When Clients Don’t Send W-9s: A 1099 Standoff

It’s January 7, and back in November, I sent the client a list of every vendor who needed a W-9. I did it early while there was still oxygen in the calendar.

I sent two well-timed follow-ups, and yet, they are human. The holidays hit, and everyone got busy. Even I let it slide a little because it felt easier to be nice than to be firm. I told myself, “They’ll get to it.” But they did not get to it.

Now it’s January 7, and I am staring at the same vendor list. Same blanks, same missing W-9s, same contractors with first names only, and same payments coded like a guessing game.

If you’re an accountant or bookkeeper, you’re living this right now. Every accountant I know has at least one client doing the 1099 version of hide-and-seek. They vanish when you ask for vendor details, then reappear with urgency when the deadline gets close. It’s like clockwork, except now the clock is on fire.

This is the part no one wants to admit. Most 1099 advice assumes a cooperative client. Real life does not. Real life is a client who hates awkward conversations with contractors. Real life is a client who thinks “LLC” stands for “Loosey Goosey Compliance.” Real life is a client who says, “Can’t you just file it?” as if I’m a graduate of Hogwarts casting the spell “Completo W-9ia.”

The W-9/1099 game plan

Here’s your game plan for what we actually need. Not what should happen, but what actually happens and what you do when it’s January 7 and cooperation is missing.

First, accept reality.

This is not an accounting problem; it is a behavior problem. You can create the best workflow in the world. If the client will not request W-9s, will not approve the list, and will not answer messages; your workflow turns into a personal growth exercise you did not sign up for.

Second, stop believing the “vendor refused” story without proof.

Let’s be honest about the “vendor refused” line. Sometimes a vendor truly refuses to provide a W-9. More often, the vendor never saw the request because the client never sent it. And you and I can’t tell the difference from our side of the screen. So don’t play detective. Put the request back where it belongs - with the person who hired the vendor, paid the vendor, and has the relationship.

That one paragraph will save you from becoming the compliance police.

The 3 types of client responses

Now, let’s deal with the three non-cooperation types you see every January.

• Type 1 is The Ghoster. They do not hate you; they just disappear. They respond once, then vanish until you mention a deadline. They treat your messages like spam, and they treat their deadline like your problem.
• Type 2 is The Optimist. They say, “I’ll get it to you this weekend.” Their weekends are mythical like unicorns (like a perfect bank feed).
• Type 3 is The Resister. They hate awkward conversations. They would rather risk a penalty than text a vendor, “Please send a W-9.” They also tend to say things like, “Is this really necessary?” while you quietly feel that eye twitch.

You handle each type the same way, by reducing the whole situation to a simple choice, because January is not the time for lectures. January is the time for boundaries.

How to respond to the client

Here is what I do. I’ll send one short message with a clear deadline and a clear outcome.

“1099s require complete vendor details. Please send the missing W-9s and confirm the vendor list by Friday at 5:00 PM. If I don’t receive them, I will file only the vendors with complete information and close the project.”

That’s it. No drama. No therapy. No begging. Then I put the client to work. Why? Because this is not my relationship to manage.

Here is the script to give the client to send to their vendor. Your client copies it, pastes it and hits send. They own it. They hired the vendor and paid the vendor. They must ask for the form.

Subject: W-9 needed for year-end reporting

Hi [Vendor Name],

I need a completed Form W-9 for our year-end 1099 reporting. Please complete the attached W-9 and send it back by [date].

If you prefer, you can download the IRS Form W-9 and return it to me.

If I do not receive your W-9, I may need to apply backup withholding on future payments until your taxpayer ID is provided. I’d rather avoid that, so please send the W-9 so we can keep everything clean.

Please send the completed W-9 by [secure method you choose].

Thank you,

[Client Name]
[Business Name]

If the vendor pushes back, the client can send this one-liner. “I understand. I still need a W-9 to keep you set up correctly in our system. Please send it so we can continue payments without delays.”

What happens if the client does nothing?

This is the part where we turn into a person caring more than the business owner. This is where resentment starts and where we lose sleep. This is where we start sounding “naggy,” even though we are doing what we were contracted to do.

Use this rule that keeps you sane: You file what you can support and stop chasing what you cannot.

If you have complete information for some vendors, you file those. If you don’t have a W-9 and you don’t have a tax ID, don’t make it up. Don’t write “refused” in the box. You are not a Wizard. Document what you asked for, when you asked, and what you received. Keep it factual and keep it short.

If the client comes back later with “Oh, here it is,” after you already filed, treat that as a separate paid request. Not because you’re mean, but because last-minute cleanup is not part of the original deal. It’s a new deal.

Let’s talk about the consequences, because clients only change when the cost becomes real.

Noncompliance can lead to IRS notices, penalties, and extra time that nobody wants to pay for. It can also create messy vendor relationships when contractors expect a form and don’t get it. And the biggest consequence is internal. It trains the client to procrastinate because you will catch them.

That last one is the silent killer. When you rescue them every year, you become their system. You are their enabler, and they never change.

Am I advising the client or chasing?

Now let’s land the plane. How do you “let it go” without turning into a pushover? You let it go by separating advice from ownership.

• Advise.
• Set deadlines.
• Give scripts.
• File what is supported.
• Document what happened.
• Price the chaos.
• Stop carrying the client’s choices as if they are your identity.

If your brain starts spinning at night, ask yourself one question. “Am I advising, or am I chasing?” If you’re chasing, stop. Send the deadline, offer the choice, then move on.

You didn’t become an accountant to lose sleep over a form that could have been requested the first time. You became an accountant to bring clarity, reduce risk, and help people run better businesses. And if they prove they don’t want that help this year, you still get to be okay.