Before you start
- Role. Owner or Admin. Settings → Payout Identity. The page is named Tax & payout identity.
- You may have done this already. Onboarding offers the same fields as an optional last step. If you filled them in there, this page shows them saved.
- Have your EIN to hand. It cannot be edited after saving.
- Do this before your first approval. Anything approved beforehand is held until you complete it.
What to enter
Every field except address line 2 is required.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| EIN | Nine digits, entered as XX-XXXXXXX. Permanent once saved. Shown masked afterwards as XX-XXX**** |
| Legal business name | The registered entity name, not a trading name. Up to 200 characters |
| Address line 1 | Registered business address. Up to 200 characters |
| Address line 2 | Optional. Up to 200 characters |
| City | Up to 100 characters |
| State | Two-letter US state code |
| ZIP | Five digits, or ZIP+4 |
| Reason for change | Required on every save, including the first. Logged for audit with the previous values, the new values, and who saved them |
The EIN locks
Once saved, the EIN is fixed. The field is disabled and the API refuses changes. This is deliberate: it keys your tax records, and a changed EIN mid-year would split an advocate's earnings across two payers and produce incorrect filings.
If the saved EIN is wrong, contact support@kindlinghq.com before your next payout run. Do not work around it by creating a second workspace.
Changing your legal name or address later
Both stay editable. Every save requires a written reason, and Kindling records the previous values, the new values, the reason, and who made the change. Entity renames and address moves are normal; the audit trail exists because tax filings depend on these fields.
What this unblocks
Any earnings approved before your tax identity was complete were recorded as held, with the reason "Disbursement held: brand tax / payout identity not on file". Nothing was lost and nothing needs re-approving.
Saving your details releases every held item automatically. They are eligible for the next payout run, on the 1st or the 15th at 09:00 UTC, whichever comes first.
The run still checks three other things before a payout goes out. Each is independent of this page:
- A payment method on your workspace. Subscribing puts one on file.
- The advocate's W-9 is verified. Advocates complete it inside Kindling.
- The advocate's Stripe account is active. Advocates connect it inside Kindling.
See Payouts for how the run reports what it skipped.
Troubleshooting
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every advocate shows unpaid, not just one | Check this page is complete, then check that your workspace has a payment method on file. Both affect every payout at once |
| One advocate shows unpaid while others are paid | That advocate's W-9 or Stripe account, not this page |
| A payout says "Disbursement held: brand tax / payout identity not on file" | Complete this page. The hold clears when you save |
| The EIN field will not let me type | It is already saved and locked. Contact support@kindlinghq.com |
| Save fails without an obvious reason | The reason-for-change field is required on every save, including the first |
| The EIN shows as XX-XXX**** | That is the saved value, masked. It is not incomplete |
| I do not have an EIN | The EIN is required. You need one before paying advocates in the US |
FAQ
Who files the 1099s?
Kindling files 1099-NEC forms for your advocates against your EIN.
Do advocates give their tax details to me?
No. Advocates complete their own W-9 inside Kindling. You never handle it.
Does this apply outside the US?
The payer identity block is built for US tax filing and takes US states and ZIP codes. Contact support@kindlinghq.com about other jurisdictions.
Anything else: support@kindlinghq.com.