IRS TIN/Name Matching
Catch Mismatches Before They Become Notices
The IRS checks the name and TIN on every 1099 you file. When they don't match, you get a CP2100. TIN Comply runs that same check against official IRS records in real time — at vendor onboarding, in bulk before filing season, or embedded in your ERP — and tells you exactly what's wrong so you can fix it before it reaches the IRS.
What is IRS TIN/Name Matching?
IRS TIN Matching enables businesses and other payers to confirm that the TIN and legal name they have on file matches the IRS's records before a 1099 is filed. A mismatch that isn't caught before filing becomes a CP2100 line item, a B-Notice deadline, and — if unresolved — a 972CG penalty assessed per return. TIN Comply runs the same check the IRS runs at filing, in real time, so mismatches are caught and corrected before they reach a filed return.
Why It Matters
CP2100 B-Notices
Every mismatch on a filed 1099 becomes a CP2100 line item. Each one starts a 15-business-day B-Notice clock. TIN matching before filing stops mismatches before they reach the IRS.
972CG Penalty Risk
Penalties are assessed per information return — each mismatch is a separate exposure. Reasonable cause abatement requires documented outreach. TIN Comply builds that documentation automatically.
Backup Withholding
Unresolved mismatches trigger a 24% backup withholding obligation. TIN Comply identifies which vendors require withholding and confirms when a corrected TIN resolves — so withholding starts and stops on schedule.
Vendor Data Integrity
Bad TIN data in the vendor master causes reporting errors, payment friction, and audit exposure across AP, tax, and compliance. Validation at onboarding keeps the master clean before problems accumulate.
Required Fields
IRS Taxpayer Identification Number
SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other supported TIN types. TIN Comply validates the TIN type against the payee structure — sole proprietors, LLCs, and entities each have specific TIN type requirements that are a common source of mismatches.
Legal Name
Individual's full name as it appears on their Social Security card, or business legal name as registered with the IRS — not a DBA, trade name, or operating name. TIN Comply's guided W-9 portal helps vendors submit the right name the first time.
How It Works
Submit
Enter a name and TIN in the portal, upload a bulk file, or send a record via API — whichever fits your workflow.
Validate
TIN Comply submits to the IRS TIN Matching system and screens against 250+ sanctions lists in the same call — result code and sanctions clearance returned together.
Review
Matches are confirmed. Mismatches return a specific result code — name mismatch, wrong TIN type, invalid TIN — so outreach requests exactly the right correction.
Resolve
Mismatches can trigger a W-9 request to the vendor — no manual follow-up needed. When the W-9 comes back, revalidation runs automatically. Records update only on a confirmed match.
See IRS TIN Matching in Action
Official IRS Result Types
Unlike basic pass/fail tools, TIN Comply returns the specific IRS result code for every validation — so your team knows exactly what went wrong and what correction to request.
Matches SSN records
Confirmed match — SSN-based IRS record.
Action: None. Record is clean for 1099 filing.Matches EIN records
Confirmed match — EIN-based IRS record.
Action: None. Record is clean for 1099 filing.TIN/Name does not match
TIN is valid but the submitted name doesn't match the IRS registration for that TIN.
Common cause: DBA used instead of legal name, name change not updated at SSA, or missing entity suffix.Action: Request corrected W-9 — ask vendor for legal name exactly as registered with IRS.
TIN not currently issued
TIN doesn't exist in IRS records — invalid, fabricated, or never registered.
Common cause: Transposed digit, wrong TIN provided, or TIN belongs to a different entity entirely.Action: Request correct TIN. Apply backup withholding until valid TIN confirmed via revalidation.
Matches both SSN and EIN records
IRS has records for this name/TIN combination under both SSN and EIN — a personal SSN and a business EIN have a name control overlap.
Action: Confirm correct TIN type for this payee's specific payment arrangement. The form type and entity structure determine which applies.More Than TIN Matching
EIN & Name Discovery
When a match fails, look up the IRS-registered legal name for any EIN directly. Outreach tells the vendor the specific correct name to use — not a generic "your information is wrong" message that gets ignored.
IRS Lockout Protection
The IRS locks accounts for 96 hours when duplicate submissions are detected — including accidental ones from multiple users or overlapping batch jobs. TIN Comply detects and prevents duplicates automatically, before they reach the IRS.
Sanctions Screening on Every Validation
250+ lists — OFAC, FinCEN, BIS, EU, UN — screened automatically with every TIN matching call. Fuzzy matching and alias detection included. Not a separate workflow or add-on fee.
Audit Trail Built Automatically
Every validation, mismatch, outreach send, correction received, and revalidation result is logged per vendor with timestamps. The documentation that supports 972CG reasonable cause abatement exists before you need it.
How You Want to Use It
Web Portal
Validate individual records on demand. Clean interface, instant results, no IRS enrollment, no per-user limits. Operational the same day you sign up.
Bulk Validation
Upload your full vendor population for Q4 pre-filing cleanup, post-migration validation, or vendor master remediation. No reformatting required. Categorized exception report with automated outreach ready to launch.
API Integration
Embed TIN matching directly in your ERP, onboarding platform, or payment authorization workflow. Validation runs at the point of data entry — bad data caught before it's written, not after it's filed.
Automated Remediation
Mismatches route into W-9 correction workflows automatically — vendor receives targeted outreach, corrected W-9 triggers revalidation, record updates on confirmed match. The cycle closes without manual intervention.
Get Started
Start Validating in Minutes
No IRS enrollment. No per-user limits. Portal, bulk, and API — all included.
Most teams are running live validations the same day they sign up.