To collect W-9 information from a new contractor, choose the return method, send clear instructions, record whether the information arrived, review the submission, and store the record where authorized staff can retrieve it. Assign someone to follow up when a request remains unanswered.
The checklist below separates three different situations: a W-9 you have requested, a submission you have received, and a record you have reviewed. Keeping those stages distinct helps prevent missing paperwork from getting mistaken for completed onboarding.
1. Confirm that W-9 is the appropriate form
Form W-9 provides a requester with a payee’s taxpayer identification number and relevant certifications for information reporting. The completed form goes to the requester, not directly to the IRS.
W-9 is generally used by U.S. persons, including resident aliens. A foreign payee may need an appropriate W-8 form or Form 8233 instead. Do not choose a form solely from the contractor’s mailing address; resolve uncertain tax-status questions with a qualified tax professional.
Use the official IRS Form W-9 and its instructions as the reference for the information you request.
2. Choose the return method before sending the request
Decide exactly where the contractor should provide the information. That might be an electronic collection form or another document-return method your business has evaluated. Give the contractor one clear destination and a contact for access problems.
- Test the form or document-return process using sample information.
- Confirm whether the contractor needs an account.
- Check the process on a phone as well as a computer.
- Confirm who receives submission notices and who reviews the record.
- Inspect a sample download to understand its format and contents.
In W9Collector plugin version 1.7.0, submitters need to log in to the business’s WordPress website by default. An administrator can enable guest submissions. Check the version and settings on your installation before telling contractors whether an account is required.
If your process requires a completed IRS PDF, confirm that output before launch. The administrator W-9 download in version 1.7.0 is a signed HTML record.
3. Send a request with one clear next step
Your message should explain why you need the information, where to submit it, when you would like it returned, and whom to contact with questions. Describe the requested date as your onboarding deadline rather than implying that it is a universal IRS deadline.
Use the W-9 request email template for contractors to prepare the message. Replace its access instructions with the actual process your business uses.
Avoid asking the contractor to put a full taxpayer ID in an ordinary email reply. Direct them to your chosen collection method.
4. Track unanswered requests separately from received forms
A list of submitted forms does not tell you everyone who still owes you a response. Keep an onboarding checklist with the contractor’s name, request date, requested return date, receipt status, and next action. Leave full taxpayer IDs out of this general tracking list.
For example, if you request W-9 information from eight contractors and receive six submissions, you need two lists of actions: review the six received records and follow up with the two contractors who have not responded.
W9Collector version 1.7.0 manages received submissions. Its new and reviewed statuses do not track outstanding invitations, and it does not send automatic reminders for missing forms. Assign that follow-up work to a person or a separate process.
5. Review the information before closing the task
Check for missing information, apparent inconsistencies, and questions that need the contractor’s attention. Use the form instructions rather than guessing what a tax classification or exemption means.
- Name: Check that the tax name is supplied, rather than only a trade name or DBA.
- Classification: Confirm that a classification is selected and any applicable supporting information is present.
- Address: Look for an incomplete street address, city, state, or ZIP code.
- Taxpayer ID: Check that the required information or an applicable awaiting-issuance indication is supplied.
- Certification: Review applicable certification selections, signature, and date.
- Next action: Record whether you need a clarification, a corrected submission, or professional review.
For example, a sole proprietor generally enters their individual tax-return name on line 1 and their business or DBA name on line 2. Disregarded LLCs have specific naming and classification instructions. Ask the contractor to resolve an unclear response instead of changing their tax answers yourself.
Marking a record reviewed documents your administrative action. It does not establish that a name and taxpayer ID match IRS records, that a classification is correct, or that reporting obligations have been satisfied.
6. Organize storage, access, and retrieval
Choose who may view full tax information, how downloaded copies are handled, and how records and backups will be protected. Test whether the person responsible for bookkeeping can locate the right submission without receiving unnecessary access to other website functions.
W9Collector version 1.7.0 stores submissions in the customer’s WordPress database. New W-9 taxpayer IDs are encrypted and masked in the administrative view until an authorized administrator reveals them. Other record information is not all encrypted.
Its CSV export provides an overview with the last four TIN digits; it does not contain the full TIN, signature, or certification. Submission emails provide notices rather than completed W-9 attachments or full taxpayer IDs.
The business remains responsible for WordPress updates, hosting, administrator accounts, backups, downloaded records, and retention decisions. Encryption of one field does not protect every copy of the information.
If receiving and organizing submissions is the gap in your process, explore W9Collector’s form and record-management features.
7. Check the electronic collection process as a whole
The IRS instructions for W-9 requesters describe electronic-system requirements covering information integrity, submission-access documentation, identity assurance, equivalent form information, hard-copy availability, and signatures where required.
A drawn signature alone does not establish that the complete workflow meets those requirements. Evaluate the collection process, its records, and its output together. Obtain professional guidance when the suitability of your process is uncertain.
Your final W-9 onboarding check
- The appropriate form has been identified.
- The contractor received working submission instructions.
- Receipt is recorded separately from review.
- Questions and corrections have an assigned next action.
- Authorized staff can retrieve the record.
- Downloaded copies and backups have defined handling rules.
- Unanswered requests have an owner and a follow-up date.
Once those steps work with sample information, use the same process for each new contractor. If you plan to collect through WordPress, compare W9Collector’s current plans and confirm that the allowance and record output fit your workload.