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The week between Christmas and New Year is quiet for most teams.
But for finance and ops? It’s the calm before the January storm.
If you pay contractors, vendors, freelancers, or service providers, you already know what’s coming: the 1099 rush. The deadline hits fast, and the most common reason teams panic isn’t “the filing.” It’s the messy reality underneath it:
- Missing W-9s
- Wrong legal names
- TINs that don’t match the vendor record
- PDFs scattered across email threads
- No clear view of who’s done vs who’s ignoring you
So let’s make this practical. Here’s a straightforward plan to clean up your W-9s now so January doesn’t turn into a chase.
Why W-9s become a problem right before 1099s
A W-9 isn’t “just a form.” It’s how you collect the vendor’s correct taxpayer info name and TIN—so you can file the right information return.
When that info is missing or inconsistent, you risk:
- Delays and rework during 1099 prep
- Vendor frustration (“Why are you asking me again?”)
- Higher odds of corrections later
- Backup withholding headaches if information is wrong or not provided (depending on circumstances)
This is why the last week of December is your advantage: you can fix the foundation before everyone goes offline, travels, or disappears into Q1 chaos.
The 7-step W-9 cleanup plan
Step 1: Export your vendor list (today)
Pull a list of everyone you paid this year:
- Accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, etc.)
- Bill pay tools
- Payroll/contractor platforms
- Any “side spreadsheets” your team created
Goal: one master list.
Pro tip: Don’t overthink the “who needs a 1099” logic yet. First, get the list.
Step 2: Mark who is missing a W-9
Add a simple status column:
- W-9 received (Y/N)
- PDF stored (Y/N)
- Last requested date
- Notes (e.g., “sent 2 reminders”)
If you do nothing else this week, do this. The visibility alone changes everything.
Step 3: Send W-9 requests in one batch
Vendors don’t ignore you because they “hate paperwork.” They ignore you because your process is annoying:
- Attachments
- Printing/scanning
- Confusing instructions
- Emails buried in their inbox
Your ask should be one clear sentence:
“Please complete your W-9 using this secure link so we can finalize your vendor records for 1099 season.”
(And yes, send it in one batch. Manual one-off requesting is how teams end up chasing for weeks.)
Step 4: Automate reminders
If you have to “remember” who didn’t respond, you already lost.
Set reminders now so the nudging happens while you work on real tasks.
Step 5: Catch the silent mistakes
Most W-9 problems aren’t missing forms, they’re incorrect info that gets discovered late:
- Name doesn’t match TIN owner
- Vendor selects the wrong tax classification
- Individual vs business confusion
- Multiple businesses using one email address
Fixing these issues in December is cheap. Fixing them in late January is chaos.
Step 6: Store every completed W-9 where your team can find it
If your W-9s live in:
- someone’s inbox
- a random Google Drive folder
- a “2024 vendor docs” dump
…you will lose time later.
You want two things:
- a clean PDF record
- a submission history so you can prove when and how it was collected
Step 7: Start January with a “W-9 Complete” dashboard
January should be a checklist, not a scavenger hunt.
Your “ready” state looks like:
- You can instantly see who’s missing a W-9
- You can download any W-9 PDF in seconds
- You’re not chasing people manually
- Your data is consistent across tools
One more thing: e-filing expectations are getting stricter
If you file 10 or more total information returns (across types), the IRS requires e-filing. That reality is pushing more small businesses into “do it right the first time” processes because corrections get painful fast. irs.gov
How GetW9 makes this week (and January) dramatically easier
GetW9 is built for exactly this:
- Send one link to vendors to submit their W-9
- Track completion status (who’s done, who isn’t)
- Save completed W-9 PDFs with a submission history
- Keep everything organized without spreadsheets and back-and-forth
If you use QuickBooks, connect it to auto-import vendors and keep your list clean.
Your goal for this week: stop chasing W-9s manually before the countdown gets loud.
Try GetW9 and get your W-9 list under control before January hits.
