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Why am I being asked to complete a US Tax form on the Online interview?
Do I need to complete the interview if I have little/no Sales?
If I complete the tax interview, does that mean I will not have US tax deducted?
Invalid TIN Interview Response
Do I need to send anyone my completed form?
Should I expect an email after finishing the interview?
We have contacted you for more information, Why?
I can't complete the interview, who can I talk to?
Q: Why am I being asked to complete a US tax form using the online tax interview?
A: Instead of asking you to fill out U.S. tax forms that can often be confusing, we developed the online tax interview as a more user-friendly, step-by-step way of gathering the same tax information that we then pass along to the IRS. We use that information to reduce, or possibly eliminate, the amount of U.S. tax deducted from your platforms payments, which are subject to U.S. tax rules.
Q: Can I mail you a paper form instead?
A: Yes, but we don’t recommend it. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has updated the forms. You must provide the current version of the form and know which form is right for you. The tax interview ensures the right form will be used, it will be completed correctly, and the US TIN’s you include are validated. If a mailed form fails validation, we will have to reject it and request that you do it again.
Q: I have little to no sales with my platform; does the online tax interview apply to me?
A: Yes. No matter how many sales you have had in the past, it will be beneficial to you to complete the tax interview to avoid unnecessary tax deductions from future payments.
Q: If I complete the tax interview, does that mean that I will not have US tax deducted from my payments?
A: Not necessarily. The amount of reduction of U.S. tax will vary person by person. It will depend on your country of tax residency, the information you provide during the tax interview (such as your U.S. TIN).
U.S. Developers completing the tax interview and providing their U.S. TIN will typically be exempt from any U.S. tax deductions.
Q: What is a TIN?
A TIN is a Taxpayer Identification Number. This may be a US TIN, such as a Social Security Number (SSN), Employer Identification Number (EIN), or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). If you do not have a US TIN, you may provide your Foreign TIN for your local country.
Q: How do I get a US TIN?
A: The fastest and simplest way is to apply for a US Employer Identification Number (EIN) using form SS-4. There is information on how to do this available in the tax interview.
Q: I’ve entered a TIN but the interview is telling me I have not entered a valid TIN.
A: There are a number of reasons this might occur:
• You are entering your U.S. TIN in the Foreign TIN field.
• You are entering a U.S. TIN that is not registered in the U.S. IRS database for that name, resulting in a Name-TIN mismatch.
• You are entering a U.S. TIN including hyphens. Do not include hyphens when entering your U.S. TIN.
• You are entering an invalid U.S. TIN.
• You are copying and pasting your TIN instead of typing it out.
Q: I’ve completed the online tax interview with my platform, and printed my form. Do I have to send it to anyone?
A: If you consented to using an electronic signature during the tax interview, you do not need to send us your form. If you did not consent to electronic signature, you do need to send us your signed form. After you complete the tax interview, you will be sent an email reminder. You can upload a scanned copy of your signed form with the provided Dropbox link (Fastest way), alternatively you can mail it to:
Mailing Address:
Tax Identity Solutions – Valve / Steam
3020 Issaquah Pine Lake Road, PMB 321
Sammamish, WASHINGTON 98075-7253
U.S.A.
Q: I’ve completed the tax interview but did not receive any notification that it was received.
A: On the last screen of the tax interview, after clicking on the Submit button, you will see a message confirming that it has been received: "You have completed the Tax Interview. Your data has been received and may be subject to further validation." You will only receive an email from us if we need to get in touch to validate any of the information you have provided.
Q: I’ve completed the tax interview but now I have been contacted for more information. Why?
A: Under some circumstances, the IRS may require us to obtain additional information or documentation from you. For example, if you have indicated that you are not a US person but have provided a US address, we may need to ask for more details.
Q: Who do I contact if I have a problem completing the tax interview?
A: If you have problems with the tax interview. Please create a support ticket with us by responding to the email, if you can or if applicable, please provide screenshots reflecting the point in the interview in which you are getting stuck.