How to generate a W-9 for your entity

A W-9 is an IRS form that provides your company's legal name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN or EIN) to another business that needs it for tax reporting purposes, most commonly before they issue you a 1099 or process a payment.

Clients, vendors, payment processors, and banks frequently request a completed W-9 before they will pay your company or open an account for you. Generating it manually each time is slow and prone to errors, especially when your entity details change.

This is relevant for any US entity on Inkle that needs to share its tax information with a third party, particularly founders who are regularly asked for a W-9 by customers, marketplaces, or financial institutions and want an accurate, ready-to-send version without filling out the form from scratch each time.

You can easily generate a W-9 for your entity on Inkle. This is available in Tax application.

Steps to generate a W-9

1. Go to My Entities
2. Click on the entity for which you want to generate the W form
3. Click on view entity details

4. Scroll down to the Entity Documents section

       5. Click on Edit button on top right

        6. Click on generate button to generate the W-9

        7. Once submitted, click on download to download the e-signed W9

FAQ

What is a W-9 used for?‍

It provides your business's legal name, address, and TIN/EIN to another party, usually so they can report payments made to you or issue you a 1099.

Who asks for a W-9?‍

Clients, vendors, banks, and payment processors typically request one before paying your company or setting up an account.

Do I need a new W-9 every time someone asks?‍

No. As long as your entity details haven't changed, the same W-9 can be reused.

What information does a W-9 require?‍

Your legal business name, business type, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN or EIN).

Is a W-9 the same as a 1099?‍

No. A W-9 provides your information to a payer; a 1099 is the form they later issue to report what they paid you.