Help filling out W9 for SHEIN campus affiliate program - tax forms confusion

Thanks for explaining! But if I check "Individual/sole proprietorship" does that mean I need to register for something with the state or get a business license? And will I have to file different tax forms now? I'm still in college and this is just a side thing.

You don't need to register anything with the state or get a business license for this type of work. Being an "Individual/sole proprietorship" on a W9 simply means you're working independently - it's the default classification for most people doing gig work, freelancing, or brand ambassador programs. When tax time comes, you'll report this income on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) which will attach to your regular Form 1040 tax return. You'll also need to pay self-employment tax on this income using Schedule SE. Many college students doing ambassador programs are in this exact situation, so it's very common.

Does it actually work with W9 forms specifically? I've got the same issue with a different campus ambassador program and the deadline is tomorrow. Did they explain the federal tax classification part clearly?

I'm kinda paranoid about uploading my tax docs to random websites... How do you know it's secure? Like are these actual tax people or just some AI thing? Just wondering because I'm dealing with a similar situation.

Yes, it definitely works with W9 forms! They have specific explanations for each field on the form. For the federal tax classification section, they clearly explained that as a campus ambassador you'd select "Individual/sole proprietorship" and why that's the right choice. I totally get the security concerns. They use bank-level encryption for all documents and their privacy policy is really strict. It's not just AI - they have actual tax experts who oversee the system. I was hesitant at first too, but after seeing how helpful it was with something that was driving me crazy, I was really glad I tried it.

Wait you can actually talk to a real IRS person? I thought that was impossible lol. How does this even work? I've been trying to call the IRS about a different tax question and just get stuck on hold forever.

This sounds too good to be true tbh. The IRS is literally unreachable. I've tried calling them multiple times and always give up after being on hold for an hour. Are you sure this isn't some scam where "IRS agents" are just random people pretending?

Yep, you actually get to talk to real IRS agents! It works by using a callback system. Basically, Claimyr stays on hold with the IRS for you, and when they reach an agent, they call you and connect you directly. It's like having someone else sit on hold so you don't have to. I totally understand the skepticism - I felt the same way! But they're not pretending to be IRS agents - they just help you get through to the actual IRS faster. When you're connected, you're talking directly to official IRS representatives. The people you speak with are legitimate IRS employees in their call centers. I verified this by asking specific questions only the IRS would know about my account.

Does your address have to match what's on file with the IRS too or can I use my college address even though my permanent address is at my parents' house? I'm confused about which address to use.

You should use your current mailing address where you want to receive any tax forms (like your 1099-NEC) that SHEIN will send you. The address doesn't have to match what the IRS has on file, but it should be somewhere you'll reliably receive mail. If you'll be moving from your college address soon, you might want to use your parents' address instead, since the 1099 forms are typically sent out in January/February of next year. The most important thing is making sure your name and social security number are correct.

I did it last semester and made about $450 over 4 months. They pay you commission on sales from your discount code plus some flat payments for content creation. It varies a lot based on your hustle and campus size. Even if you make under $600 and don't get a 1099, you're still supposed to report the income on your taxes... but realistically a lot of students don't for small amounts.

This is such helpful advice! I'm actually in a similar situation with a different brand partnership and the spreadsheet tip is genius. Quick question - do you know if there are any business expenses I can deduct for this type of work? Like if I have to buy props for content creation or pay for better lighting equipment? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth keeping receipts for stuff like that.

Yes, you can definitely deduct legitimate business expenses! For brand ambassador work, you can typically deduct things like props, lighting equipment, phone accessories for better content, even a portion of your phone bill if you use it primarily for work. Keep receipts for everything - I learned this the hard way my first year when I had to estimate expenses without proper documentation. The key is that expenses need to be "ordinary and necessary" for your work. Content creation equipment, promotional materials, even mileage to events would likely qualify. You'll report these on Schedule C along with your income. Just make sure the expenses are reasonable relative to what you're earning - the IRS gets suspicious if your deductions are way higher than your income. @94a33272483c might have more specific tips since they mentioned tracking everything!

This is such great advice! I'm actually starting my first ambassador program next month and I've been worried about the whole tax side of things. The tip about using a permanent address is really smart - I definitely would have used my dorm address without thinking about it. One question - you mentioned keeping track of payments throughout the year. Do you use any specific app or just a basic spreadsheet? I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to stay organized since I'm already pretty bad at keeping track of my regular expenses lol. Also wondering if you had to deal with quarterly tax payments or if you just handled everything when you filed your annual return? I keep seeing conflicting info about whether student ambassadors need to worry about estimated taxes.

@705d260b7646 Great question about tracking! I just use a simple Google Sheets spreadsheet with columns for Date, Company, Amount, Payment Method, and Notes. Nothing fancy, but it works great and I can access it from my phone when payments come in. There are apps like QuickBooks Self-Employed, but honestly a basic spreadsheet is all you need for ambassador work. For quarterly taxes - most college students doing ambassador work don't need to worry about this unless you're making serious money (like over $1000+ per quarter). The general rule is if you owe more than $1000 in taxes at the end of the year, you should have been making quarterly payments. But for typical ambassador earnings, you'll probably just handle it all when filing your annual return. That said, if you end up doing really well and earning a lot, definitely look into quarterly payments to avoid penalties. The IRS has a safe harbor rule where you won't get penalized if you pay at least what you owed last year, which for most students is zero or very little anyway.

This is super helpful! I'm actually in the same boat - just got accepted to a campus ambassador program and was totally confused about the W9. The spreadsheet tip is brilliant, I never would have thought to start tracking from day one. Quick question though - when you say "use an address where you'll reliably receive mail next January/February" - does that mean I should avoid using my college address if I might graduate before then? I'm a senior so I'll probably be moved out by the time tax season comes around. Should I just use my parents' address to be safe? Also, did you end up owing a lot in taxes your first year doing this kind of work? I'm trying to figure out if I should be setting aside money from each payment or if the amounts are usually small enough that it's not a big deal.

@75f92ddd6b1b Yes, definitely use your parents' address if you're graduating before tax season! That's exactly what I did when I was a senior. The 1099 forms typically get mailed out in late January, so you want to make sure you'll actually receive it. You can always update your address with companies later if needed, but it's much easier to just use a permanent address from the start. As for taxes, I didn't owe a huge amount my first year, but it was definitely more than I expected because of self-employment tax (which is about 15.3% on top of regular income tax). I made around $800 from ambassador work and ended up owing about $200 total. Now I automatically set aside 25-30% of each payment in a separate savings account - it sounds like a lot but it's better to overestimate and get a refund than to be scrambling for tax money in April! The good news is that as a student, you might still qualify for education credits that can offset some of what you owe. But definitely start that savings habit early - even if you only make $50 from a campaign, put $15 aside. It adds up and you'll thank yourself later!