Filling out the W-9 tax form (for US taxpayers)

Medium works with Tipalti, a trusted mass payments partner, to collect taxpayer information using standardized forms on our submission page.

This page is for users submitting a W-9 form. If you are not a US taxpayer or otherwise are not submitting a W-9 form, you must still provide your taxpayer information. For more information, please see our answers "I am a nonresident alien (non-US taxpayer). Which tax form do I fill out?" and "Filling out the W-8BEN and W-8BEN-E tax form (for nonresident aliens)."

Below are answers to some questions commonly encountered while adding tax information using W-9 forms.

Filling out the tax form

Section 1, "Address" tab

Please enter your details as they appear on your bank records.

1. Type — Select "Individual" or "Company" based on your bank account. Although the button defaults to "Company", you should change to "Individual" if you are an individual.
2. Email address — This email does not need to match the email address attached to your Medium account.
3. First / Middle / Last Name — These names need to match the name on your income tax return. These names do not need to match the name on your Medium account.
4. Address — Include the building number and street name (e.g., "42 Wallaby Way"). P.O. Boxes are not allowed.
5. Address 2 — Include the apartment, suite, unit, building, or floor number.

Section 2, "Select Your Tax Form" tab

If you are a citizen of the United States or otherwise qualify based on the IRS's W-9 instructions, then you should select the radio button "W9".

Otherwise, click "Start the tax form questionnaire" within the form. If you are not a citizen of the United States, you can consult the IRS's W-8BEN instructions for non-US based guidance, as well as our Help Center article "I am a nonresident alien (non-US taxpayer). Which tax form do I fill out?" The rest of this current article will not apply to you. For help filling out your W-8, please see our answers in "Filling out the W-8BEN and W-8BEN-E tax form (for nonresident aliens)."

Section 3, "W-9" tab

Please enter your details as they appear on your income tax return.

If you are filing as an individual:

1. Name — Enter your legally given name as shown on your income tax return. These names need to match the name entered earlier in this form on the "Address" tab.
2. Business Name/Disregarded Entity Name — Unless you have a business name, trade name, or a disregarded entity name, leave this field empty.
3. Radio buttons, "Check appropriate box" — Based on the instructions on the W-9 form, select "Individual."
4. Exemptions — If applicable, refer to exemption codes described on pages 3-4 of the W-9 form.
5. Address (State, City, Address, Address 2, Zip) — For Address, include the building number and street name (e.g., "42 Wallaby Way"). For Address 2, include the apartment, suite, unit, building, or floor number.
   This address must match your income tax return, but is not required to match the address entered earlier in this form on the "Address" tab.
6. Tax identification number (TIN) — For individuals with a social security number (SSN), the TIN is that SSN. For an overview of all valid TINs, please see the IRS's W-9 instructions.
7. Contact email — This email does not need to match the email address used for your Medium account, but is required to match the email entered earlier in this form on the "Address" tab.

If you are not filing as an individual or have other special cases, please refer to the IRS's W-9 form for guidance.

If you used autofill or autocomplete and encountered errors, try entering all fields manually.