Free W-9 Generator: Fill and Download in 30 Seconds
We built a free online W-9 form generator that creates a properly formatted PDF. Private, in-browser, no signup required.
Every freelancer and contractor in the US has the same experience: a new client asks for a W-9 before they can process your first payment. You download the IRS PDF. It’s not fillable. Or it is, but the fonts are wrong. Or you fill it out and realize you need to save a new copy for every client. Or you just handwrite it and scan it.
We built a tool that makes this take 30 seconds: /tools/w9-generator.
How it works
- Fill in your name, tax classification, address, and TIN
- Click “Download W-9 PDF”
- A clean, properly formatted PDF downloads to your device
That’s it. No account. No email. No server upload.
The entire form is generated in your browser using pdf-lib. Your Social Security Number or EIN never leaves your device. There is no network request. We don’t see your data. We can’t see your data.
What each field means
Line 1 — Name: Your legal name as shown on your tax return. If you’re a sole proprietor, this is your personal name.
Line 2 — Business name: Only if different from Line 1. Your DBA or LLC name.
Line 3 — Tax classification: Most freelancers are “Individual/sole proprietor.” If you have an LLC, check LLC and enter C, S, or P for the tax classification.
Lines 4a/4b — Exemptions: Usually blank for individuals. These apply to specific entity types.
Lines 5-6 — Address: Where your client should mail tax documents (1099 forms).
Part I — TIN: Your SSN or EIN. The form needs one of these to be valid.
Part II — Certification: The date acts as your signature. You’re certifying the info is correct.
For the official IRS form and instructions, see irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9.
Why we built this
We build tools for people who bill by the hour. The W-9 is the first form a new contractor fills out. If it takes 10 minutes of friction at the start of every client relationship, that’s 10 minutes you’re not billing.
The next step after the W-9 is tracking your time, sending invoices, and getting paid. Miru handles all of that. Open source. $1/member/month.
Vipul A M
Co-founder at Saeloun. Building Miru. Rails contributor. Shipping from Pune, India.
The article is the theory. Miru is the workflow.
If this post is about better billing, cleaner tracking, or fewer tools, Miru is the product version of that argument.