I rent storage in my park to a plumber. For the first time in several years, he has asked that I fill out a W-9, Request for Taxpayer ID number and Certification. I’ve not heard of this, having a W-9 for rent. Is this legit?
I ask for W-9’s but only for money paid to an individual. W-9’s are generally not needed for checks made out to companies. If he is paying cash, or making the checks out to you personally, then maybe he does need a W-9???This is more Dave’s area, maybe he’ll chime in.
So in a state like Indiana you can claim rent you pay on a property that pays Indiana Property tax. So, I get asked for invoices stating how much rent they paid, and also my federal ID number. Though this is mobile home park, this renter that asks me for the info is renting a stick built house that is part of the MHP…
I think Jim is on to something, I think he may actually just need an invoice proving he paid that rent. This is the definition of a W-9 from the IRS website:Use this form to provide your correct TIN to the person who is required to file an information return with the IRS to report, for example, income paid to you, real estate transactions, mortgage interest you paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA.This is from the turbo tax website.If you’ve ever been an employee of a company, you’ve probably completed a Form W-9. True to its name, individuals and entities use the form to provide their taxpayer identification number to entities that will pay them income during the tax year. Your employer uses your W-9 for payroll purposes but doesn’t send the form to the Internal Revenue Service. The information is used to prepare employee paychecks during the year and W-2 forms at the end of the year. If you have your own business or work as an independent contractor, a client may request that you provide a W-9 so they can accurately report the payments they make to you.
Thanks everyone, for your replies.