EIN

[JRogers75]

I did some flooring for a customer in their home and now they are asking for my EIN number? I've never had a non contractor ask for my EIN. Why would they need it? 

[xmasbaby0]

They do not need it.  They might just be confused.  If the homeowners for whom you did a job are not running a business, they do not need to issue a 1099NEC to you.   You -- however--- must report that self-employment income on your own tax return, even if you were paid in cash and do not receive a 1099NEC.   

[rjs]

From what you wrote it's not clear whether your customer operates a business. If the work you did was strictly for their home, not for their business, they are not supposed to issue a 1099-NEC for personal expenses. They may be trying to claim the work on their home as a business expense. That, of course, is not legitimate if the part of the home where you installed the flooring is not used for their business. Or they might just be confused, as xmasbaby0 said. But if they do have a business and the part of the home where you installed the flooring is used for their business, it is a legitimate business expense and they do have to issue a 1099-NEC to you.

In any case, the path of least resistance for you is to just give them your EIN and let them issue the 1099-NEC. I don't see any harm to you in doing that. You have to report the income whether or not you get a 1099-NEC. You do not have to be concerned about what they do on their tax return. And if it is a legitimate business expense for them and you do not give them your EIN it will cause problems for you.

[Critter-3]

Fill in a W-9 and give it to them ... it won't hurt. 

[Carl]

As an addendum, getting an EIN is free and takes (maybe) 10 minutes if you type slow.
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-n...

[VolvoGirl]

Maybe it's for a Rental house?  Or they're going to rent it?  

[Critter-3]

You can ask them why but it really doesn't matter ... anyone can issue you one for any reason. 

[JRogers75]

This was for a private residence and not a business. It's the father in law telling them that they need my EIN for his accountant. 

[JRogers75]

It was for a private residence that we've done work on a few different times. It's the father in law asking for the EIN to give to his accountant. 

  We've been contractors for many years and never came across a homeowner or their family asking for this. 

[rjs]

Something is definitely fishy here. Why is the customer's father-in-law involved at all? Did the father-in-law pay you for the flooring? Even if he did, it's still a personal expense, not a business expense, or it's a gift from him to his son-in-law or daughter-in-law. Either way he does not need your EIN.

You never came across a homeowner asking for your EIN because there is no reason they would need it. They are not going to send you a 1099-NEC for work on their personal home.

At risk of making the customer angry, you could ask them to have the father-in-law's accountant call you and explain what he is planning to do with your EIN. But if you don't want to risk losing the customer, you could just give them your EIN and let them send you a 1099-NEC. As we have said before, it won't harm you in any way. It sounds like the father-in-law is planning to deduct the cost of the flooring as a business expense on his tax return, but you are not responsible for what he does on his tax return.