Getting reimbursed for interview flight, potential employer asking for a W9? (payments, job)
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OP didnt say this. What I said is IF they get the job, they will have to provide alot more information than that! What is OP trying to hide? Does OP not want employer to run a background check?
And to the other poster: there are no tax implications unless there is a 1099. It wouldn't hurt for the OP to actually talk with the accounts payable person or the accountant at the company to confirm that this will not be the case, since it is not income, but reimbursement.
A W-9 is the prelude to a 1099. That is why there is concern about this practice. Yes OP should ask to be sure. However, I know someone in a similar situation who was assured that handing over their SS# "wasn't for tax purposes" only to be hit with a 1099 anyway. It happens.
You're applying for positions at higher education facilities, right? Is this particular institution a state school? Would make sense for the paperwork web - I ran into the same thing applying for positions in the UT system a while ago. Incidentally, they never 1099'd me for the reimbursemt payments.
So, you actually filled out a W-9 as a condition to get expense reimbursement and you never got a 1099 for the reimbursement?
Thats what RoadWarrior12 said, and that was my experience working for a school district. We didnt 1099 people or companies who didnt perform a service for the district, but were paid for something and were not on the payroll. It wasn't common. That's why I said OP should call to confirm.
Thats what RoadWarrior12 said, and that was my experience working for a school district. We didnt 1099 people or companies who didnt perform a service for the district, but were paid for something and were not on the payroll. It wasn't common. That's why I said OP should call to confirm.
But you made these people fill out W-9 forms anyway ... even if you weren't going to 1099 them?
Yes, as I indicated on a previous post. I didn't but our accounting dept did. They had to have proof for the financial advisors, the board members, and the auditors that they paid the correct, real person.
About a week and a half ago, I flew out to a final in person interview. The potential employer required that I purchase my own flight and submit a form for reimbursement. They provided detailed instructions for reimbursement, and assurances in writing that I would be reimbursed for this and other travel expenses like meals. I was unhappy about fronting $1K for a last minute flight but I went ahead and did so, and promptly submitted all my receipts according to instructions.
I just got an email today from their administrative offices, asking for "My W-9" so they could reimburse me. ? I emailed back I did not have one, nor did I expect to, since I'm not an independent contractor or consultant. I flew out for an interview. They responded back with a copy of the form, and told me to fill it out.
I've had to travel for other in-person interviews recently. Those companies paid for my flights and hotel, and I was only required to get reimbursement for meals and ground transportation. They have not required any W-9 forms.
What's up with this? Why do they need a W-9?
I don't have much of a clue, as I think it is asinine myself, but I know it has something to do with internal accounting and IRS reporting. The W-9 is a one-page form with an additional three pages of instructions, whose sole purpose is to get your name, address, and social security number. (Somehow, a full-page form with ~3 1/2 pages of instructions is required for this.) Often, companies need this information so that they can track where their money is going and report anything that needs to be reported.
You think you've got it bad for a $1,000 expense? I often have to fill out these stupid forms, AND produce my own invoices, for musical performances that net me a hundred bucks! When I started doing this in 2006, NOBODY asked me for a W-9. These days more than half of the facilities I play at ask for this form. And then when you change your address - you have to fill out another one! You can't just give 'em the new address on a Post-It note... nope... new W-9 time! I've gotten to the point where I have filled and signed copies of the W-9 in my music binder with me whenever we go to a gig, just in case we get asked for one.
So you are saying that they are making the OP fill out an official IRS document ... yet they aren't going to use it to report the travel reimbursement as income? Nice try on sweeping your statements "under the rug" by generically stating "I don't understand the tax implications" with no proof of your correctness.
"Job interview expenses. If a prospective employer asks you to appear for an interview and either pays you an allowance or reimburses you for your transportation and other travel expenses, the amount you receive is not taxable in most cases. You include in income only the amount you receive that is more than your actual expenses."
To the OP you are jumping to conclusions and getting upset for no reason.
OP didnt say this. What I said is IF they get the job, they will have to provide alot more information than that! What is OP trying to hide? Does OP not want employer to run a background check?
As the OP, I also never said I had a problem with supplying my SS. Someone else is upset on my behalf. I'm upset that it might be considered taxable income, which it sounds like from other posters, will hopefully not be the case. The office manager has been less than helpful, (yes, it's an academic position), but I'll try and confirm tomorrow that I will not receive a 1099.
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To the OP you are jumping to conclusions and getting upset for no reason.
Ummm....no. I was baffled at the request and asked a question. This procedure is unlike any other reimbursement I've done. Many other people are getting upset on my behalf. And as for jumping to conclusions, I've been reading all afternoon about people who got screwed this way, and got a 1099 they shouldn't have received. I sincerely hope this won't happen to me, but yeah. I'm a little ticked I have to worry about it.
I get that a lot people pay for their own interview travel expenses, with no hope of reimbursement. I totally do. But this is one area that seems to vary a lot by profession and circumstance. Yes, it's completely expected in my field for prospect employers to pay all travel expenses for interviews, and no, it isn't normal for the W-9 stuff. I'm learning a lot from this job about how wacky these things can be, but you can't blame me for being surprised and asking questions when it's not standard for my field.
Anyway, I'll verify tomorrow about the 1099 thing, and hopefully that will be the end of it.
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