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PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

2018 is going to be my first year selling on stealth accounts and I was reading that PP will send you a Tax ID request 3 times if your on track to cross the threshold but I need some clarification on when to stop selling on the stealth account if I get the request. Do I stop selling on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd request?
I have read that it's possible to continue selling after your 1st request, but is this advisable or should I stop selling until next year? I read that on the 3rd request your account gets limited and your basically f****d unless you provide a SSN/EIN.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Get EIN so you can continue business as usual.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

I am not sure, but just make sure you start to transfer money out of your Paypal before it gets limited. You should be good up until the 3rd request. I am in the same boat now, just got the 2nd request for SSN.

I do not want to give Paypal my business EIN number.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Thanks for the fast reply. My question to you is, if I stop selling altogether after getting the 1st request, will I still receive a 2nd request and possibly a 3rd request?

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

I prefer not to :)

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Yes stopping your sales won't stop the requests. They will continue to send until they receive it. It has happened to me before, but I just prepare and move on to another account.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

have 10 accounts running to rotate...

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Posting this to put a little info out there, from my experience and scare with this issue.

I received a single SSN/Tax request email in late Dec 2016, stopped selling until 2017 and then slowly started selling again at end of Jan or start of Feb, and sold all rest of year in 2017. I did not sell nearly as much in 2017 as I did in 2016, maybe 45-50 sales coming into around $5,000 give or take, and have yet to receive anything other than that single request in Dec. 2016 and the account seems OK.

The "reminder" bell was highlighted red up top in Dec 2016 and for maybe 3-4 months in 2017 (and click-thru notice on login until near end of Jan I think). But it's not a "red or highlighted" reminder up top anymore, only a single link of left side that says "Resolve a problem in our resolution center" I have not clicked on that link or the reminder since maybe February, so not 100% certain it still says please submit info etc, but I'm assuming it does. The "bell" reminder up top for message is no longer highlighted anymore, it was for at least 3-4 maybe 5 months into 2017, but not now and no emails since that initial request in Dec 2016.

Hope to keep it this way and remain under the radar, I don't really sell enough quantity or sell for enough $$ overall to be able to afford setting up a stealth account (wifi + PO Box etc)

So, while it is scary to live through, it does not always mean it's the end of the account when you get that first request. Maybe only pushing it to that second request makes the requests persist and increase in urgency?

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Thanks for the reply. Based on your experience, I'll first continue selling through the first request and until I get the 2nd request then see what happens. Then on another account I will stop selling after the first request and continue selling during the next year.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Great, sounds like a good way we can test if 2nd email request is what forces the 3rd to come no matter what followed with account lock-down. Keep us updated on this thread, I'll keep checking back in to see how things go over next few months.

I stressed for a long time thinking that first email request meant the account would soon be screwed after a month or three of ignoring the initial request. Hopefully it's never forced on this account, I can't provide and don't know how I'd be able to move forward.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Just ran into this problem for the first time on one of my accounts... just so happens to be my best one. Can I add an EIN if my account details don't match my own? (Different name completely, different address, etc.) I was under the impression that it resets after the calendar year so I ignored the requests.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Also, say I do give them an EIN number... the 1099 would just be for the 2017 year, right? I'm not sure, but I think as of right now it's a personal account. I had gotten the same e-mails last year but I guess I only got 2 even though I'm pretty sure I hit the 200/20k threshold... thus, why I thought it was ok to do the same this year. I realize that I might have to give this account up possibly if this doesn't work out so it could be a costly lesson considering it's my best account and it's a powerseller but it's not like I don't have a stable of accounts to fall back on.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

From what I've read on the forum, it is possible to add an EIN even if the info doesn't match. I have also read that if you only received 2 requests, the account should return back to normal in a couple of months after the new year (some time after the 1099's are distributed out, after April perhaps...)

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

The last e-mail that I received from them was titled "Your account access has been limited. Please submit tax ID info to restore access."

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Yeah try getting an ein and attaching it

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Why not stop selling before you come even close to the treshold and operate with multiple accounts?

People always like to work in content, but they don't realize that the little inconveniences actually will do away the bigger issues in the future.

It's like taking the time to educate and discipline your children when they are young, so that 10-14 years down the road they don't turn into monsters

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Why? Are you selling shady items or wishing to avoid taxes? If you can get an EIN and continue to sell at a decent volume...why not?

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Didn't read any of the above posts, but all my accounts got hit with the EIN request this year.

You can receive payments after the first request. And withdraw.
You can receive payments after the second request. And withdraw.
You cannot receive payments after the third request. You can withdraw.

This is for US accounts, at least.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

I don't want to deal with the trouble of explaining to my accountant why I have so many paypal accounts lol

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Are you able to avoid the 2nd request if you STOP selling after receiving the 1st request?
And are you able to avoid the 3rd request if you STOP selling after receiving the 2nd request?
I just want to avoid the 3rd request at all costs, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that...

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Your accountant doesn't give a **** how many PP's you have.

All you have to give him is the total numbers, categorized by expense and income totals.

There's no mandatory 'three email' rule. Once the clock starts ticking, even if you never get even the first email, things are going happen on a fixed time schedule whether you get three emails or not. Stopping taking payments won't stop PP's clock.

Nickopedia's comments are accurate and align with my general experience.

Frankly, it shouldn't be a matter of deep concern if you're doing the right thing.

This degree of worry and avoidance sounds as if you're trying to avoid paying taxes, and that's a really bad idea on every level.

Re: PayPal Tax ID request - when to stop selling?
 

Is there a limit on how many EIN's you can get? And is it correct that the name and address on the PP account can be completely different (made up) from your real info?