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Why It is
Illegal for Me to Request or Use a Taxpayer Identification Number, Form
#04.022 (OFFSITE LINK)-attach this to any government form or
application which requests either a Social Security Number or a Taxpayer
Identification Number.
SEDM Forms Page
About SSNs and
TINs on Government Forms and Correspondence-SEDM
Forms Page
IRS Website: Taxpayer Identification Numbers
IRS
Website: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
TITLE 26 >
Subtitle F >
CHAPTER 79 > § 7701
§ 7701. Definitions
(41) TIN
The term “TIN” means the identifying number
assigned to a person under section
6109.
March 10, 2004
Testimony of Nina Olsen before House Ways and Means Committee on
Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)
Treasury Inspector General Report 2004-30-023: The Internal Revenue
Service's Individual Taxpayer Identification Number Creates Significant
Challenges for Tax Administration
From a tax policy perspective, unauthorized resident
aliens benefit from the tax law since they are treated virtually the
same as U.S. citizens and lawful resident aliens. An unauthorized
resident alien is entitled to the same deductions and credits,
except for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Therefore,
unauthorized resident aliens are eligible for the Additional Child
Tax Credit (ACTC), which is one of only two major credits that can
result in a Federal Government payment above the tax liability. In
TY 2001, $160.5 million was given to approximately 203,000
unauthorized resident aliens, with about 190,000 of these filers
having no tax liability and receiving $151 million.
26
CFR §301.6109-1(d)(3)(3)
IRS individual taxpayer identification number -- (i) Definition.
The term IRS individual taxpayer identification number means a
taxpayer identifying number issued to an alien individual by the Internal
Revenue Service, upon application, for use in connection with filing
requirements under this title. The term IRS individual taxpayer
identification number does not refer to a social security number or an
account number for use in employment for wages. For purposes of this
section, the term alien individual means an individual who is not a
citizen or national of the United States.
31 CFR 306.10 General
Title 31: Money and Finance:
Treasury
PART 306—GENERAL REGULATIONS GOVERNING U.S. SECURITIES
Subpart B—Registration
306.10 General
The registration used must
express the actual ownership of a security and may not include any
restriction on the authority of the owner to dispose of it in any
manner, except as otherwise specifically provided in these regulations.
The Treasury Department reserves the right to treat the registration as
conclusive of ownership. Requests for
registration should be clear, accurate, and complete, conform with one
of the forms set forth in this subpart, and include appropriate taxpayer
identifying numbers. 2 The registration of
all bonds owned by the same person, organization, or fiduciary should be
uniform with respect to the name of the owner and, in the case of a
fiduciary, the description of the fiduciary capacity. Individual owners
should be designated by the names by which they are ordinarily known or
under which they do business, preferably including at least one full
given name. The name of an individual may be preceded by any applicable
title, as, for example, Mrs., Miss, Ms., Dr., or Rev., or
followed by a designation such as M.D., D.D., Sr., or Jr.
Any other similar suffix should be included when ordinarily used or when
necessary to distinguish the owner from a member of his family. A
married woman's own given name, not that of her husband, must be used,
for example, Mrs. Mary A. Jones, not Mrs. Frank B. Jones.
The address should include, where appropriate, the number and street,
route, or any other local feature and the Zip Code.
2
Taxpayer identifying numbers are not
required for foreign governments, nonresident aliens not engaged in
trade or business within the United States,
international organizations and foreign corporations not engaged in
trade or business and not having an office
or place of business or a financial or paying agent within the United
States, and other persons or organizations as may be exempted from
furnishing such numbers under regulations of the Internal Revenue
Service.
31 CFR §103.34: Additional records to
be made and retained by banks
Title 31: Money and Finance: Treasury
PART 103—FINANCIAL RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING OF CURRENCY AND FOREIGN
TRANSACTIONS
Subpart C—Records Required To Be Maintained
§ 103.34 Additional
records to be made and retained by banks.
(a)(3)
A taxpayer identification number required under
paragraph (a)(1) of this section need not be secured for accounts or
transactions with the following:
(i) Agencies and
instrumentalities of Federal, state, local or foreign governments;
(ii) judges, public
officials, or clerks of courts of record as custodians of funds in
controversy or under the control of the court;
(iii) aliens who are
(A) ambassadors, ministers, career diplomatic or consular officers,
or (B) naval, military or other attaches of foreign embassies and
legations, and for the members of their immediate families;
(iv) aliens who are
accredited representatives of international organizations which are
entitled to enjoy privileges, exemptions and immunities as an
international organization under the International Organization
Immunities Act of December 29, 1945 (22 U.S.C. 288), and the members
of their immediate families;
(v) aliens temporarily
residing in the United States for a period not to exceed 180 days;
(vi) aliens not engaged in a trade or business
in the United States who are attending a recognized college or
university or any training program, supervised or conducted by any
agency of the Federal Government;
(vii) unincorporated
subordinate units of a tax exempt central organization which are
covered by a group exemption letter,
(viii) a person under
18 years of age with respect to an account opened as a part of a
school thrift savings program, provided the annual interest is less
than $10; (ix) a person opening a Christmas club, vacation club and
similar installment savings programs provided the annual interest is
less than $10; and
(x) non-resident aliens who are not engaged in a
trade or business
in the United States. In
instances described in paragraphs (a)(3), (viii) and (ix) of this
section, the bank shall, within 15 days following the end of any
calendar year in which the interest accrued in that year is $10 or
more use its best effort to secure and maintain the appropriate
taxpayer identification number or application form therefor.
Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs)-IRS Website
IRM section 21.6.2:
Adjusting TIN-Related Problems
Who
are "taxpayers" and who needs a "Taxpayer Identification Number"?
Great
IRS Hoax, Section 5.4.14: You Don't Have to Provide your Social Security
Number on your Tax Return
Social
Security: Mark of the Beast
IRS Form W-7:
Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
IRS Form W-9:
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number
Internal Revenue Manual, Exhibit 4.4.1-31 (09-01-2003): Taxpayer
Identification Number
Internal
Revenue Manual, Exhibit 20.1.7-4: TIN Validation
The TIN Validation process compares the taxpayer identification
number (TIN) and name control (the first four characters of a
surname or first four characters of the first significant word in a
non-individual's title) against certain IRS or Social Security
Administration (SSA) files.
- The NAP–1 file, a number bank which contains all social
security numbers (SSNs) ever issued and all of the name controls
ever associated with those SSNs.
- The weekly accretion file, a weekly update to the NAP–1
received by SSA.
- The EIN/Name Control file, a file created and maintained by
the Service which contains all employer identification numbers (EINs)
and the name controls associated with them.
The matching process:
- The Service attempts to match each name and TIN combination
provided on all information returns against the three files
listed above.
- The first attempt is made against the NAP–1 file. If no
match is found, an attempt is made against the EIN/Name
Control file.
- If the TIN matches, an attempt to match the name control
provided is made.
- If the name control is not provided, an attempt to develop
name controls is made by creating name controls from each word
separated by space on each name line. Both name lines 1 and 2
are read, totaling 80 characters, 40 characters for each name
line.
- Extract matches are attempted first, followed by proximal
matches.
Sec. 1.1441-6 Claim of reduced withholding under an income tax treaty.
(c) Exemption from requirement to
furnish a taxpayer identifying number and special
documentary evidence rules for certain income.
(1) General rule.
In the case of income described in paragraph (c)(2) of this
section, a withholding agent may rely on a beneficial owner
withholding certificate described in paragraph (b)(1) of this
section without regard to the requirement that the withholding
certificate include the beneficial owner's taxpayer identifying
number. In the case of payments of income described in paragraph
(c)(2) of this section made outside the United States (as defined in
Sec. 1.6049-5(e)) with respect to an offshore account (as defined in
Sec. 1.6049-5(c)(1)), a withholding agent may, as an alternative to
a withholding certificate described in paragraph (b)(1) of this
section, rely on a certificate of residence described in paragraph
(c)(3) of this section or documentary evidence described in
paragraph (c)(4) of this section, relating to the beneficial owner,
that the withholding agent has reviewed and maintains in its records
in accordance with Sec. 1.1441-1(e)(4)(iii). In the case of a
payment to a person other than an individual, the certificate of
residence or documentary evidence must be accompanied by the
statements described in paragraphs (c)(5)(i) and (ii) of this
section regarding limitation on benefits and whether the amount paid
is derived by such person or by one of its interest holders. The
withholding agent maintains the reviewed documents by retaining
either the documents viewed or a photocopy thereof and noting in its
records the date on which, and by whom, the documents were received
and reviewed. This paragraph (c)(1) shall not apply to amounts that
are exempt from withholding based on a claim that the income is
effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the
United States.
About
the W-9 Form
In defense of a "lady in
distress from the IRS" (or, their unwitting co-conspirators), we have
successfully dealt with this issue. A sales agent (for a retail store),
purported to require "a completed W-9 in order for payment to be
processed." (Their emphasis!) C.U.R.E.'s positive
response was two-fold, and resulted in due payment — no questions asked .
. .
First, the letter/demand was
returned with the blank Form W-9 enclosed. Second, a three-page
letter was written, explaining the illegalities of the purported
"requirement" — and its federal penalties! Third, upon receipt
of the would-be victim's letter, the Accounts Payable Dept. wrote:
"the corporate office has processed your invoice. We regret any
inconvenience . . ." Success!
More specifically; here's
essentially what was involved: The IRS's Form W-9 is captioned as
follows:
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A "Request"
is NOT a requirement!
The letter stated:
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There is NO "OMB
No." displayed (at the upper-right), of Form W-9. The Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S. Code, Section 3501. et
seq.), Section 3512. Public Protection, states that, without a
current control number asigned by the Director (of the Office of
Management and Budget), "no person shall be subject to any
penalty for failing to maintain or provide information to any agency."
(And certainly, to any private company!)
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18 U.S. Code — CRIMES
AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE; Ch. 95, RACKETEERING; Section 1951.
Interference with commerce by threats and violence, sub-section (a),
states that: "Whoever . . . affects commerce . . . by extortion
or attempts to do so . . . shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both." (!)
(That could'a stopped 'em, but it went on to say . . .)
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42 U.S. Code — THE
PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE; Section 408. Penalties,
sub-section (a), states that: "In general ... Whoever ... (8)
discloses, uses, or compels the disclosure of the social security number
of any person in violation of the laws of the United States; shall be
guilty of a felony under title 18 or imprisoned for not more than five
years, or both". (Stops 'em!)
Exhibit A and A-1
of C.U.R.E.'s Complete Withholding Exemption Certificate,
consists of such SSN information.
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