W-9 preparation worksheet
Answer a few questions and this page works out what belongs on each line of Form W-9 for your entity type, flags anything missing, and gives you a clean printable summary. It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Use this to work out your entries before you commit anything to paper, and to catch the mistakes that turn into 1099 problems later. What you print at the end is a worksheet. It is not the official IRS form and it is not a substitute Form W-9, so no requester can accept it in place of one. Once the entries look right, copy them onto the official Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024) and sign Part II there.
There is no server, no upload, no analytics on the values you type, and no cookie. The page runs a small script locally and forgets everything the moment you close the tab. That takes care of the wire. It does nothing about the room you are sitting in, so check mask my TIN below if anyone can see your screen, and keep this off shared and public computers. More on handling your SSN safely.
Fill in the form above and any problems will be listed here.
Your Form W-9 entries
Preparation worksheet only. Transfer these values to the official Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024) and sign Part II by hand.
Prepared with the W-9 worksheet at w9form.org. This worksheet is not a substitute Form W-9 and cannot be submitted in place of the official form.
What the worksheet checks for
Every warning in that box maps to a real failure. Each one flags an error that surfaces three to twelve months later, when a Form 1099 arrives carrying a name the IRS cannot match against your TIN, or fails to arrive at all because it went to an address you moved out of long ago. By then the repair costs far more than the form did: a corrected 1099, a request to a payer who closed the file in January and has no memory of you, and a return you hold open while you wait for an answer. All of it is avoidable at the keyboard. None of it requires you to understand information reporting; it requires you to read your own entries once, slowly. The table below pairs each flag with the specific thing it prevents, so find the row that describes your situation and fix the entry while it is still just a box on a screen.
| Flag | What goes wrong if you ignore it |
|---|---|
| Blank Line 1 | The form is invalid. A requester who accepts it anyway files a 1099 with no matching name, which generates a CP2100 notice. |
| Owner name and LLC name identical on a disregarded LLC | The classic single-member LLC error. The name will not match the TIN and backup withholding follows. Detail |
| Missing Line 2 on a disregarded LLC | The requester cannot reconcile your invoices, issued under the LLC name, against a W-9 in your personal name. |
| TIN with the wrong digit count | An SSN, ITIN and EIN all have nine digits. A short entry fails IRS TIN matching immediately. |
| Blank address | Your Form 1099 goes nowhere, or to an old address. You then file a return without knowing what was reported about you. |
| Exemption code on an individual | A false certification. Individuals have no exempt payee code and no FATCA code. |
After the worksheet
- Download the official Form W-9 (Rev. March 2024).
- Copy each entry across exactly as the worksheet shows it.
- Sign and date Part II on the official form; here is what that signature certifies.
- Keep a dated copy for your own records.
- Return it to the requester through a secure channel, never to the IRS.
Frequently asked questions
Is anything I type here sent to a server?
Nothing is transmitted. The page carries a small script that runs in your browser and rewrites the summary as you type, so there is no form submission, no network request carrying your entries, and no storage of any kind. Close the tab and it is gone.
Can I send this worksheet to my client instead of a W-9?
No. A requester needs either the official Form W-9 or a compliant substitute form with the certification language and your signature. This worksheet has neither. Use it to prepare, then complete the real form.
Why does it mask my TIN by default?
Printers leak. A page left in the output tray of a shared machine is one of the commonest ways a Social Security number gets away from its owner, and the masked version shows enough digits for you to check your own work anyway. Uncheck the box if you want the full number on the printout.
It says my entity type has no exemption codes. Is that right?
Almost certainly. Individuals, sole proprietors and disregarded single-member LLCs have no exempt payee code and no FATCA code. The codes exist for corporations, tax-exempt organizations, government bodies and financial institutions.
General information, not tax advice. This page explains a federal tax form in plain English. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice, and W9Form.org is not affiliated with the IRS. Verify everything against the official Form W-9 page on IRS.gov and speak to a licensed professional about your own situation. How we source and review these pages.