It might be challenging to stay on top of taxes in the US, but there are resources available to help residents during the filing season. The IRS created the On-Line Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching Program as a free online service for those who made reportable payments that were subject to the Internal Revenue Code’s backup withholding rules, as reported by Marca. The tool enables validation of the TIN and name combination prior to submission of the information return.
This service is offered only for pre-filling by an authorized taxpayer or agent who submits information returns. Authorized taxpayer refers to a person who has at least filed one of the following forms for the past two years: forms 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099-MISC, 1099-OID, or 1099-PATR.
The IRS offers the On-line TIN Matching service for authorized agent or payer. (Photo: Dreamstime)
The online tool offers two options through the TIN system.
- Interactive TIN Matching
- It can verify up to 25 different name/TIN combinations and instantly transmit the result. This option has a cap of 999 requests within a 24-hour period.
- Bulk TIN Matching
- The first step for an industrial scale as it can verify up to 100,000 different names or TIN combinations and the result can also be received within 24 hours.
According to the IRS site, both services will match the TIN and payee name with IRS records, decrease the error rate in TIN validation, and reduce the possibilities of backup withholding and penalty notices.
Registration for this service is quite easy, like making a YouTube account. You can visit the e-service registration home page and fill out the registration form. Once completed, you can instantly access both TIN matching tools.
