Payee Terms of Use

1. Who we are, and who we work for

SteadFile LLC ("SteadFile," "we") provides this website at the request of the business that invited you (your "payer") so you can complete, sign, and deliver an IRS tax form (such as a Form W-9 or W-8) to that payer. We provide the software; your relationship about the underlying payments, and the decision to request this form, belongs to your payer. These Terms are an agreement between you and SteadFile about your use of this site.

2. SteadFile is a self-help tool — not your advisor

The site asks you questions and, based only on your answers and the published IRS forms and instructions, suggests a form and fills it in. SteadFile does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice, and no professional or advisory relationship is created between you and SteadFile. A suggestion is not a determination of your tax status, treaty eligibility, or the correct amount of any withholding. If you are unsure which form applies to you or how to answer a question, consult a qualified tax professional before signing.

3. Your answers, your signature, your responsibility

Your tax form is your sworn statement. When you sign, you certify under penalties of perjury that the information is true, correct, and complete. You — not SteadFile and not your payer — are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide. Review every field before you sign. If you are completing a form for a business or other entity, you represent that you are authorized to sign on its behalf. SteadFile’s verification steps (such as verification codes) help confirm control of the invited email address; they are not a guarantee of anyone’s identity or authority, and SteadFile has no obligation to independently verify either.

4. Your link and verification code

Access is through a private link sent to your email address, plus a one-time verification code at signing. Keep the link and codes private; don't forward them. If someone else needs to complete a form, they need their own invitation from the payer. If your link has expired or you believe someone else has used it, contact your payer for a new one.

5. Electronic signing is optional

You are never required to complete your form electronically. You may complete a paper version of the same IRS form and deliver it to your payer directly — contact your payer to arrange it. See the ESIGN Consent below for how to get paper copies or withdraw your consent to electronic records.

6. Your completed form

When you finish, your signed form and the information in it are made available to your payer, which uses them for its tax withholding, reporting, and record-keeping. You can download a copy of your completed form on the confirmation screen; after that, request a copy from your payer at any time. How your personal information is handled is described in the Privacy Notice, which you should read.

7. Corrections

Once a form is signed, it can't be edited — this protects the integrity of what you swore to. If something needs to change (a new address, a corrected number, a different status), ask your payer to send you a new request, and you'll complete and sign a fresh form. The newest completed form is the one that counts.

8. No charge to you; acceptable use

SteadFile does not charge you to use this site to complete a form you were invited to complete. In exchange, you agree to use the site only to complete tax forms you were invited to complete, to provide information only about yourself (or an entity you are authorized to sign for), and not to interfere with the site's operation or security or attempt to access anyone else's information.

The site itself — its software, design, question flows, and content — belongs to SteadFile and its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws. You may not copy, scrape, reverse-engineer, or otherwise reuse any part of it, or access it by automated means, except as needed to complete your own form. (The IRS forms themselves are U.S. government works.) No rights are granted to you other than the limited right to use the site to complete your form.

9. What we don't promise

The site is provided "as is." To the fullest extent permitted by law, SteadFile disclaims all warranties, express or implied — including any warranty that the site, its suggestions, or your completed form will be accurate, error-free, or sufficient for any tax purpose. Some places don't allow certain warranty disclaimers, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

10. Limits on SteadFile's liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law: (a) SteadFile is not liable to you for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any taxes, withholding, penalties, or interest; and (b) SteadFile's total liability to you for all claims relating to the site or these Terms is limited to US $100. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for fraud, willful misconduct, or gross negligence where such limits are not permitted, and nothing in these Terms limits any non-waivable right you have under the laws of your home country or state.

11. Resolving disputes (please read — this affects your rights)

Talk to us first. Before starting any formal proceeding, email legal@steadfile.com with your name, contact information, and a description of the issue. We'll try to resolve it informally within 60 days; you and we agree to engage in good faith during that period.

Arbitration. If we can't resolve it informally, any dispute between you and SteadFile relating to the site or these Terms will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (and, where applicable, its Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules), rather than in court. The arbitration will be conducted in English, on the basis of written submissions or by videoconference; if the arbitrator determines an in-person hearing is necessary, its location will be set under the AAA’s rules. AAA's rules and forms are at www.adr.org. SteadFile will pay the filing, administration, and arbitrator fees to the extent required by AAA's consumer rules.

What this doesn't cover. Either of us may bring an individual claim in small-claims court instead. And nothing in this section waives your right to seek public injunctive relief where that right cannot lawfully be waived, or limits any complaint you may file with a government agency.

No class actions. You and SteadFile each agree that disputes will be brought only on an individual basis — not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding, and the arbitrator may not consolidate claims. If this class waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will proceed in court, and the rest will remain in arbitration.

Your right to opt out. You can reject this arbitration section entirely by emailing legal@steadfile.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, with your name, the email address your invitation was sent to, and a statement that you opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms.

12. Governing law

Indiana law governs these Terms, except that (a) the Federal Arbitration Act governs Section 11, and (b) if you live in a place whose laws give you protections that can't be taken away by contract, you keep those protections.

13. Changes

If we make material changes to these Terms, we'll present the updated version for your acceptance the next time you use the site (and we won't apply material changes retroactively to a form you already signed). The version and effective date appear at the top.

14. General

If part of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest still applies. These Terms and the ESIGN Consent are the entire agreement between you and SteadFile about the site. You may not transfer these Terms; SteadFile may assign them in connection with a merger or sale. Questions: support@steadfile.com · SteadFile LLC, [c/o Northwest Registered Agent LLC, 5534 Saint Joe Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46835].