You said:
A business is asking for my taxpayer identification number. Should I give them my social security number or my new EIN?
ChatGPT said:
Give them the EIN. Full stop.

Here’s the blunt breakdown:

1. If you formed an LLC (even a single-member LLC), the EIN exists for exactly this purpose.
It’s the business’s tax identity. Use it.

2. Handing out your SSN is playing security roulette.
Especially with small businesses that treat data security like an afterthought. There’s zero upside to exposing your personal SSN when your business has its own federal ID.

3. The IRS doesn’t care whether you use SSN or EIN for a single-member LLC — both are technically allowed —
…but the smart move is to put a wall between you and your business. Using the EIN is how you build that wall.

4. Your W-9 should list:

Name: Your legal name

Business name (if different): Paperless Ponte Vedra LLC

Tax classification: “Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC”

TIN: Your EIN, not your SSN

This keeps payments, 1099s, and data leaks tied to the LLC, not your personal identity.

If you want, I can fill out a perfect W-9 for you (with your info pre-formatted) so you know exactly how it should look.