.