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William1965
Level 1

Vendor Name and Company Name

I am new to Quickbooks.  I am filling out the vendor information. There is a field for "Vendor Name" and then there is also a field for "Company Name."
What is the difference? Is there some sort of "best practice" as to what information to put in these fields?
Thank you!
Solved
Best answer August 28, 2020

Best Answers
BigRedConsulting
Community Champion

Vendor Name and Company Name

There may not be a difference.  This is just like the customer list.

 

It depends on the vendor and how you work with them.  E.g. for a sole proprietor you might know them by their personal name, but then also want to enter their legal name in the company name field, perhaps for tax reasons to issue a 1099.

 

For example, in my company I use my customer's personal name as the customer name and so the Company name is usually different, and the FML fields are more or less the same as the customer name.

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7 Comments 7
BigRedConsulting
Community Champion

Vendor Name and Company Name

There may not be a difference.  This is just like the customer list.

 

It depends on the vendor and how you work with them.  E.g. for a sole proprietor you might know them by their personal name, but then also want to enter their legal name in the company name field, perhaps for tax reasons to issue a 1099.

 

For example, in my company I use my customer's personal name as the customer name and so the Company name is usually different, and the FML fields are more or less the same as the customer name.

William1965
Level 1

Vendor Name and Company Name

Thank you Big Red Consulting, I will use it in this manner also.

Thank you again and have a great day!!

William

LeahC
Level 4

Vendor Name and Company Name

Last year we used the company name for a vendor, but then received a notice from the IRS that the 1099 was not processed due to the name being incorrect. Turns out QB ran the 1099 under the Vendor Name, which is different than the name on their W9, so they never received a 1099. 

 

QB does NOT recognize the company name - QB only recognizes the VENDOR name when you print the 1099. 

 

Besides doing a search every. single. time. to find a business when their tax ID is under their actual name, how is anyone supposed to find a vendor to enter a bill?

 

Example: W9 lists Joe Smith as the Name on line 1, but Concrete Solvents under line 2 as the Business Name. 

Entering the Business name Concrete Solvents in QB Customers is how it's billed - but the ONLY way to find that name is __________??? Please fill un

ShaniamarieC
QuickBooks Team

Vendor Name and Company Name

Going back and forth isn't easy, @LeahC. And I want to make sure you're able to set up 1099 seamlessly in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

When you e-file 1099s in QuickBooks Desktop, the name on the form depends on whether you provided a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Employer Identification Number (EIN). If you used an SSN, the name on the 1099 must be the legal name of the individual associated with the SSN. If you used an EIN, the name on the 1099 must be the legal business name associated with the EIN. If the tax ID is empty or in an invalid format, the 1099 Wizard will use the QuickBooks vendor name as is.

 

Moreover, here's an article you can read more about preparing 1099s in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

You can also browse the article below for your future reference. This contains steps in managing the contractor's information, taxes, forms, and other relevant matters: 1099 E-File: QuickBooks Desktop setup, troubleshooting, & FAQs.

 

You can ask follow-up questions or submit new ones if you need guidance managing your vendors in QuickBooks Desktop, @LeahC. The Community is always ready to help you.

LeahC
Level 4

Vendor Name and Company Name

You noted this as SOLVED, when in fact, you did not answer ANYTHING I ASKED, Shaniamarie

Let me try again:

QB ONLY uses the Vendor Name when generating 1099's. While there is a place for the company name in the Vendor info, when creating 1099s, the company name does not come up, ONLY the Vendor Name, because only the name entered in the Vendor name is recognized when generating 1099s. 

 

SO:

If a VENDOR NAME (line 1 W9) is their actual name, and the BUSINESS invoice is under a different name (line 2 W9), HOW does one find the BUSINESS (when entering a bill for example) when the COMPANY NAME does not come up because QB ONLY recognizes the Vendor name? 

To reiterate: 

Without performing a search each time, how does one enter a bill from a Vendor, when the Vendor isn't showing (due to having a name that is different than the company name shown on Line 1 of the W9) to generate a correct 1099.  

 

PLEASE: IF YOU'RE ONLY IN THIS FOR A PRECIOUS QB BADGE, DO NOT REPLY. I NEED REAL HELP, NOT BOLOGNA REPLIES

LeahC
Level 4

Vendor Name and Company Name

The Vendor Name is what QB will use to generate the 1099's at year end. 

The Company name is only helpful when a search is performed. 

 

The problem we run into is when the Line 1 on the W9 is a different name than the Customer Name. 

 

Example: Line 1 on the W9 is listed as Joe Smith

Line 2 of their W9 lists Concrete Solutions.

 

Their invoices are all under Concrete Solutions - 

If you enter Concrete Solutions as the 1099 name, the IRS will kick it back because it's Joe Smith. 

 

BUT, if you enter Joe Smith as the Vendor Name in QB (correctly, because they're the 1099 recipient), then try to enter a bill under Concrete Solutions, it will try to create a NEW Vendor - bad juju to be sure. I am at a loss as to how to enter a bill if I don't know what the name on their W9 is. 

Rasa-LilaM
QuickBooks Team

Vendor Name and Company Name

As you've mentioned, we'll have to manually find the vendor's name (different from the company) and enter it to the bill, LeahC. We strive to consistently provide a product that our customers can count on for their business, making their experience with QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) even better, especially in the process of creating bills. Let's send feedback about incorporating a feature that will display both the vendor and company names when creating a bill. 


Your input will guide our engineers on which area in QBDT needs further enhancements or features to be added. Follow these steps to share your product suggestion:

 

  1. In your company file, navigate to the Help menu at the top bar to select Send Feedback Online and Product Suggestion.
  2. In the QuickBooks Feedback window, click the Type of Feedback drop-down to select Product Suggestion.
  3. Pick the Product Area from the drop-down and enter your suggestions in the field box.
  4. Fill in the remaining fields.
  5. Click Send Feedback.


Explore the QuickBooks Blog to stay informed about the latest innovations, product news, and resources to help your business thrive. Moreover, this link will guide you on how to handle your payables: Pay bills in QuickBooks Desktop.


QBDT provides numerous built-in vendor reports that give insights into your company's expenses and accounts payable. Additionally, you have the option to tailor them fit your specific business requirements.

 

Visit the Community again if you need further assistance navigating QBDT or have other accounting-related concerns or questions. We'll get back to you and ensure you're well taken care of. 

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