W-9 Form OCR

About this API

The W-9 Form OCR API is a specialized tool used to identify and locate the key fields on an IRS Form W-9, "Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification." The service uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to analyze the structure and text of a submitted W-9 document image or PDF. Its primary function is to recognize the standard labels for each part of the form, such as the fields for names and taxpayer identification numbers. The API returns a structured JSON list of these identified form fields, which is intended for applications that need to process, validate, or guide the filling of W-9 forms.

Key Features

• Form Field Identification: Identifies the labels of primary fields on a Form W-9, including Name, Business name, Federal tax classification, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Social security number, and Employer identification number.
• Form Type Verification: Recognizes the document's title and subtitle, allowing a system to programmatically confirm that the processed document is a Form W-9.
• Full Text Transcription: Provides the complete raw text extracted from the document, allowing for search or manual review of all content on the form.
• Multi-Format Input: Processes W-9 forms submitted as common file types, including PDF, JPG, and PNG.
• Structured JSON Output: Delivers a list of identified form field labels, where each is categorized by a type in a clean JSON format for easy programmatic use.

Use Cases

Scenario 1: Automate Document Type Verification

• Situation: A company's vendor onboarding portal requires new US contractors to upload a W-9. The system needs to automatically check if the uploaded file is the correct type of document.
• Implementation: A contractor uploads a PDF file. The system sends the file to the W-9 Form OCR API. The system then inspects the API's JSON response, looking for an entity with type: "form_title" and mentionText: "Form W-9". If these values are present, the document is validated as the correct type and passed to the next step. If not, the user is automatically prompted to upload the correct form.

Scenario 2: Build an Assisted Form-Filling Interface

• Situation: A financial services platform wants to help its users correctly fill out a digital W-9 form by providing guidance.
• Implementation: The platform displays a digital image of a blank W-9 form. The backend has already used the API to identify the locations and labels of all required fields. This data is then used by the front-end application to overlay interactive input boxes on the correct parts of the form image, guiding the user to enter their name, address, and TIN in the appropriate places.

Scenario 3: Create Templates for Data Extraction

• Situation: A developer is building a custom workflow to extract the filled-in values from completed W-9 forms and needs a reliable way to locate the data first.
• Implementation: The developer runs a blank W-9 form through this API. The API returns the specific text labels for each field (e.g., "Social security number"). The developer's system uses this information to create a template that defines the location of each data point. This template then directs a separate, value-extraction process to accurately find the user-entered data on completed forms.

How it Works: Endpoints & Response

The API functions by receiving a document file at a specific endpoint and returning a JSON object that maps out the form's structure.