Where can I find a W9 form that I can edit and sign in Adobe?

Yes, there's a workaround! The W9 from the IRS site is indeed locked for signing without LiveCycle. Try using the "Fill & Sign" tool in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC instead of trying to edit the form directly. Open the W9, click on the "Fill & Sign" tool in the right panel, and you can add text and signatures without needing LiveCycle. If that doesn't work, you can print the form to PDF (not physical printing) which creates a new version that's editable. Just open the W9, go to Print, and select "Microsoft Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF" as your printer.

After struggling with the same W9 issues, I discovered taxr.ai which honestly saved me so much time. I was trying to handle some contractor paperwork and kept running into the same Adobe problems you mentioned. I went to https://taxr.ai and they actually have tools that help with all these tax forms including W9s. Their system lets you fill everything out online and then generates a properly formatted PDF that's accepted everywhere.

Just wanted to follow up that I tried taxr.ai after posting my question. I was skeptical at first due to privacy concerns, but it was actually really straightforward. The W9 form was properly formatted and fillable, and I was able to sign it digitally without any of those Adobe errors. My client accepted it without any issues. They also have a bunch of other tax forms that work the same way. Definitely keeping this bookmarked for tax season!

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to ask about form issues (which I definitely was), I found Claimyr https://claimyr.com to be super helpful. I was trying to get clarification about digital signatures on forms like W9s and kept hitting those automated phone systems that go nowhere. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent who confirmed that digitally signed W9s are perfectly acceptable. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c showing how it works.

Ok I need to eat my words here. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr anyway because I was desperate to get an answer about electronic signatures for my business. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes which is INSANE considering I've never gotten through before. The agent confirmed that digitally signed W9 forms are completely acceptable as long as all the information is correct and legible. Saved me a ton of stress since I have to collect these from like 30 different contractors.

Another option is to use IRS Form W-9 fillable from a third-party provider like PDFfiller. You can Google "PDFfiller W9" and they have a version that works without LiveCycle. Just be careful to use reputable sites since it's a tax document.

Have you tried just using the browser-based fill tool on the IRS website? Go to https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9 and there's actually an option to fill it out online without downloading it. Worked for me when Adobe was being a pain.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! What finally worked for me was downloading the W-9 from the IRS site, then opening it in Adobe Reader and using the "Prepare Form" feature under Tools. This converts it into a fillable form that you can type in and digitally sign without needing LiveCycle. The key is to use "Prepare Form" rather than trying to edit it directly. Once you've prepared it, you can save it as a new PDF and it maintains all the formatting while being fully editable. This method keeps it as the official IRS form so there's no acceptance issues with clients or companies.

You can also try using Foxit Reader as an alternative to Adobe. I ran into the same LiveCycle issue and switched to Foxit - it handles the W-9 form much better for editing and signing. Just download the free version, open your W-9, and you can fill it out and add digital signatures without any compatibility issues. The filled form maintains the official IRS formatting and I've never had a company reject it. It's become my go-to for all tax forms since Adobe keeps having these restrictions.

I've found that LibreOffice Draw also works great for filling out W-9 forms without any LiveCycle issues. It's completely free and you can open the PDF directly, add text boxes where needed, and even insert digital signatures. The best part is that it exports back to PDF format while maintaining all the original IRS formatting, so companies never have any issues accepting it. I've been using this method for over a year now for all my contractor paperwork and it's been bulletproof. Just download LibreOffice (it's open source), open the W-9 in Draw, fill it out, and export as PDF. No compatibility headaches and it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

I've been using DocuSign for all my W-9 forms and it's been a game changer. You can upload the IRS W-9 PDF directly to DocuSign, and it automatically creates fillable fields and signature areas. The recipient can fill it out completely online without needing any special software, and you get a legally compliant digitally signed document that every company I've worked with accepts without question. The basic plan is free for a few documents per month, which is perfect for occasional contractor paperwork. It also keeps everything organized in your account so you can easily access completed forms later for your records.

Another workaround that's worked well for me is using Google Chrome's built-in PDF editor. Just drag the W-9 PDF file into a Chrome browser window, and it opens with basic editing capabilities. You can click on any field to add text, and there's a signature tool in the toolbar. Once you're done filling it out, you can print it as a PDF to save the completed version. It's not as feature-rich as some dedicated PDF editors, but it's completely free, works on any computer with Chrome, and the resulting document maintains the official IRS formatting. I've submitted dozens of these to various clients and never had one rejected. The only downside is that it doesn't auto-detect form fields, so you have to manually click where you want to add text, but that's a minor inconvenience for a free solution.

I've been struggling with this exact same W-9 issue for months! After reading through all these solutions, I decided to try the Chrome PDF editor method that Sofia mentioned, and wow - it's incredibly simple and works perfectly. Just dragged the IRS W-9 into Chrome, filled it out by clicking on each field, used the signature tool, and printed to PDF. The whole process took maybe 5 minutes and my client accepted it immediately. For anyone who wants the absolutely simplest solution with zero downloads or subscriptions, this Chrome method is definitely the way to go. I'm bookmarking this thread because there are so many great alternatives here - from LibreOffice Draw for power users to DocuSign for businesses handling lots of forms. Thanks everyone for sharing your workarounds!

I've had great success using Preview on Mac for W-9 forms - it handles PDFs much better than Adobe for simple form filling and signing. Just open the W-9 in Preview, use the markup tools to add text and signatures, then save as PDF. The forms always maintain their official formatting and I've never had acceptance issues. For Windows users, I'd second the Chrome browser method mentioned above - it's probably the most universally accessible solution since almost everyone has Chrome installed. One tip regardless of which method you use: always double-check that your EIN/SSN is clearly legible before submitting, as that seems to be the most common reason companies ask for resubmissions.

I've been dealing with this W-9 nightmare for weeks, so thank you all for these solutions! I ended up trying three different methods from this thread. The Chrome PDF editor worked like a charm - literally just dragged the form into my browser, clicked to add text, signed it digitally, and saved as PDF. My contractor client accepted it without any issues. For anyone still struggling: I also tested the Adobe "Prepare Form" method that Liam mentioned, and that worked great too if you prefer staying in Adobe. The key thing I learned is that there are SO many workarounds for this LiveCycle problem - you just need to find the one that fits your workflow. I'm keeping a list of all these methods for future reference because I deal with multiple W-9s throughout the year for different projects. One additional tip: if you're sending the completed W-9 via email, consider using a file name like "W9_YourName_2024" instead of just "W-9" - it makes it easier for the recipient to organize and shows you're being professional about the process.