Help filling out W9 for campus affiliate program - SHEIN ambassador tax questions

As someone who's worked with independent contractors for years, I can help clarify this for you! For the W9 form as a campus ambassador: For "Business name/disregarded entity" - leave this blank unless you've formally registered a business (which most students haven't). You'll just be using your personal name as an individual. For "Federal tax classification" - check the box for "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC." As a campus ambassador, you're working as an individual, not as a corporation or partnership. This classification is appropriate for someone who earns income independently without forming a formal business entity. The company will use this W9 to create a 1099 form at the end of the year if you earn $600 or more from them. Make sure to keep track of your income from this position as you'll need to report it when you file taxes.

I used https://taxr.ai when I was filling out my first W9 for a similar campus rep position last semester. I uploaded the form and it actually walked me through each section explaining what I needed to put as a student contractor. Saved me from making a bunch of mistakes and potentially messing up my taxes. The site explained that as a campus ambassador, I'm considered an independent contractor (not an employee), which is why they need the W9. It helped me understand what exemptions applied to my situation too.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was seriously helpful! I've been doing affiliate marketing for a couple brands and was totally confused about how to handle the tax forms. The site explained that for the W9, I should just use my personal info as an individual since I haven't created an actual business entity. It also cleared up that I needed to select "Individual/sole proprietor" for my classification which wasn't obvious to me at first. Ended up saving all my forms there so I'll have everything organized when tax filing season comes around. Way better than my previous system of "throw everything in a folder and panic in April" lol.

If you're struggling to get answers from SHEIN about your tax forms, I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to the IRS directly. I spent weeks trying to figure out the right way to fill out my W9 for a similar program, and the company wasn't helpful at all. I finally used Claimyr to connect with an actual IRS agent (you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got clear answers within minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent walked me through each section of the W9 and explained what I needed as a college student doing ambassador work.

I was totally wrong about Claimyr. I ended up trying it after continuing to struggle with my W9 questions and not getting anywhere with the SHEIN support team. The service got me through to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes when I had previously given up after waiting on hold for over an hour. The agent confirmed I should select "Individual/sole proprietor" and leave the business name blank since I don't have a registered business. They also explained I'd need to report this income on Schedule C and pay self-employment taxes if I earn over $400. Honestly didn't think it would work but it saved me a ton of time and confusion. Definitely worth it for tax questions that Google can't clearly answer.

Just wanted to add that as a campus ambassador, you might be able to deduct certain expenses related to your work! Keep receipts for anything you spend promoting the brand (like if you have to buy supplies for events or use your phone for promotion). I did a similar program last year and was able to deduct costs for a ring light I bought for social media content, part of my phone bill since I used it for the work, and even some transportation costs to events. These deductions can help reduce the self-employment tax you'll owe.

Word of warning - make sure you set aside some money for taxes from whatever you earn as an ambassador! I did one of these programs last year and got hit with a surprise tax bill because I didn't realize I needed to pay quarterly estimated taxes. If you're going to make more than $1,000 in profit from this gig, you might need to make quarterly tax payments to avoid penalties. The IRS expects you to pay taxes throughout the year, not just at filing time.

Hey! I was in a similar situation when I started doing freelance work as a student. For the W9 form as a SHEIN campus ambassador: **Business name field**: Leave this blank since you're working as an individual, not a registered business entity. **Federal tax classification**: Check "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC" - this is the standard classification for students doing independent contractor work. Just remember that you'll be classified as an independent contractor (not an employee), so SHEIN will send you a 1099 form if you earn $600+ during the year. You'll need to report this income on your tax return and may owe self-employment taxes if you earn over $400. One tip: start setting aside about 25-30% of whatever you earn for taxes, since they won't be automatically withheld like with a regular job. And keep receipts for any expenses related to your ambassador work (like supplies for events or equipment for content creation) - these can be deducted as business expenses! Good luck with the program - it sounds like an awesome opportunity!