How to Request a W-9 From a Vendor (With Email Template)

To request a W-9 from a vendor, ask before the first payment. Send a short email that explains why you need the form, links to the current version on IRS.gov, and gives the vendor a secure way to return it that isn't an email attachment. When the form comes back, check the name, TIN, tax classification and (if you asked for one) the signature before you set up the vendor. Whoever onboards vendors, usually AP or the bookkeeper, owns this step.

General information, not tax or legal advice.

The short answer

• When: at onboarding, before the first payment.
• What: a link to the current Form W-9 (the March 2024 revision) on IRS.gov, not a form you've pre-filled or an old saved copy.
• How: a secure upload channel, with a clear way for the vendor to confirm the request is really from you.
• Then: review the returned form and follow up on gaps.

For the bigger picture on handling W-9s safely, start with our secure W-9 collection guide.

Why this matters in a real workflow

The form itself explains the request: a business sends you a W-9 because it has to file an information return and must get your correct TIN, which can be an SSN, ITIN, ATIN or EIN (Form W-9, Rev. March 2024). Your request should make that purpose obvious, because vendors have good reason to be cautious. The IRS's 2026 Dirty Dozen warns that tax professionals and businesses remain targets of "new client" or "document request" emails that deliver malicious links or attachments (IRS Dirty Dozen 2026). A vague request for someone's SSN looks like W-9-themed phishing; a clear, verifiable one gets answered.

Timing matters too. For payments made in 2026, the general 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC threshold is $2,000. It is indexed for inflation starting in 2027, and the IRS hasn't published the 2027 amount yet (Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC). You rarely know at onboarding who will cross it, so we recommend requesting a W-9 from every U.S. vendor. Our vendor onboarding checklist covers the rest of the new-vendor file.

What the IRS says

When to ask

Once you've decided the person you're paying is an independent contractor, the IRS says the first step is to have them complete Form W-9 (IRS: Forms and associated taxes for independent contractors). You must make an initial request for the payee's TIN when the account is opened or the transaction occurs. If you don't get it, backup withholding begins (IRS Publication 1281).

Which form to send

As of September 2026, the current final Form W-9 is the March 2024 revision, and the IRS About page lists no recent developments (About Form W-9). The IRS posted a draft June 2026 revision of the W-9 on May 4, 2026. It is a draft, and the IRS says not to file draft forms or rely on draft instructions (IRS draft forms).

Vendors may notice that the exemption chart on the current March 2024 W-9 still refers to payments over $600; the June 2026 draft updates it to $2,000.

Only U.S. persons, including resident aliens, use Form W-9; foreign persons use the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233. The form says to give it to the requester and not to send it to the IRS.

Accepting W-9s electronically

The IRS lets requesters set up a system for payees to submit W-9s electronically, including by fax (Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9). IRS instructions say such a system must generally:

• confirm that the information received is what was sent, and log every access that results in a submission;
• make reasonably certain the submitter is the person named on the form;
• provide the same information as the paper W-9;
• be able to produce a hard copy if the IRS asks; and
• end with the payee's electronic signature under penalties of perjury, when a signature is required.

For W-9s that don't have to be signed, the IRS says an electronic system doesn't need to collect an e-signature or a perjury statement. The requester instructions describe no IRS approval or certification process for these systems, so be wary of any tool that claims one.

Keeping it confidential

IRS instructions require payers to keep W-9 identity information, including SSNs and EINs, confidential, and to use it only to comply with the tax laws (IRS General Instructions for Certain Information Returns).

How to send the request securely

IRS guidance says a legitimate business will never ask you to email personal or sensitive information unless it is through a secured mail service (IRS Publication 4557). If files must travel by email, the same publication tells tax professionals to send only password-protected, encrypted documents, or to use secure file transfer instead.

Standard email attachments are usually a poor channel for a completed W-9: copies linger in sent folders and inboxes and get forwarded (see W-9 email risks). Our recommendations:

1. Link to the IRS form rather than attaching a PDF. Vendors can check the link goes to irs.gov.
2. Give a secure return channel, such as an expiring upload link, and ask the vendor not to reply with the form attached.
3. Make the request verifiable. The FTC advises checking emailed requests for sensitive information through a separate channel, without using the links, phone numbers or websites in the email (FTC: Protecting Personal Information). Invite vendors to call you on a number they already have.

Copy-and-paste request email

Replace the bracketed text. Leave your phone number out, so the vendor verifies using a number they already trust.

Subject: W-9 needed before your first payment from [Company Name]

Hi [Vendor contact name],

Thank you for working with [Company Name]. Before we can process your
first payment, we need a completed Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer
Identification Number and Certification). We use it to report payments
to you on the information returns we are required to file, such as
Form 1099.

1. Get the current form from the IRS website:
   https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9
2. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your tax return, check your
   federal tax classification, and enter your TIN (SSN or EIN).
   Please sign and date the form.
3. Upload it through our secure link: [secure upload link]
   The link expires on [date].

Please don't reply to this email with the form attached. Standard email
attachments are usually a poor channel for documents that contain your
Social Security or Employer Identification Number.

If you'd like to confirm this request is genuine, call [your name] at
the number you already have for [Company Name], not a number from
this email.

If you are not a U.S. person, please don't complete a W-9. Reply to
let us know and we'll send the correct Form W-8 instead.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Title], [Company Name]

The template follows the W-9's own explanation of why requesters ask for it and the rule that foreign persons use a W-8. Asking for a signature is allowed even where the form doesn't require one.

What to check when it comes back

1. The name on line 1. Line 1 generally takes the name shown on the vendor's tax return. IRS Publication 1281 says a sole proprietor must always give their individual name on name line 1. A disregarded single-member LLC puts its owner's name on line 1 and its own name on line 2.
2. The TIN. The IRS treats a TIN as missing if it isn't provided or is obviously wrong, for example not nine digits or containing letters, and backup withholding applies until you get one.
3. Tax classification. Line 3a is the federal tax classification of whoever is named on line 1. An LLC taxed as a partnership or corporation checks the LLC box and enters P, C or S. If an exempt payee code is entered, you may generally rely on it unless you have actual knowledge that it's wrong.
4. Signature and certifications. For ordinary vendor payments, which include payments to nonemployees for services, the W-9 says the payee must give a correct TIN but doesn't have to sign unless the IRS has told them they previously gave an incorrect TIN. Requesters may still ask for a signature, and a signed, dated W-9 is what the backup withholding reliance rules look for (26 CFR 31.3406(h)-3). We recommend asking for one. Also look at certification item 2: a payee the IRS has notified that they are subject to backup withholding must cross it out before signing. If it's crossed out, talk to your tax adviser before paying.

If the vendor refuses, or writes "Applied For"

A payee without a TIN can write "Applied For," then sign, date and return the W-9. The 60-day grace period covers only interest, dividends and certain readily tradable instruments. Nonemployee compensation is subject to backup withholding while the payee waits for a TIN.

The IRS says you must withhold 24% from reportable nonemployee compensation if the payee hasn't provided a TIN as required (IRS: Forms and associated taxes for independent contractors; IRS: Backup withholding). If you backup withhold, you must file a 1099 for that vendor regardless of the amount paid.

For a hesitant vendor, point out that the W-9 warns payees of a $50 penalty for each failure to furnish a correct TIN, unless there's reasonable cause. IRS instructions say to leave the recipient TIN box blank on the 1099 if the payee never provides one, and backup withholding may apply.

Recommended workflow

Our recommended practice, not an IRS procedure:

1. Send the request (AP) as soon as the vendor is approved, and follow up if there's no response.
2. Review the form (AP reviewer) using the four checks above.
3. Set up the vendor (AP) with the name, TIN, classification and 1099 flag.
4. Approve the first payment (controller or owner) only once the W-9 is on file.
5. Store it (records owner) with restricted access and a retention date.

Exception path: if the vendor refuses or sends "Applied For," escalate to the controller and your tax adviser before any payment goes out.

Example scenario

Example scenario: Lakeshore Ledger, a made-up two-person bookkeeping firm, onboards a freelance photographer for a client. The AP lead sends the template with a secure upload link. The photographer confirms the request by calling the client's office on a number from an earlier invoice, then uploads a W-9 showing an individual name on line 1, the individual/sole proprietor box checked, and a nine-digit TIN (XXX-XX-XXXX here). The form is signed and item 2 isn't crossed out. AP sets up the vendor, and the controller approves the first invoice.

Common mistakes

• Emailing a blank W-9 PDF and inviting the vendor to reply with it attached.
• Sending an outdated saved copy, or the June 2026 draft, instead of the current form.
• Paying first and asking for the W-9 in January.
• Sending a W-9 to a foreign vendor.

Checklist

• ☐ Request sent before the first payment
• ☐ Email links to the IRS About Form W-9 page
• ☐ Secure return channel provided; no attachments requested
• ☐ Vendor told how to verify the request independently
• ☐ Line 1 name matches the tax return name (individual first for sole proprietors)
• ☐ TIN present and nine digits
• ☐ Tax classification checked
• ☐ Signed and dated (recommended), item 2 reviewed
• ☐ "Applied For" or refusal escalated
• ☐ Form stored confidentially with a retention date

For more detail, see the W-9 collection checklist. If you're on the other side of the request, read how to send a W-9 to a client.

How W9Vault supports this workflow

W9Vault replaces the reply-with-attachment step. You send the vendor a secure upload link that expires after 7 days, and the vendor uploads the completed W-9 as a PDF, JPG or PNG up to 20 MB. Files are encrypted in the vendor's browser before upload, so the server never receives the plaintext file. Your dashboard shows whether each request is sent or completed. Uploaded files are automatically deleted 30 days after upload for completed requests, so keep your retained copy in your own records system.

W9Vault is designed to support a secure collection workflow; the customer remains responsible for their own tax, recordkeeping and security obligations. See how it works and our security page.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I ask a vendor for a W-9?

At onboarding, before the first payment. IRS guidance describes the W-9 as the first step once you have decided the person you are paying is an independent contractor, and the initial TIN request is made when the account is opened.

Which version of Form W-9 should I send?

As of September 2026 the current final form is the March 2024 revision. A June 2026 draft exists, but the IRS says not to file draft forms. Link vendors to the About Form W-9 page on IRS.gov so they get the current version.

Does the vendor have to sign the W-9?

For ordinary vendor payments the form does not require a signature unless the IRS has told the payee they previously gave an incorrect TIN. Requesters may still ask for one, and a signed, dated W-9 is what the backup withholding reliance rules look for, so many firms request it.

What if the vendor writes Applied For instead of a TIN?

They can do that while waiting for a TIN, but the 60-day grace period does not cover nonemployee compensation. Payments for services are subject to backup withholding while the payee waits, so talk to your tax adviser before paying.

Official resources

• About Form W-9 and Form W-9 (PDF)
• Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9
• IRS draft forms: W-9
• IRS: Forms and associated taxes for independent contractors
• Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC
• IRS General Instructions for Certain Information Returns
• IRS Publication 1281 and IRS: Backup withholding
• 26 CFR 31.3406(h)-3
• IRS Publication 4557
• IRS Dirty Dozen 2026
• FTC: Protecting Personal Information