Form W-9 is generally used to confirm the tax identification number of a U.S. Person.
Unlike the Form W-8, there is only one version of the Form W-9 that is applicable for both individuals and entities and the instructions that explain how to complete the form are attached to the form itself.
To start processing on Stripe, a Form W-9 is not initially required but a tax identification number is. However, Stripe may request a Form W-9 in order to verify the tax residency and/or tax identification number that was initially submitted during onboarding. A Form W-9 may also be required if there's a change in information to an account that has already submitted a Form W-9.
You can see examples of Form W-9 submission fields in the screenshot below:
Above: Form W-9 collection fields in your platform's dashboard.
Once you complete your submission a pdf version of the form is available for download via the documents page of your platform’s dashboard.
Above: Form W-9 pdf version - download from your platform’s dashboard.
Please note: Submission of a Form 4669 is not required in all instances. Most account holders will only be required to complete the Form W-9 section.
Form 4669 collected by Stripe
For account holders that submit a Form W-9 to certify their US tax residency and/or tax identification number, and Stripe hasn’t issued a Form 1099-K to that business in previous years, there is a chance that Stripe will request that you review and sign a Form 4669.
A Form 4669 is a certification the account holder makes to confirm that the respective payment processing volume has been included in their previous tax returns, even though a 1099-K wasn’t issued for those years. Form 4669 essentially functions like an Affidavit of Unchanged Status, in that it is used to validate data from prior years.
If you’d like to learn more about IRS requirements for the Form 4669, check out the link below:
- Form 4669 (includes instructions and is used for individuals or entities)
This article is neither legal advice nor tax advice. We recommend that you speak to your lawyer or accounting firm with any questions or concerns around tax reporting.