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Shutterstock Photographer Forum Forum Index : Tax Witholding Discussion for Foreign Submitters :
Withholding taxes for foreign submitters
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galstyan


Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 3207
Location: Yerevan,Armenia

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:15 pm     Reply with quote

I just received a mail from SS telling me about completing US IRS Form W-8BEN,Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding.

What I'd like to know are.

1. Is this new requirement in SS for foreign submitters ? Or it was there long time and I was somehow unaware about it.

2. Anybody else have received same mail ?

3. The mail says that if I'll not fill the form then SS will withhold 30% of my earnings. but filling the form will reduce that rate. Anybody knows anything about that reduced rate ? If SS will withhold my money does it mean that I don't need to pay taxes here myself? (Armenia has an income tax treaty with the United States ).
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:20 pm     Reply with quote

I'va also just got that e-mail and am at least as upset as you are. No Answers to your questions though. I guess we will need to apply for that ITIN and somehow wriggle through all those forms.
It's really upsetting becaused I pay taxes on my earnings already here in Germany. I guess pretty soon I can give away my oics for free ... *sigh* ...
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:25 pm     Reply with quote

galstyan wrote:

What I'd like to know are.

1. Is this new requirement in SS for foreign submitters ? Or it was there long time and I was somehow unaware about it.



No idea .. maybe they've just forgotten about the two of us up to now :-)

galstyan wrote:


2. Anybody else have received same mail ?



Yes ... meeeeeee *sigh*

galstyan wrote:


3. The mail says that if I'll not fill the form then SS will withhold 30% of my earnings. but filling the form will reduce that rate. Anybody knows anything about that reduced rate ? If SS will withhold my money does it mean that I don't need to pay taxes here myself? (Armenia has an income tax treaty with the United States ).


No idea at all ... but minus 30 % in Us taxes and again in German taxes ... waht does that leave??? and I am sure as hell that Germany does not mind me paying taxes in the US but will want me to pay taxes on whatever amount of money arrives in my bank-account.

Well, maybe we can struggle through those forms together?? *looking hopeful* I am not even sure I do understand everything they explain on those sheets of how to fill in the forms. Nor do I get whether we ar any exceptions of that "federal income tax return" or whatever this is supposed to be ...


Last edited by stefaniemohr on Wed May 27, 2009 3:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
themightyshrub


Joined: 21 Jan 2009
Posts: 943
Location: www.heathergreig.co.uk

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:26 pm     Reply with quote

It explains it all here - http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/abt62243.html
tonygers


Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 2418
Location: Sweden

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:27 pm     Reply with quote

I too have gotten the email and will absolutely NOT pay taxes to a country I don't live or work in.

My business is my business and no one elses.

I will delete my entire portfolio from here if it turns out that part of my income from here goes towards helping America dig itself out of a hole by using part of my income to help with it.

Extremely angry about this right now.

>:-(

Tony
galstyan


Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 3207
Location: Yerevan,Armenia

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:29 pm     Reply with quote

we both get the mails almost in same time - so seems that this is something new not for both of us, but any other foreign submitter.
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:32 pm     Reply with quote

themightyshrub wrote:
It explains it all here - http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/abt62243.html


Great! Can you give me that in German, please?!
bagwold


Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 347
Location: Wiltshire, England

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:32 pm     Reply with quote

Yes got the mail today - and cant understand why I need this i am a uk submitter and pay uk taxes?
rikko


Joined: 10 May 2007
Posts: 78

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:32 pm     Reply with quote

There is a message on the forum from Shutterstock that answers both your questions.

My question is why a privately owned company like the IRS is still illegally collecting taxes in the first place?
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:36 pm     Reply with quote

Right ...

Step 1: get an ITIN
Step 2: Provide Form W-9

The thing is .. I am already stumbling about step 1 :-(
galstyan


Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 3207
Location: Yerevan,Armenia

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:36 pm     Reply with quote

OK,read it . they will not withhold anything if I'll fill the form...
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:41 pm     Reply with quote

galstyan wrote:
OK,read it . they will not withhold anything if I'll fill the form...


Yeah .. but have you also read what loops you need to jump to get that ITIN?

We needd to provide a federal income tax return. Can you figure out how they will deal with a GERMAN income tax return in America??
stefaniemohr


Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:45 pm     Reply with quote

And who needs to certify the passport??

And is a passport the same as an identification card?
rikko


Joined: 10 May 2007
Posts: 78

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:46 pm     Reply with quote

Why is SS the only US based stock site requesting withholding tax payments/forms?
dmg


Joined: 26 Nov 2006
Posts: 1086
Location: http://dariusz-gudowicz.artistwebsites.com

Post Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:47 pm     Reply with quote

It looks as instead of getting a raise we have to support falling US economy.
I am also starting to think about removing my portfolio. My earnings here are already much lower than the last year's.
If I have to pay both Polish and US taxes I would be soon not earning enough to cover even the cost of the Internet connection.
 
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