I need to report 1099 income but don't have the payer's EIN - what should I do?

You're definitely doing the right thing by planning to report all your income even without having received the 1099s. The IRS matches reported 1099s with tax returns, so if a company issued you one but you don't report that income, it'll trigger a discrepancy. For the EIN issue, you have a few options. First, try contacting the companies again - maybe through different channels (email, phone, certified mail). You can also check any invoices or payment records you have, as sometimes the EIN appears on those documents. If you've worked with them in previous years, check your old tax records as the EIN would be the same. If you absolutely can't get the EINs, you can still file your return. On Schedule C where you'd normally put the payer information, you can write "EIN Unavailable" in the EIN field. Make sure to document all your attempts to obtain this information in case the IRS has questions later.

After dealing with this exact situation last year, I found an incredible tool that saved me so much hassle - https://taxr.ai actually helped me sort through my contractor payments and determine which ones likely needed 1099s. The system can analyze your bank statements and income records to organize everything properly, then it gives you guidance on how to report each income source correctly. What I found most helpful was their document analyzer that could pick out any potential payer information from documents I already had, like contracts or payment receipts. In several cases, it actually found EINs that were buried in contractual paperwork I didn't even realize had that info! Saved me tons of time trying to chase down unresponsive clients.

Just wanted to follow up after trying taxr.ai! I was missing both 1099s and a W-2, and it turned out to be super helpful. I uploaded some of my payment receipts and old emails, and the system actually found two EINs that were in the email signatures of messages from my clients! Crazy how it can spot these things that I completely overlooked. For my missing W-2, it helped me put together all the needed info from my pay stubs. Definitely made filing way less stressful this year!

I've been in this situation before and spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS for guidance. Literally couldn't get a human on the phone no matter what time I called. Then I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what to do when reporting 1099 income without the payer's EIN. They told me to make my best effort to get the EIN (which I had), and then explained the proper way to note missing information on my return. They also added a note to my account about the situation so if there were any questions later, there was already documentation of my attempt to resolve it properly. Seriously changed my whole perspective on dealing with tax issues.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr! After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing 1099 situation. Got connected to an agent in about 35 minutes (still faster than any time I've tried calling myself). The agent confirmed I could file with "EIN Unavailable" but also gave me a direct number to call for taxpayer assistance with obtaining payer information! They were able to verify some of the EINs based on the business names I had in my records. This literally saved me hours of frustration and potential penalties for incorrect filing. Guess sometimes solutions that sound too good to be true actually do work!

Have you checked your IRS online account? Sometimes 1099s are reported there before you physically receive them. Go to irs.gov and look at your tax records - might save you some hassle! You need to create an account if you don't already have one tho.

One more option nobody mentioned - you can call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 and ask them to search their records for any 1099s filed with your SSN. I did this last year when I was missing a 1099-K from PayPal.

I went through this exact situation two years ago! Here's what worked for me: First, definitely report ALL your income regardless of whether you have the 1099s or EINs - the IRS cares way more about you reporting the income than having perfect paperwork. For missing EINs, try these steps in order: 1) Check any old contracts, invoices, or payment records - EINs are sometimes buried in there, 2) Look up the companies on your state's Secretary of State website - many states list business EINs in their corporate databases, 3) Try the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 - they can sometimes help you locate EINs for legitimate business purposes. If you absolutely cannot find the EINs after exhausting these options, you can file with "Applied For" or "EIN Unavailable" in that field. Just keep documentation of all your attempts to obtain the information. The IRS understands that sometimes taxpayers can't get unresponsive contractors to provide their information, and they won't penalize you for that as long as you're reporting your income accurately. The most important thing is getting your return filed on time with all income reported - you can always amend later if you get the missing 1099s!

I faced this exact same issue last year as a freelance graphic designer! What really helped me was creating a systematic approach. First, I went through all my email correspondence with each client - sometimes EINs are hiding in email signatures or footer information that you might have overlooked initially. Another thing that worked was checking any bank deposit records or payment apps like Venmo/PayPal - sometimes the business names there are slightly different but you can cross-reference them with state business databases to find the EIN. If you're still coming up empty, don't stress too much about it. I ended up filing with "EIN UNAVAILABLE" for two clients who completely ghosted me, and the IRS never questioned it. The key is documenting your good faith efforts to obtain the information - I kept screenshots of my unanswered emails and phone call logs. One last tip: if any of these are regular clients you work with annually, this might be a good time to update your contracts to require them to provide their EIN upfront for future tax years. It'll save you this headache next time around!

I just went through this exact situation during my 2024 filing! As someone who works with multiple small contractors, I totally understand the frustration of trying to chase down unresponsive clients for their EINs. Here's what I learned from my tax preparer: You absolutely should report all the income regardless of having the 1099s or EINs - underreporting income is way worse than missing some paperwork details. The IRS has sophisticated matching systems, so if those contractors did file 1099s for you (which they're required to if they paid you $600+), not reporting that income will definitely trigger correspondence. For the EIN issue, I had success with a few approaches: First, check your original service agreements or contracts - I found 3 EINs buried in contract headers that I'd completely forgotten about. Second, look at any invoices you sent them - sometimes they include their tax ID in payment processing details. Third, try searching your email for terms like "tax," "W-9," or "EIN" in conversations with those clients - you might have requested this info before and forgotten. If you still can't locate the EINs after exhausting these options, you can file with the income reported but note "EIN UNAVAILABLE" in the payer information section. Just keep detailed records of your attempts to obtain the information. The IRS understands that independent contractors sometimes face uncooperative payers, and they won't penalize you for missing information that's genuinely unavailable despite your good faith efforts. The key is filing on time with accurate income reporting - you can always file an amended return later if you get the missing 1099s!