U.S. Taxpayer Identification Numbers

As the withholding agent, you must generally request that the payee provide you with its U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN). You must include the payee's TIN on forms, statements, and other tax documents. The payee's TIN may be any of the following.

• An individual may have a social security number (SSN). If the individual does not have, and is eligible for, an SSN, he or she must use Form SS-5 to get an SSN. The Social Security Administration will tell the individual if he or she is eligible to get an SSN.
• An individual may have an IRS individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). If the individual does not have, and is not eligible for, an SSN, he or she must apply for an ITIN by using Form W-7.
• Any person other than an individual, and any individual who is an employer or who is engaged in a U.S. trade or business as a sole proprietor, must have an employer identification number (EIN). Use Form SS-4 to get an EIN.

A TIN must be on a withholding certificate if the beneficial owner is claiming any of the following.

• Tax treaty benefits (other than for income from marketable securities, discussed earlier).
• Exemption for effectively connected income.
• Exemption for certain annuities (see Pensions, Annuities, and Alimony, earlier).
• Exemption based on exempt organization or private foundation status.

In addition, a TIN must be on a withholding certificate from a person claiming to be any of the following.

• Qualified intermediary.
• Withholding foreign partnership.
• Foreign grantor trust with no more than 5 grantors unless the grantor trust is an account holder of a qualified intermediary. See Notice 2001-4.
• Exempt organization.
• U.S. branch of a foreign person treated as a U.S. person (see section 1.1441-1(b)(2)(iv) of the regulations).
• U.S. person.

Previous| First | Next

Publication Index | IRS-Forms Main | Home