How to access and use IRS TIN matching service for 1099 forms?
Title: How to access and use IRS TIN matching service for 1099 forms? 1 Hi everyone! Our small business is going to be issuing a bunch of 1099 forms next year and I heard the IRS offers a free TIN matching service that could save us a ton of headaches. Has anyone successfully used this? I'm completely lost on how to actually access this service on behalf of our LLC. I've already wasted like 4 hours on hold with the IRS over the past week trying to get information and never reached a human being. Any insights on the application process or how to get approved would be super helpful. Do I need to set up some special account or is it something I can access through our existing business tax portal?
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Yara Haddad
8 TIN Matching is definitely worth setting up! It lets you verify the name/TIN combinations before you file 1099s, which helps avoid penalties for incorrect information. To access the TIN Matching service, you need to first register through the IRS e-services portal. You'll need to complete the Application for TIN Matching and be approved as an authorized user. The catch is that you must be a payer of income subject to backup withholding as described in Chapter 3 of Publication 1281, which means you need to file certain information returns (like 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, 1099-K, etc.). The registration process has a few steps: 1) Create an account on e-services, 2) Verify your identity, 3) Apply for TIN Matching specifically, and 4) Wait for approval - which can take a couple weeks. Once approved, you can either use the online interactive option (up to 25 name/TIN combinations) or the bulk option (up to 100,000 combinations).
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Yara Haddad
•15 Thanks for the clear explanation! Do you happen to know if QuickBooks or other accounting software can integrate with the IRS TIN Matching, or do we have to manually enter all the information into the IRS system even if we're already using software for our 1099s?
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Yara Haddad
•8 Some accounting software does offer integration with TIN Matching, but it varies by product and subscription level. QuickBooks Online (particularly higher-tier plans) does have a TIN verification feature, though it may use a third-party verification service rather than connecting directly to the IRS system. For most small businesses, the easiest approach is to export your vendor data from your accounting software into a spreadsheet, format it according to the IRS requirements, and then upload that file using the bulk matching option. After you get the results, you can update any discrepancies in your system before issuing 1099s.
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Yara Haddad
12 I set up TIN Matching last year and it was a GAME CHANGER for our construction company. We had so many incorrect TINs before that! But the application process was a pain. After struggling with the IRS website for hours, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that basically guided me through the whole process. They have this tool that analyzed all our contractor documentation, flagged potential issues with our 1099 data BEFORE submission, and even helped with the e-services application parts I was getting stuck on. Saved me from having to call the IRS repeatedly, which as you know is practically impossible these days.
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Yara Haddad
•4 Did you have to give them access to your tax documents? I'm always nervous about sharing that kind of sensitive information with third-party services.
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Yara Haddad
•19 How long did the whole process take from start to finish? I'm trying to get this set up for our company but we're already into December and I'm worried about timing for this tax season.
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Yara Haddad
•12 You upload your documents to their secure platform - they use bank-level encryption, so it felt pretty safe to me. I was skeptical at first too, but their privacy policy was solid and they don't store your docs permanently. The entire process took about 10 days for me. The taxr.ai part was quick (like 24 hours for their analysis and guidance), but the IRS approval took about 7-8 business days after I submitted everything. December is definitely cutting it close for this tax season, but still doable if you start immediately. The sooner you apply, the better, especially since IRS processing tends to slow down as we get closer to year-end.
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Yara Haddad
19 Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. My situation was a bit of a mess - we had contractors with multiple DBAs and some with name mismatches between what they gave us and their actual tax registration. The service identified all these problems and gave step-by-step guidance for fixing each one. It also walked me through the whole e-services registration process which was WAY more complicated than I expected. Got my IRS approval yesterday! Would have been completely lost without this help. Now I can actually verify all our TINs before sending out 1099s instead of just hoping for the best like last year.
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Yara Haddad
6 If calling the IRS is your biggest hurdle (it certainly was for me), check out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this service that gets you connected to an actual IRS agent without the multi-hour wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I used it specifically for TIN Matching questions and got through to someone who could answer all my specific questions about our S-Corp's application. The IRS website instructions are so vague sometimes, and getting clarification from an actual agent made all the difference. I was about to give up after spending half my day on hold multiple times.
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Yara Haddad
•3 Wait, how is this even possible? The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible to navigate. How does this service actually get you through when calling directly never works?
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Yara Haddad
•21 This sounds too good to be true. I've literally spent DAYS of my life on hold with the IRS. What's the catch? Do they charge an arm and a leg for this?
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Yara Haddad
•6 It's actually pretty straightforward - they use technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they reach an agent, they call you and connect you directly. No magic, just automated technology doing the waiting instead of you. They do charge a fee, but considering I was able to keep working instead of being tied to my phone for hours, it was 100% worth it for our business. My specific questions about our corporate EIN and authorization levels for TIN Matching access got answered in a 15-minute call rather than days of trying to get through.
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Yara Haddad
21 I was super skeptical about Claimyr (actually posted a comment questioning it), but after another failed 2-hour hold attempt with the IRS yesterday, I decided to try it. IT ACTUALLY WORKS. I had an especially complicated situation because we're a multi-member LLC with multiple signatories and I needed to figure out who could be authorized for TIN Matching. Got connected to an IRS representative in about 45 minutes (while I kept working on other things), and they walked me through the exact authorization forms we needed. Just wanted to report back that this service did exactly what it claimed. Never going back to direct IRS calls again.
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Yara Haddad
9 Something important that nobody has mentioned yet - make sure you're applying for the RIGHT TIN Matching service. The IRS actually has two different programs: 1. The IRS TIN Matching Program (through e-services) - this is for 1099 issuers 2. The Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS) - this is for W-2 employers If you're issuing both 1099s and W-2s, you might need both services. I made the mistake of only setting up SSNVS at first and then had to go through a whole separate process for the 1099 vendors later.
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Yara Haddad
•17 OMG thank you for this! I was totally confused why our payroll department said we already had TIN verification but it wasn't working for our contractors. Now I realize we probably only have the SSNVS set up. Is the application process similar for both?
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Yara Haddad
•9 The application processes are somewhat different. SSNVS is through the Social Security Administration and requires a different registration process. You'll need to enroll in Business Services Online (BSO) on the SSA website. The IRS TIN Matching is through the IRS e-services portal as others have mentioned. They serve different purposes - SSNVS is only for verifying current or former employees (W-2 recipients), while IRS TIN Matching is specifically for non-employee payees (1099 recipients). The systems don't talk to each other, so you definitely need both if you issue both types of tax forms.
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Yara Haddad
2 Has anyone used TIN matching with partnerships? We have an unusual situation where our LLC (taxed as partnership) needs to issue 1099s to several vendors, but we've heard that partnerships have different requirements for accessing the service.
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Yara Haddad
•16 I handled this for our partnership last year. You need to make sure the person applying for e-services and TIN Matching access is either a partner or someone with delegation authority. You'll need to complete Form 8655 (Reporting Agent Authorization) if you want to authorize a non-partner like your office manager or bookkeeper. The partnership EIN is used for registration, but the individual partner or delegate will need to verify their identity as part of the application process. It got confusing for us because the authorization levels are tied to both the business entity AND the individual applying.
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Felicity Bud
I went through this exact process earlier this year for our consulting firm and wanted to share a few additional tips that might help: 1. Make sure you have your business banking information handy when applying - the IRS will ask for account details to verify your business identity during the e-services registration. 2. If you're planning to use the bulk upload feature (highly recommend for more than a few vendors), practice with the file format first. The IRS is very picky about the CSV layout and will reject your entire batch if even one row is formatted incorrectly. 3. Keep in mind that TIN Matching results are only valid for the calendar year you receive them. So if you verify TINs in December 2024, you'll need to re-verify them again for 2025 filings. 4. Pro tip: Run your TIN matching in early November if possible. This gives you time to reach out to vendors with mismatched information and get corrected W-9s before the 1099 filing deadline. The whole process definitely has a learning curve, but once you're set up it saves SO much time compared to dealing with IRS notices for incorrect TINs after the fact.
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Olivia Garcia
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Quick question about the timing - when you say TIN matching results are only valid for the calendar year, does that mean if I verify TINs in November 2024, I can use those results for 1099s I issue in January 2025 for 2024 payments? Or do I need to re-verify everything in January 2025? The timing aspect is a bit confusing since we're issuing 2024 1099s in early 2025.
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