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New Member
posted Mar 8, 2021 3:19:12 AM

Why can't I input my SSN on Form 1099-NEC? It is getting pulled up at the federal review section. It will only allow payer's EIN and I cannot click on the SSN box.

In the federal review section of filing it pulls up an error regarding my self-employment. It states: Check this entry. Form 1099-NEC Worksheet (Untitled): Payer's federal EIN You must enter a Federal EIN or social security number for the payer.

Then it displays a mostly grayed out Form 1099-NEC with my name and social autofilled at the top. Next it has a box labeled Payer's EIN, and next to it says or SSN and an empty box. For self employment shouldn't I be putting my SSN there? Why can I not click to fill that box instead?

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24 Replies
Expert Alumni
Mar 8, 2021 5:17:16 AM

No, you do not enter your Social Security number on Form 1099-NEC as the payer.  The payer information is for the company or entity who paid you for your services as a self-employed person.  You are the recipient of Form 1099-NEC, not the payer.

 

You should only be entering Form 1099-NEC if you actually received the form showing your self-employed earnings from a company who paid you.  If you did not receive Form 1099-NEC, then enter your self-employment income as 'cash' income on your Schedule C for your self-employed business.

 

 

 

Level 1
Apr 14, 2021 8:11:27 PM

I am having the same issue, but the roadblock is that the federal income check function is flagging "missing information" and demanding the payer's EIN in the pop-up window under "Check this entry".  This is after I selected the SSN option and provided the payer's SSN when inputting this income in the income section.  The SSN number is not reflected here (it isn't being carried forward or recognized).

Expert Alumni
Apr 15, 2021 10:00:34 AM

If you are using TurboTax Desktop, you can go into Forms mode and enter the missing information.

Level 1
Apr 15, 2021 11:18:06 AM

I am using the online version.  Is there a similar option?  I have put them in during the input of income info, but TT Online is not carrying it forward and during the federal check the info is not there and it won't let me input it.  Help please!

Expert Alumni
Apr 15, 2021 3:18:14 PM

My recommendation for TurboTax Online is to go to the dark border area on the left of your screen and select Tools, Tax Tools, Delete a Form and delete the Form 1099-NEC.  Then go back into the Income & Expense, Self-Employment to re-add the 1099-NEC.   Do Not add the Form 1099-NEC under Other Common Income.  

New Member
Apr 18, 2021 5:40:53 AM

This didn't work for me.

New Member
Mar 12, 2025 10:10:58 PM

Did you ever get an update? I’m experiencing the same thing, it’s not moving forward with just the social

Expert Alumni
Mar 14, 2025 6:08:18 PM

Your best option is to remove Form 1099-NEC from your return and re-enter.

 

Go to the 1099-NEC topic and click Delete beside the form you need to remove.

 

Or go to the left column and choose Tools >> Delete a form. Choose the form you need to remove and then click Delete.

 

Additional information: How do I view and delete forms in TurboTax Online?

New Member
Mar 17, 2025 4:29:11 AM

I'm having the same issue right now, kept asking for EIN on my 1099 NEC, when it's only has SSN.

I'm getting frustrating now, never has this issue last year. Turbo Tax has glitch or something isn't right.

Has to file by mail, can't e-filing without it. 

Returning Member
Mar 17, 2025 4:45:01 AM

I am having the same issue.

A 1099 has a SSN on it, not an EIN. 

 

Last year I filed online using the same method, from the same 1099 issuer and had no issues filing electronically.

This year, I cannot file as I am being told this particular 1099 requires an EIN. That's never the way its been issued and never been a problem.

Please Advise.

Expert Alumni
Mar 17, 2025 6:37:58 AM

Since you said the 1099-NEC has a Social Security number instead of an EIN, try changing the format of that field to accept an SSN instead.  

 

In that same general area on the input screen there should be a question asking how the payer's Federal ID number is formatted.  Choose the option that shows xxx-xx-xxxx to enter the SSN.  

 

@stuntmusic60 

@SG04210 

Level 1
Mar 17, 2025 9:34:01 AM

Turbotax had no problem accepting an SSN for the 1099-NEC in the EasyStep mode.  It is only when I attempt to electronically file for California that it complains about the missing EIN.  There is no EIN in the paper form itself, of course.  And both EIN and SSN should be valid entries.  It seems like a bug in Turbotax final validation algorithm before filing.

Returning Member
Mar 17, 2025 5:56:00 PM

@AnnetteB6 

That solution does not work.

I have SSN selected, but the online form will not let me go beyond that and it REQUIRES me to put in an EIN, even thought the form shows the proper SSN.

It says I cannot e-file without the EIN.

I've done this plenty of times before with 1099s from this same place.

I have obfuscated the SSN but they are there and correct.


Expert Alumni
Mar 18, 2025 1:35:45 PM

It depends. Is your business a single-member LLC? If so, this is why it won't accept a Social Security number.

Returning Member
Mar 19, 2025 8:29:36 AM

It is not.

And I repeat, this is a 1099 I get every year, and have used successfully in previous within TT, and it has never been a problem.

Level 1
Mar 20, 2025 3:55:39 PM

I have found the solution for at least those of us who received a 1099-NEC with the Payer's SSN but had no federal income tax withheld.  Before I do that, let me say that my problems was similar to everyone else's in that I have been successfully electronically filing a similar form for years with no problem.  There is no place report bugs in the Turbotax website so this morning I wasted one hour of my life frustratingly trying to convince Turbotax support that there is an error in their software to no avail.  They were very polite but simply said that tons of changes have been made and that I simply had to request an EIN from then issuer.  They would not report this as a bug either. This answer is wrong, of course, as the 1099-NEC is also issued to contractors that were paid more than $600.  In that case, the issuer most likely does not an EIN to begin with.

 

However, just now I noticed that the error message actually said something to the effect of "you need an EIN because you had tax withheld".  Wait, what? I then noticed that I did enter 0.0 in the federal tax withheld field to match the paper form.  The solution? Remove the 0, leave it blank and voila! federal review passed and tax filed.  Hope this helps some of you at least.

Expert Alumni
Mar 20, 2025 4:03:04 PM

Try changing the format to EIN and enter the number.  @stuntmusic60   Is there any tax withheld?  If not make sure there is nothing in that field, no zero, just leave it blank.  Put your cursor in that field and hit the delete button a few time to make sure it is empty.  

Returning Member
Mar 21, 2025 6:34:49 AM

The solution was to delete all the 1099-NEC I had and re-enter them. Whatever error loop TT got in, doing this solved the issue.

New Member
Mar 28, 2025 9:08:13 PM

That was it!! Thank you, thank you!

New Member
Mar 30, 2025 8:45:33 PM

This solution worked for me, clearing the taxes withheld field from zero to blank.

New Member
Apr 1, 2025 11:09:18 AM

THIS!! It worked! I wish I could upvote this or pin it to the top of the page - maaaan, I am so thankful. Thank you! Give this a try if you need it!!!! 

New Member
Apr 8, 2025 2:42:56 PM

That was the solution for me as well. Entered a "0" in the taxes withheld box, bc 1099nec had it there. deleted the zero, taxes filed. THANK YOU!!!!!

Level 1
Apr 10, 2025 7:00:26 PM

Finally figured out this headache. Leave box 4 "federal income tax withheld" BLANK, dont put in $0.

 

 

 

Any input into this box triggers a requirement for an EIN and won't allow a SSN

 

 

 

Hope this helps y'all!

Level 1
Apr 14, 2025 4:11:35 PM

Perfect solution!  I've been going around and around with this forever ... as soon as I removed the $0 it was fine.