W-9 Form

The favorite tax form of the gig economy. When you're hired by a company as a regular employee, you fill out a W-4. If you're going to work for a company, but not become an employee, you fill out a different form...a W-9.

So...freelancers and contractors. The company won't withhold income tax for these workers, but they will tell the government what they paid the worker (using a 1099).

The W-9 gets the employer all the info they need to fill out the 1099. Then the worker will be responsible for sending in their own income tax on that income.