Check that names and tax IDs match IRS records before you file.
Quick version: Select forms on the Forms page, or Recipients on the Recipients page, and click TIN Check. Finish checkout, and we’ll email your results, usually overnight.
A TIN Check compares names and Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) with IRS records, so you can fix mismatches before you file. It’s optional. In Adams Tax Forms Helper, the employers, payers, and lenders you file for are called Issuers.
Before you start: Make sure each Recipient and Issuer has a TIN saved.
Check the Issuers and Recipients on your forms
1. Go to Forms and check the box next to each form.
2. Click TIN Check in the bar at the bottom of the screen.
3. On Review your TIN Check, look over Will be checked, which lists each Issuer and Recipient, the cost, and the total. Anyone who can’t be checked is listed under Not included, with the reason.
4. Click Proceed to Checkout, then finish checkout (see below).
Check Recipients from the Recipients page
1. Go to Recipients and check the box next to each Recipient. To select everyone on the page, use the box at the top of the list.
2. Click TIN Check. Your selection goes straight to your cart, with Verify TINs First selected.
3. Click Checkout, then finish checkout (see below).
Anyone already checked, or with a check in progress, is skipped. You’ll see how many.
Finish checkout
· If your prepaid credits cover it: make sure Use stored credits is checked (it’s on by default), check I agree to the Terms of Use., and click Checkout.
· Otherwise: enter your billing address, check I agree to the Terms of Use., and pay. If a Confirm Your Address box appears, choose the address to use and click Save & Continue.
For more help, see Checking out in Adams Tax Forms Helper [ADD LINK].
What happens next
TIN Checks run overnight, and we email you the results. During busy filing periods, results can take up to 48 hours.
Where | While it runs | Results |
Recipients and Issuers pages | Queued, then Processing | Match, Mismatch, Invalid (the TIN wasn’t found), or Rejected |
Forms page | TIN check pending | TIN match or TIN no match |
Before a check, the TIN status shows Ready.
Common questions
Do I have to wait for results before I eFile?
No. eFiling doesn’t wait for TIN Check results. If you want to fix mismatches first, wait for your results email, then file.
How do I find Recipients by their result?
On the Recipients page, click Filter, choose a TIN status such as Mismatch or Invalid, and click Done. In the filter, never-checked Recipients are listed as Not checked.
Why was someone skipped or listed under “Not included”?
They’ve already been checked this season, a check is already running, or (from the Forms page) they have no TIN on file.
Can I check someone again?
Yes, if their result was Rejected. Fix their name or TIN first.
What do I do if a name and TIN don’t match?
Update the name or TIN so it matches IRS records exactly, then run a new TIN Check. See How to fix a TIN mismatch rejection.
Can I buy TIN Check credits ahead of time?
Yes. Go to Credits, add TIN Check credits, and click Checkout. They’re applied automatically at checkout while Use stored credits is checked, which it is by default.
Once your TINs check out, you’re ready to eFile with the IRS or SSA.