The Vendor W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification is the copy of IRS Form W-9 (Rev. December 2014) that the City of Murrieta lists among the forms of its Finance Department. A vendor uses it to give the person or organization that requested it a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and to certify U.S. person and backup withholding status. It is not a business license application. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the City of Murrieta at murrietaca.gov.
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What is W-9?
The Vendor W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification is the City of Murrieta's posted copy of IRS Form W-9 (Rev. December 2014), on which a vendor gives a requester its taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certifies its U.S. status and its backup withholding status.
A requester that must file an information return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), such as Form 1099-INT, 1099-DIV or 1099-MISC, needs your correct TIN to report the amount paid to you. The TIN may be a Social Security number (SSN), an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), an adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN) or an employer identification number (EIN).
The form has seven numbered lines, Part I (the TIN) and Part II (the certification). By signing, you certify that the TIN is correct (or that you are waiting for one), that you are not subject to backup withholding, that you are a U.S. person, and that any FATCA code you entered is correct. Line 4 holds the exempt payee code and the FATCA exemption code for the few payees that qualify.
The top of the form says to give it to the requester and not to send it to the IRS. The form belongs to the Finance Department's forms list; that list shows Business License Fees and Business Licenses as separate items, so this form is not a business license document.
Who needs to file W-9?
A vendor that is a U.S. person (including a resident alien) and is asked by a requester for its correct TIN uses this form. The IRS instructions define a U.S. person as a U.S. citizen or resident alien individual, a partnership, corporation, company or association created or organized in the United States, an estate other than a foreign estate, or a domestic trust.
- If a requester gives you a form other than Form W-9 and it is substantially similar, you must use the requester's form.
- Partners in a partnership that conducts a trade or business in the United States give the partnership a Form W-9 to establish U.S. status.
- For a disregarded entity with a U.S. owner, the U.S. owner, not the entity, gives the form.
Do not use Form W-9 if you are a foreign person or the U.S. branch of a foreign bank that has elected to be treated as a U.S. person. Use the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233 instead. A disregarded entity with a foreign owner also uses a Form W-8.
When to file W-9
Complete the form when a requester asks you for your TIN so it can report payments to you on an information return. If you do not return Form W-9 with a TIN, you might be subject to backup withholding.
You must give the requester a new Form W-9 if the name or TIN on the account changes, and updated information if you claimed to be an exempt payee and no longer are, for example when a C corporation elects to be an S corporation. If you do not have a TIN, apply for one immediately, write "Applied For" in the TIN space, then sign and date the form. For interest and dividend payments and certain payments on readily tradable instruments you generally have 60 days to get a TIN and give it to the requester before backup withholding applies; that 60-day rule does not apply to other payments. The form prints no separate due date.
Documents you need
- A signed statement attached to the form, only if you are a U.S. resident alien relying on a tax treaty saving clause to claim exemption from U.S. tax: it must give the treaty country, the treaty article addressing the income, the article number (or location) of the saving clause and its exceptions, the type and amount of qualifying income, and the facts that justify the exemption.
How to fill out W-9
Enter your name on line 1
Enter the name shown on your income tax return; do not leave line 1 blank. Individuals and sole proprietors enter their own name here, and the owner's name goes here for a disregarded entity.
Add a business name on line 2
Enter a business, trade, DBA or disregarded entity name on line 2 if it differs from line 1. Leave it blank if you have none.
Check one tax classification on line 3
Check only one of the seven boxes. For a Limited Liability Company enter C, S or P for its tax classification; a disregarded single-member LLC checks the first box instead.
Enter exemption codes on line 4
Enter an exempt payee code or a FATCA exemption code only if one applies to you. The FATCA field may be left blank if the account is held in the United States.
Enter your address on lines 5 and 6
Give the number, street and apartment or suite number on line 5, and city, state and ZIP code on line 6. This is where the requester mails your information returns.
Add optional requester and account details
The requester's name and address and the account number(s) on line 7 are optional.
Enter your TIN in Part I
Enter your SSN or your EIN in the matching box so that it matches the name on line 1. A resident alien without an SSN enters an ITIN in the Social Security number box.
Write Applied For if you lack a TIN
If you do not have a TIN yet, apply for one, write "Applied For" in the TIN space, then sign and date the form.
Review the Part II certification
Read the four certification items. Cross out item 2 if the IRS has notified you that you are currently subject to backup withholding for failing to report all interest and dividends.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Sign and date next to Signature of U.S. person, then check every line. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and give it to the requester.
How to submit W-9
Give the completed, signed form to the requester, the person or organization that asked you for it. The form states "Give Form to the requester. Do not send to the IRS."
- City of Murrieta as requester: the City lists this form on its Finance Department forms page at https://www.murrietaca.gov/179/Forms. The form itself prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule, so ask the City department or Finance Department that requested it how it wants to receive the form.
- Another requester: follow that requester's instructions. Line 5 should show the address where the requester will mail your information returns.
Do not attach the form to a tax return. Keep in mind that the TIN on Part I must match the name on line 1 to avoid backup withholding. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving line 1 blank; the form says a name is required on this line and it should match the name on your tax return.
- Checking more than one box on line 3; the form allows only one of the seven boxes.
- Checking the Limited Liability Company box for a single-member LLC that is disregarded; check the Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC box instead.
- Entering a disregarded entity's EIN in Part I instead of the owner's SSN or EIN.
- Giving a TIN that does not match the name on line 1, which can lead to backup withholding.
- Not crossing out item 2 of the certification when the IRS has notified you that you are currently subject to backup withholding for failing to report all interest and dividends.
- Sending the form to the IRS instead of giving it to the requester.
- Using Form W-9 as a foreign person instead of the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233.
- Entering an exempt payee code as an individual or sole proprietor, who are generally not exempt from backup withholding.
- Continuing to rely on an old form after your name or TIN changes instead of giving the requester a new Form W-9.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vendor W-9 form for the City of Murrieta?
It is the City of Murrieta's posted copy of IRS Form W-9 (Rev. December 2014). A vendor gives it to the requester to provide a correct taxpayer identification number and to certify U.S. person and backup withholding status.
Is the Vendor W-9 the same as a Murrieta business license?
No. This form requests a taxpayer identification number and certification; it does not apply for or issue a Murrieta business license. The City's Finance Department forms page lists Business License Fees and Business Licenses separately from this form.
Do I send Form W-9 to the IRS?
No. The form says to give it to the requester and not to send it to the IRS. The requester uses your TIN to file information returns, so keep the form with the requester that asked for it.
Can I fill out the Vendor W-9 online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent, does not send the form to the City of Murrieta or the IRS, and you deliver it to the requester yourself.
Which tax classification box should I check on line 3?
Check only one box. A disregarded single-member LLC checks Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC, not the LLC box. An LLC taxed as a partnership checks LLC and enters P; one taxed as a corporation enters C or S.
What if I don't have a TIN yet?
Apply for one immediately, write "Applied For" in the TIN space, then sign and date the form and give it to the requester. For interest and dividend payments you generally have 60 days to get a TIN before backup withholding applies.
Who should not use Form W-9?
Foreign persons. If you are a nonresident alien or a foreign entity, give the requester the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233 instead of Form W-9.
When do I need to give a new Form W-9?
When the name or TIN changes for the account, such as when the grantor of a grantor trust dies. You must also give updated information if you claimed to be an exempt payee and no longer are.
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