W9 Form for Landlord – According to the IRS Website, Form W-9 is used to provide a taxpayer identification number (TIN) to the person who is required to file an information return with the IRS to report, for example, “Income paid to you from real estate transactions or mortgage interest you paid on the acquisition or abandonment of secured property. Cancellation of debt contributions you made to an IRA Withholding agents may require signed Forms W-9 from U.S.-exempt recipients to overcome a presumption of foreign status.”
Some states have laws that mandate security deposits be placed in an account that earns interest. For long-term tenants, this can result in a significant accumulation of money. As the security deposit funds cannot be mixed with the landlord’s personal funds, it is common for landlords to open a separate account for each tenant, which is typically a trust account. This means that while the landlord is responsible for holding onto the deposit, the funds technically belong to the tenant. Many banks will require a W-9 form to be submitted before opening such an account.
A W9 form, or Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, is a document used by landlords to provide their taxpayer identification number (TIN) to tenants or other parties who may need to report income earned from the rental property to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS looks at landlords as independent contractors, so they have to file their own tax returns.
As an independent contractor, landlords must provide their TIN to tenants in order to receive payments for rent or other income earned from the rental property. The tenant is then required to report this income to the IRS on a 1099 form. In order to do this, the tenant must have the landlord’s TIN, which is provided on the W9 form.
It is important to note that landlords are not employees of the tenants and therefore are not eligible for employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans. They also do not have taxes withheld from their rental income, so it is important for landlords to set aside money for taxes throughout the year.
In conclusion, a landlord is not an independent contractor and may not need to file a W-9 form. However, if asked, they must give their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to the tenant or other parties who may need to report income earned from the rental property to the IRS.