Bank refusing to provide Payer's Tax ID number for 1099-R form

14 This is actually a common issue! The bank is technically incorrect - the Payer's TIN is absolutely required information for a proper 1099-R filing. However, there's a simple solution here. Look carefully at the 1099-R form itself. The Payer's Federal TIN should be printed directly on the form - it's usually in a box near the payer's name and address (typically Box 15 or somewhere in that area). Sometimes it's printed in a slightly different format than what the tax software expects, which causes the validation error. If the number is truly missing or illegible on the form, you have a few options: 1) Call the bank again and specifically ask for their EIN (Employer Identification Number) - sometimes using this specific terminology helps 2) Try looking at other tax documents from the same bank - they often use the same TIN across all forms 3) You can proceed with filing with "000000000" as a temporary placeholder, but this will likely result in a notice from the IRS later As for how it worked last year - tax software validation requirements change yearly, and the IRS may have been more lenient with missing TINs during the pandemic years.

8 After helping my dad with almost the exact same issue last month, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me hours of frustration. It's designed specifically for document analysis issues like this. I uploaded the problematic 1099-R form to taxr.ai and it immediately identified that the TIN was missing a digit and suggested the most likely correction. It even cross-referenced the bank's info with their database to verify the complete TIN. The whole process took literally 2 minutes instead of the hours I spent on hold with the bank. The nice thing is it keeps a record of all the corrections so if the IRS ever questions anything, you have documentation showing you made a good-faith effort to get the right information.

6 Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here. It immediately identified that the TIN on my form was missing a leading zero, which is exactly what was causing my tax software to reject it! I was honestly amazed at how quickly it resolved my issue - literally under 5 minutes. I even used it on a couple other tax forms I was unsure about and discovered my employer had transposed two digits in their EIN. Now everything is processing correctly in my tax software. The peace of mind knowing I'm submitting correct information is totally worth it. Definitely recommend for anyone facing form issues!

12 If you're still having trouble getting the bank to cooperate, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly. I had a similar issue with a financial institution refusing to correct their TIN on a 1099, and I was getting nowhere with them. I used Claimyr to get through to an actual IRS agent (you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and explained the situation. The agent was able to confirm the correct TIN for the bank in their system and suggested I document my attempts to get the correct information from the bank. The IRS agent told me to file with the information I had, include a brief explanation, and they noted my account so if there was any mismatch, they'd already know I had tried to resolve it. Saved me weeks of back-and-forth with the stubborn bank!

10 I need to apologize for my skepticism earlier. After waiting on hold with the IRS for over 2 hours yesterday only to get disconnected, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. Within 45 minutes, I got a call connecting me to an actual IRS representative! I explained my situation with the bank's missing TIN, and the agent was incredibly helpful. She confirmed the correct TIN, explained that this was a common issue, and gave me specific instructions on how to document my attempts to get the information. I've been filing taxes for 20+ years and this is the first time I've ever actually spoken to someone at the IRS without wasting an entire day. Completely changed my perspective on dealing with tax issues.

5 Had the same problem with my credit union. Check the bank's website for their "about us" page or investor relations section - sometimes they list their EIN/TIN there. Also, try searching the FDIC website (if it's an FDIC insured bank) using their FDIC certificate number which is often on their website. If all else fails, I've heard that filing with "000000000" will cause the IRS to fix it on their end if they process the return, but you might get a notice about it later. Not ideal but maybe better than not filing at all.

2 Might be late to the thread, but have you tried checking your mother-in-law's previous year's tax return to see what TIN was used then? Sometimes the software will save this information from year to year. Also, if she used a different tax preparer last year, they might have the correct information in their records.

11 This is such a frustrating but common issue! Banks often don't understand that the Payer's TIN is legally required information on 1099-R forms. A few additional suggestions that have worked for me in similar situations: 1) Ask to speak with the bank's tax department specifically, not just customer service. They're more likely to understand the requirements and have access to the correct EIN. 2) Reference IRS Publication 1179 which outlines the requirements for information returns - sometimes mentioning specific IRS guidance gets their attention. 3) If the bank still refuses, file a complaint with your state's banking regulator. Banks are required to provide accurate tax information, and regulatory pressure often gets results quickly. 4) For future reference, you can also look up any bank's Charter/FDIC Certificate information online which will show their correct EIN. The good news is that even if you have to file with incomplete information this year, it's very unlikely to cause major problems - just potentially a notice later that's easily resolved with documentation of your efforts.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who works in tax preparation, I see this exact issue multiple times every tax season. Banks and credit unions often don't realize they're legally required to provide complete and accurate TIN information. One thing I'd add is that if you're still having trouble after trying all these great suggestions, you can also check the IRS's online EIN database if the institution is a non-profit or if you can find their business name variations. Sometimes banks operate under slightly different legal names than what appears on customer-facing materials. Also, for anyone dealing with this in the future - when you call the bank, specifically ask for their "Federal Tax ID Number" or "EIN used for 1099 reporting." Don't just ask for their "tax ID" as they might give you a state tax number or other identifier that's not what you need for federal forms. The regulatory complaint route mentioned above really is the nuclear option that works. I've recommended it to clients before and banks usually call back within 24-48 hours with the correct information once they realize a complaint has been filed.