n8n: Automate W-9 & 1099 Tracking with Google Sheets

Automatically track contractor payments, chase W-9s, and generate your 1099 list in n8n

Stop scrambling for W-9s and hunting down year-to-date totals. This n8n workflow uses n8n Forms with Google Sheets, Gmail, and Google Drive to log payments, request signed W-9s, track 1099-reportable thresholds, and email a formatted 1099 list—on-demand or every January.

What this workflow does

• Triggers automatically when someone submits an n8n Form (log a payment, request a W-9, or build a 1099 list) or when the daily schedule runs.
• Reads configuration and your Google Sheet by loading values and using the Payees and Payments tabs.
• When a payment is logged: appends the payment to Google Sheets, updates/creates the payee record, and uses Gmail to request a W-9 or send warnings as the payee approaches/exceeds the reporting threshold.
• When a W-9 is submitted: matches it to the correct payee, uploads the signed W-9 file to Google Drive, updates the payee’s W-9 status and Drive link in Google Sheets, and emails you confirmation via Gmail.
• When a 1099 list is requested: calculates eligible payees and totals, including splitting 1099-NEC vs rent; writes results to the 1099 list tab; and emails the formatted list via Gmail.
• Every morning: chases outstanding W-9s on your cadence and updates chase/warning fields in Google Sheets. On your chosen January day, it generates last year’s 1099 list.

Use cases

• Track contractor/vendor payments throughout the year with year-to-date 1099 reporting totals.
• Automatically request W-9s and send reminders/warnings without manual follow-ups.
• Generate an on-demand 1099 list (or a January run) and email it in a ready-to-review format.

Technical details

• Integrations: Google Sheets, Gmail, Google Drive
• n8n components/nodes: set, code, gmail, switch, sticky note, form trigger
• Core data storage: Google Sheets tabs for Payees, Payments, and “1099 list”; signed W-9 files stored in Google Drive
• Setup: connect credentials for Google Sheets, Gmail, and Google Drive, then run the manual Create my spreadsheet path once.