W9 Forms from 2014 vs 2017... what's the frickin' difference?

June 15, 2018 1:23 PM

Tax experts: Is there any reason for a company to not accept a completed 2014 version of a W9 instead of the 2017 updated form? (I would assume there must be, but one tax guy we know said it makes no difference.)

Recently jumped through a ridiculous amount of hoops and paperwork to receive a payment. Now, the most recent is that I need to resubmit the W9 we filled out and sent, because we filled out the IRS's version from 2014 and not the most recent version from 2017. I looked as much as I could, and the information being requested, and what is being signed off on, is the same between versions. The only difference appears to be in instructions and some verbiage for special cases.

posted by Unsomnambulist to Law & Government (3 answers total)

The difference is that the form you used says 2014 at the top and not 2017. Records are everything to the IRS. Easiest thing to do is google "2017 W9 form" and jump through the IRS' hoops. And consider that some battles are just not worth fighting...
posted by summerstorm at 2:40 PM on June 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The instructions in box 3 and Part II of the forms were updated, so essentially the questions are not the same.
posted by melissasaurus at 3:06 PM on June 15, 2018

My small company receives payments from large companies that all have ridiculous, insane, hoop-jumping requirements and payment systems. It's just the way it is. First principle: give them what they want, second principle: don't argue about it, third principle: after you've given them what they want, they're going to decide they want something different, fourth principle: give them what they want this time and don't argue about it either. The easiest thing to give them upfront that they always want is an annually updated W9, whether it's required by the IRS or not.
posted by Gnella at 2:08 AM on June 16, 2018 [1 favorite]