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How can you contact the IRS?

CrocopedeCrocopede
in General
Hi.

Last year i applied for my ITIN. I think it was october.
Since then i never heard anything from them.

So i am trying to phone them. Have been. But i have been holding on the phone an average of 75minutes before i hang up.
I tried various times, all of which were 75minutes which is my cut off limit.

Is there any way to get a hold of them to find out what happened regarding my ITIN request.
I cannot afford holding on indefinitely with no one answering.

So far it has cost me R525 to try and phone. R980 to post the forms over.
So its getting a bit expensive just to get a number.

Comments

  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    Did a search while holding.
    Average waiting time is 2 hours. They also have a back log of up to 2 years on paper work.
    So i guess i will not then be making any money from games for the next 2 years.

    Awesome.
  • ShadowBladeShadowBlade
    I've done it twice now, and both times it was answered in minutes. One was taking a while I thought, until I realized I had mis-dialed the US code (001), so keep that in mind. Also, make sure you call at the right times, which I think were 6am-11pm Eastern Time. I called at 1am(our time) in the morning most recently.
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    Its the correct number because this 20 second loop music plays the entire time with someone saying an agent will be with you shortly.
    Maybe you are just extremely lucky. I will try one more time. But right now if i could i would go burn it to the ground.
    I will try tomorrow a bit earlier.
  • dislekciadislekcia
    1. Call using Skype. It's cheaper than trying to use any sort of SA-based line.

    2. What number are you calling and what forms did you have to submit? My experience matches what @ShadowBlade already said and I didn't have to submit any forms.

    3. Do you have a company registered?

    4. Call either late at night or very early in the morning. That's when the US is actually awake.
  • dislekciadislekcia
    1. Call using Skype. It's cheaper than trying to use any sort of SA-based line.

    2. What number are you calling and what forms did you have to submit? My experience matches what @ShadowBlade already said and I didn't have to submit any forms.

    3. Do you have a company registered?

    4. Call either late at night or very early in the morning. That's when the US is actually awake.
  • redsplatgamesredsplatgames
    Isn't there maybe a US-based publisher for circumstances like this? I know itch.io and I believe Desura handles the VAT for you...
  • redsplatgamesredsplatgames
    Though not everyone likes PayPal payments...
  • ShadowBladeShadowBlade
    @redsplatgames: This has come up many times, but it isn't as hard as it seems at first. You call the IRS, answer the questions they ask and then you get the number (EIN/ITIN) on the phone. Then you put that number on the W8 you need to send to the US vendors (Steam, Humble, etc).
  • redsplatgamesredsplatgames
    @shadowblade just to clarify, do I send the W8 to the IRS or to Steam directly?
  • ShadowBladeShadowBlade
    You send W8 forms to the vendors usually (Steam, Humble), with your EIN/ITIN number on.
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    Still haven't had any luck. According to IRS i need to submit original copies of all relevant paper work to acquire an ITIN. And i need the ITIN to supply that with the W8 for apple n steam n google

    Been phoning 001 267 941 1000
    Would be awesome if you guys are right and they can just give me an ITIN over the phone. Cause im definitely not in the mood to pay another R800 shipping costs for papers.
  • ShadowBladeShadowBlade
    @Crocopede: Why not go for the EIN? The EIN (last I heard) can be used for individuals and companies. I'm not sure if the ITIN is a different process, but I got both EIN's I applied for over the phone(one was for me as an individual before we were a company). And yeah, I'm sure that was the right number.
    Sucks that you've had that much hassle already :\
  • redsplatgamesredsplatgames
    So I got through to 001 267 941 1000 today and got my EIN! :) Was about 13:00 when they opened.
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    I think perhaps i just have bad luck. I will read about the EIN quick. Gonna try and phone again around 22:30
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    ok i got through. However they somehow did not receive my forms even though DHL received a signed delivery slip.
    So i guess the process starts again. Pay crazy DHL rates, get the papers there. Hope this time they dont lose it. And wait for an ITIN.

    I did however get at EID but i from what i gathered i cannot use this for tax exemption

    image
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    OK now im confused. According to steam i do not qualify for any tax exemption stating my tax withholding rate is 0%.
    I read the tax treaty which was imposed in 1997.

    So there should be some tax exemption. Then why is it saying 0%.

    Also why can Valve have Digital signatures for these forms but apple requires you to physically post them original copies?
  • dislekciadislekcia
    @Crocopede: I think your major problem is that you're not doing this for a company. An EIN is different to an ITIN... I'm not really sure why you'd want to do anything that gets you paid as an individual anyway.

    If your tax withholding rate is 0%, why are you bothering with all this? Maybe the rate is different for individuals...
  • CrocopedeCrocopede
    dislekcia said:
    If your tax withholding rate is 0%, why are you bothering with all this? Maybe the rate is different for individuals...
    Those were my exact thoughts. Why go through all this effort if no tax can be withheld? I was under the impression even as an individual we get a 15% tax withholding rate.
    kpmg.com/za/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/tax-and-legal-publications/pages/update-on-south-africa-withholding-taxes.aspx

    Its a lot of legal garble. Especially the gazette. They do not specify in clear understandable terms if this only applies to a business or an individual.

    The reason behind doing stuff to get paid as in individual is i guess was that having a company held no benefit over an individual seeing i am solo.

    I contacted some legal people over at solidarity, hopefully they can help clarify this confusion over the withholding rate.
  • dislekciadislekcia
    edited
    Once you start getting paid for selling something, you always want to be a company.

    If you're getting paid for selling your time, you don't have to be a company, but it can help.

    Before you start getting paid, it doesn't matter in the slightest.
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