An uploaded W-9 is read the same way a certificate is. What's extracted is what you'd otherwise be copying into your accounting system by hand.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Line 1 — the individual or entity name. |
| Business name | Line 2, the DBA, where there is one. |
| Tax classification | Individual/sole proprietor, C corp, S corp, partnership, LLC and so on. |
| TIN type | Whether it's an EIN or an SSN. |
| TIN — last four digits only | See below. |
| Address | Street, city, state and ZIP. |
| Signature date | When the form was signed. |
Only four digits of the TIN are kept
This is deliberate. A full EIN or SSN is exactly the kind of data that shouldn't accumulate in a system that doesn't need it, so we extract enough to identify and match the record — the last four — and no more.
The complete number stays where it belongs: on the signed W-9 itself, which is stored intact and one click away when your accountant needs it.
Note
W-9s don't expire
Nothing about a W-9 lapses, so it never triggers an expiry alert and never turns a contractor Non-Compliant on its own. What it does do is quietly go missing until year-end — which is why asking for it at onboarding is worth the ten seconds.
Ask for a fresh one when a contractor changes entity type or business name. Neither is something we can detect for you.