Updated on October 24, 2017
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Having 1099 contractors can be a whole lot easier than going out and hiring a bunch of W-2 employees — except during tax time. After all, your full- and part-time employees give you their Social Security numbers when they’re hired. A 1099 employee, on the other hand, may not be willing to hand his Social Security number over — or may not cooperate in time for you to file all of the necessary tax documents.
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The problem? If you don’t have a Social Security number for ALL of your employees — including the 1099 contractors — you can land in some hot water with the IRS. If they want, the IRS can deem your tax documents to be incomplete and punish you with hefty fines. And, unfortunately, not having a 1099 employee’s Social Security number DOESN’T entitle you to file your tax documents late! You’ve got to have everything in order before the deadline — or else.
So, what’s the solution? Cross your fingers and hope that your 1099 employees decide to cooperate?
No way!
Instead, take the bull by the horns, and turn to a team of experts. After all, you’re required to report all of your employees’ wages by the end of January, so you don’t have time to waste. Luckily, licensed private investigators (like the ones here at Docusearch) are authorized to go into the appropriate databases and find all of the necessary information, so that your tax documents don’t get held up.
How is that possible? After all, Social Security numbers are the most personal of identifiers. Does that mean ANYONE can search for them?
No…
If you’re an employer who needs an employee’s Social Security number for tax purposes, you’re legally entitled to search for it. As long as you turn to a licensed expert (like a licensed private investigator), your search is perfectly legal.
So, how do you get the ball rolling?
Here at Docusearch, we have access to records and databases that are usually just reserved for law enforcement, but before we can tap into them, you have to submit a request for service. From there, you’ll have to go through a follow-up phone interview, during which you’ll have to explain why you need us to get this information. You’ll may also have to submit special documentation that says you need the employee’s Social Security number in order to avoid tax fines and other penalties.
You’ll also need to give us all of the information about your 1099 employee that you DO have — like his full name, his last known address, approximate age, and his date of birth. As long as the 1099 employee in question is over 21 and has established credit, a good private investigator will be able to track down his Social Security number.
Just make sure you find out all of your private investigator’s terms and conditions before you start! For example, here at Docusearch, if we can’t find your 1099 employee’s Social Security number for some reason, we’ll refund your payment. That way, you don’t have to worry about wasting money AND getting in trouble with the IRS!
About Docusearch:
Docusearch has been profiled by Forbes Magazine and featured in national television media including MSNBC, CNBC, A&E, and Dateline NBC. In addition to their Social Security Number Search, Docusearch offers a variety of investigative searches and has been a premier provider for on-line investigative solutions since 1996.