Blog Posts

TIN matching result codes tell you whether a name/TIN combination matched IRS records — but the more useful question is what to do when it didn't. This guide covers all 9 codes, the most likely causes behind each one, and the specific steps to take for every non-match result.

IRS bulk TIN matching accepts up to 100,000 name/TIN pairs in a semicolon-delimited .txt file. The format rules are strict and the most common errors are avoidable. Here's the complete guide to building a valid file, understanding result codes, and knowing when to use TIN Comply's bulk service instead.

A CP2100 notice starts a compliance clock most AP teams aren't ready for. You have 15 business days to send First B-Notices, 30 days before backup withholding kicks in for non-respondents, and a documented paper trail to build if you want to avoid a 972CG penalty later. Here's the complete workflow.

IRS Notice 972CG is a proposed civil penalty for information return errors — TIN mismatches, missing TINs, late filing, or wrong filing method. You have 45 days to respond before the penalty is assessed. Here's what it means and what to do.

The IRS penalty for a TIN mismatch is $310 per return. But the real cost — staff time, B-Notice workflows, corrected filings, vendor outreach — is usually much higher. Here's what it actually adds up to.

W-9 management is the foundation of 1099 compliance — but most AP teams treat it as a one-time onboarding task rather than a continuous process. Here's how to collect W-9s correctly at onboarding, maintain them over time, manage the two-solicitation rule for unresponsive vendors, and connect W-9 collection to TIN matching so errors surface before they become B-Notices.

FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule exempted all U.S.-formed entities from the Corporate Transparency Act's beneficial ownership reporting requirement. The rule still applies to foreign companies registered to do business in the U.S. Here's what changed, what remains, and what AP and compliance teams should be focused on instead.

TIN matching is the process of verifying a vendor's name and tax ID against IRS records before filing information returns. Done before filing, a mismatch costs nothing to fix. Discovered after filing, it triggers B-Notices, backup withholding, and penalty notices. Here's the complete picture.

Most W-9 problems aren't random - they're the same mistakes made by different vendors. Wrong name format, wrong entity classification, missing TIN, W-9s that were accurate when collected but aren't anymore. Here's how each one happens and how to fix it.

Most AP teams understand that sanctions screening exists. Fewer understand how name matching actually works, why false positives happen, what the 50% ownership rule means for your vendor list, or why screening at onboarding is only half the job. This post covers the operational mechanics.

Most 1099 filing problems are created in Q3 and discovered in January. This month-by-month planning calendar gives AP teams the specific actions, deadlines, and validation milestones needed to reach filing season without a crisis.

OFAC sanctions compliance isn't just a financial services problem. Civil penalties reach $330,947 per violation and apply even when violations are unintentional. For AP teams, every vendor payment is a potential exposure point. Here's what the rules actually require and where most non-financial companies fall short.

Law firms sit on both sides of the 1099 equation — as payers of vendors, experts, co-counsel, and settlement recipients, and as payees receiving proceeds themselves. The rules are more complex than standard vendor reporting, and several common exceptions don't apply. Here's what your firm needs to know.

The IRS enforcement environment for information returns shifted significantly in 2025–2026: a reduced workforce leaning harder on automated matching, a new $2,000 threshold for 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC, and digital asset broker reporting now active. Here's what AP teams need to know.

Paying an OIG-excluded provider — even unknowingly — means repaying federal reimbursements and facing additional penalties. Here's what healthcare vendor compliance actually requires.

Acquisitions, ERP migrations, and years of manual entry leave behind vendor masters that look complete but aren't. Here's how to assess what you've inherited and clean it up before filing season.

TIN validation at onboarding is the starting point, not the finish line. Here's what a complete vendor compliance lifecycle looks like across onboarding, active status, and offboarding.

Form 1099-DA reporting is live for 2025 transactions. Digital asset brokers that collect and validate customer TINs now are in a stronger position on backup withholding relief and penalty exposure going into 2026.

Worker misclassification is one of the most common — and costly — IRS compliance mistakes. Here's how the IRS determines employee vs. contractor status and what's at stake if you get it wrong.

EIN discovery and TIN matching are often confused — but they solve different problems. Here's when to use each, and how they work together when a vendor TIN comes back as a mismatch.

Marketplace platforms operate under 1099-K rules that are fundamentally different from standard 1099-NEC compliance — with seller populations in the thousands, API-driven onboarding, and TPSO threshold rules that just changed again under the OBBBA. Here's how compliance works at platform scale and why TIN validation is the piece that doesn't simplify regardless of how reporting thresholds move.

Most AP teams screen against OFAC and assume they're covered. But depending on who you pay, you may need to screen against dozens of additional lists. Here's how to know which ones apply to you.

Most AP teams validate TINs at onboarding and never again. But vendor data changes constantly — and stale records are the leading cause of B-Notices and 972CG penalties.

A W-9 on file is not the same as a validated vendor. Complete vendor validation covers TIN matching, EIN verification, and sanctions screening — and most AP teams are only doing one of the three.

AML compliance isn't just a bank problem — AP teams that pay vendors without TIN validation and sanctions screening carry real exposure. Here's what the connection looks like in practice.

The EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive expands liability and tightens screening requirements. Here's what US businesses paying EU vendors or counterparties need to know — and screen for.

The IRS is lowering the 1099-K reporting threshold to $600. Find out who's affected, what it means for your vendor TIN validation process, and how to avoid backup withholding exposure.