W-9 statuses
FAQ
What happens to rewards that were held?
The moment the advocate's W-9 reaches Verified, rewards with the status Approval Held are automatically updated to Approved. No action needed from you.
An advocate's status is "Verification Failed" — what should they do?
The most common causes are typos in the tax ID, using a nickname or married name that doesn't match IRS records, or mixing up SSN and EIN. The advocate can re-open the tax form from their portal banner, correct the details, and re-submit. Or, you can resend the Request email by selecting their record from the Tax Form table and click Resend Request.
Can I change the thresholds?
The collection threshold (when the request email goes out) is configurable in Tax Settings: $500, $1,000, $1,500 or $1,750. The $2,000 limit where reward approvals pause is fixed — it follows the IRS reporting threshold and cannot be changed.
Is the advocates' information secure?
Yes. The form is protected by email verification, the tax ID is encrypted and only its last 4 digits are ever displayed, and advocates certify and sign electronically following the official IRS W-9 form.
Does this apply to advocates outside the US?
The W-9 applies to US persons. Advocates' earnings are tracked per campaign where tax collection is active — talk to your account manager about how to structure programs with international advocates.
Can I collect W-9s for previous years?
Tax records are kept per calendar year. Use the Tax Year selector in Tax Management to review any year's records.
How do I know which advocates actually need a 1099?
A verified W-9 doesn't automatically mean a 1099. Check the Taxable Gross Income column on the Completed Tax Form tab. If it's $2,000 or more for the tax year, that advocate needs one. If it's below, you don't need to file for them, though it's fine to keep the W-9 on file.
Does Ambassador send 1099s for me?
Not today. You'll export the data from Tax Form Management and file through your own tax or accounting system. Select the advocates you need and click Export 1099 CSV to get their details in one file.
Why doesn't Taxable Gross Income match an advocate's Earnings YTD?
Earnings YTD is all fulfilled rewards this year. Taxable Gross Income reflects what actually counts toward reporting (excludes pending and expired rewards), so an advocate can show meaningful earnings and still have a lower taxable figure.
Can I download W-9s for more than one advocate at once?
Yes. On the Completed Tax Form tab, select the advocates you want and click Export W-9 PDFs. For just one person, open their record and download from the Documents section.
Who on my team can download W-9s and the 1099 CSV?
By default, the Admin and Finance roles have full access, both from the table and from an individual advocate's record. If a teammate can't see the export options, check their role first.
Can I export tax data for a previous year?
Yes. Switch the Tax Year selector in Tax Form Management, then run your export. Records are kept per calendar year.
Questions? Review the related articles or contact support@getambassador.com.
Related Articles: