I received a 1099-MISC but the payer's identification number is hidden - what should I do now?

This is definitely frustrating but you have a few options. The payer's TIN should never be hidden on an official 1099-MISC - that's actually pretty concerning. First, keep trying to contact the company. Be persistent and ask specifically for their tax department or whoever handles 1099 forms. Sometimes you need to be a bit pushy to get through to the right person. Email them as well so you have a paper trail of your attempts. If you still can't get the TIN after a reasonable effort, you should file Form 4852 as a substitute for the 1099-MISC. You'll need to provide all the information you do have and explain your attempts to get the missing info. You should also attach a statement explaining that you received a 1099-MISC with a hidden TIN and include documentation of your attempts to contact the payer. You should definitely not leave that part blank on your return, as the IRS matching system will flag this for investigation. Also, consider if this might be a scam - legitimate businesses don't typically hide their TIN on tax documents.

I had almost this exact same problem last year with a marketing client who sent me a 1099 with their EIN partially obscured. I was super stressed about it until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which literally saved me from a potential audit nightmare. Their AI system analyzed my situation, including the partially hidden TIN issue, and gave me specific guidance for my situation. They showed me exactly what documentation I needed to gather, how to properly report the income even with the missing info, and what forms I needed to file to protect myself. The step-by-step instructions made it so much easier to handle. What really impressed me was how they explained the potential red flags this might raise and how to properly document my attempts to get the correct information. Their system even helped me draft a formal request letter to send to the company.

I wanted to follow up about that taxr.ai site I was skeptical about in my earlier comment. I actually ended up trying it with my own hidden TIN situation out of desperation, and I have to admit it worked really well. I uploaded my 1099-MISC with the missing info and it immediately identified the issue. It walked me through exactly what I needed to do - including how to properly document my attempts to contact the payer and how to fill out Form 4852 correctly for my situation. The system even helped me understand what might have triggered the issue in the first place. What really surprised me was how it caught a couple other potential issues with my filing that I hadn't even noticed. Definitely saved me from some headaches later. Just wanted to share since I was so skeptical at first but ended up really glad I tried it.

I dealt with a similar situation a couple years ago and spent HOURS trying to get through to the company that sent the incomplete 1099. After days of getting nowhere, I tried Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly to ask how to handle it. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of waiting on hold forever, Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly how to handle the missing TIN situation and what documentation I needed. They even put notes in my file about the issue so if there were any questions later, there was a record of me trying to resolve it properly. It was such a relief to get official guidance directly from the IRS instead of just guessing or relying on internet advice. The agent explained that missing TINs are actually a common issue and gave me the exact procedure to follow.

I need to eat my words from my skeptical comment above. After my frustration boiled over with my own tax issue, I broke down and tried Claimyr last week. I was 100% ready to come back here and call it out as a scam. But... it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back within about 25 minutes and was connected to an IRS agent who helped me with my missing payer TIN issue. The agent explained that this happens more often than you'd think and walked me through the exact documentation I needed to submit with my return. The agent even gave me a case number to reference if there were any questions about my return. Saved me so much stress and guesswork. I'm honestly shocked it worked so well after all my failed attempts to reach them directly. Sometimes being wrong is a good thing I guess!

I had this happen once and it turned out the company was going through a merger and sent out 1099s with the old EIN redacted because they were switching to the new company's EIN. Super confusing and not handled well at all. Have you checked if the company was acquired or merged recently? That might explain the hidden TIN. Either way, contact them via certified mail requesting the correct TIN for your tax filing. This creates a paper trail proving you attempted to get the information. If they still don't respond, call the IRS taxpayer advocate service at 877-777-4778. They can sometimes help mediate these situations or advise on next steps.

Random thought, but have you checked the other pages of the 1099? Sometimes the payer info appears on a different page or in a strange spot depending on which tax software they used to generate it. I once found the missing EIN on the "taxpayer copy" page when it was missing from the main form. Worth double-checking before going through all these other steps!

This is a really concerning situation that unfortunately happens more often than it should. The hidden/blacked out TIN is definitely not normal and raises some red flags about the company's tax compliance practices. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. **Document everything** - Take clear photos of the 1099-MISC showing the hidden TIN, save all your communication attempts (voicemails, emails, etc.) 2. **Send a formal written request** - Send them a certified letter requesting the correct TIN within 10 business days. This creates an official paper trail. 3. **Check all your records** - Look through any contracts, invoices, or payment documents from this company. The EIN might be listed somewhere else. 4. **File Form 4852** if needed - If you can't get the TIN by the filing deadline, use this substitute form and attach documentation of your good faith efforts to obtain the information. The fact that they're not responding to your calls is another red flag. Legitimate businesses should be responsive about tax document issues. Make sure you report all $11,250 as income regardless - the IRS cares more about you reporting the income correctly than having every detail perfect when the payer isn't cooperating. Don't let this delay your filing too much. You can always amend later if you eventually get the correct information.