PayPal wants tax ID on a stealth account...what 2 do?

[ploughman]

After months of tax ID nags, PayPal changed the login message about a week ago to one that said I can't close my account, and now they're saying I can't receive payments, either. Didn't find out about it until a buyer e-mailed me saying she couldn't pay for something. Not sure if there was a triggering event or it's just concern I'll go over $20K (didn't have that in gross last year...maybe $14K). The PayPal account now has about $40.00 in it.

The problem is that the PayPal account is a stealth, under a different name. I have an EIN, but if they look at that, the name won't match. Of course I really don't want to give them my SSN, and that wouldn't match, either.

The account on the eBay side is also a stealth under the same name as the PayPal, though I never opted to "link" the two for quicker purchasing purposes. It's a real success story for this forum, having 5,000+ positive feedbacks over 7 or so years since creation.

I did try downgrading the store subscription level and it wouldn't let me do it...looks like it's either cancel or keep the $59 level there, which is odd. Another $59 billing at the end of the month would overdraw the PayPal. I got some sort of error message about needing a PayPal verified credit card, but in checking PayPal the status is showing as verified on both the card and the bank account, so I'm wondering if linking the two stealths would overcome that minor problem (as there doesn't seem to be as much to lose at this point)

(FWIW, for some reason May has been by far the worst month of the year for having flare-ups like this)

I hate the idea of having to start again totally from scratch, but the big question is whether there's a way around the tax ID roadblock. Also, if I do have to start again, would using an alternative country avoid these problems? I do travel quite a bit.

[danshan]

Not usually pp is firm on this new account needed

[rsot]

PP is known to limit and account based on PROJECTED revenues...the fact you have 14k already and it`s May might have alerted the system to your rate of revenue.

If PP is asking for SSN, you literally have no choice but to comply....you can try calling to get them to budge but very unlikely these days to do so.

You are correct in identifying that a new account is in order - with 14k in sales already this year, you might need 3-4 stealth accounts to SPREAD the sales

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by ploughman

After months of tax ID nags, PayPal changed the login message about a week ago to one that said I can't close my account, and now they're saying I can't receive payments, either. Didn't find out about it until a buyer e-mailed me saying she couldn't pay for something. Not sure if there was a triggering event or it's just concern I'll go over $20K (didn't have that in gross last year...maybe $14K). The PayPal account now has about $40.00 in it.

The problem is that the PayPal account is a stealth, under a different name. I have an EIN, but if they look at that, the name won't match. Of course I really don't want to give them my SSN, and that wouldn't match, either.

The account on the eBay side is also a stealth under the same name as the PayPal, though I never opted to "link" the two for quicker purchasing purposes. It's a real success story for this forum, having 5,000+ positive feedbacks over 7 or so years since creation.

I did try downgrading the store subscription level and it wouldn't let me do it...looks like it's either cancel or keep the $59 level there, which is odd. Another $59 billing at the end of the month would overdraw the PayPal. I got some sort of error message about needing a PayPal verified credit card, but in checking PayPal the status is showing as verified on both the card and the bank account, so I'm wondering if linking the two stealths would overcome that minor problem (as there doesn't seem to be as much to lose at this point)

(FWIW, for some reason May has been by far the worst month of the year for having flare-ups like this)

I hate the idea of having to start again totally from scratch, but the big question is whether there's a way around the tax ID roadblock. Also, if I do have to start again, would using an alternative country avoid these problems? I do travel quite a bit.

Tell me the exact message from paypal.

Some messages are not SSN specific but offer other options.

paypal never see the name of the EIN. Keep that in mind.

The idea of spreading your sales over more accounts is essential too.

paypal calls for tax info on projected sales much more these days. Do not get trapped.

[ploughman]

Sorry if previous post was ambiguous...the $14K was the year-end total for all of last year, not for 2013 so far. Would guesstimate this year so far only around $4K including shipping charges, but then again I typically get about 40% of the year's revenue in November and December.

If I put more effort into eBay I could go over the $20K, but I've had better luck (so far) in other places and it just seems like eBay keeps asking for more non-revenue-producing overhead work (i.e. revising listings), which I'll put off if other sites are keeping me busy with fulfillments. So the eBay revenue ain't what it used to be, but it's still useful (I also have a lot of stashed collectibles I might one day want/need to sell).


For GreenBean and others, here's the message I'm getting after login on PP:

We've asked you several times to provide your tax ID number due to new IRS rules, but we haven't heard from you. Until you provide your tax ID number, you can't receive money or close your account.

Please provide this information today in order to remove the limitations on your account.

You can find more information about the new tax rules and why we're asking for this information at www.paypal.com/irs

It then lets me choose "remind me later" as usual, but obviously not being able to receive payments is huge.

The years-ago suspension was from an especially pointed VERO hit that was fairly widespread at the time, and over a line of business that I don't even sell anymore. Name and street address (unless I filed a new EIN with alternate address) might be linkable, with street address perhaps the most likely link and the name not matching or coming close to matching the name on EB or PP.

[Sandy D]

If it appears you will have the ability to sell 200 items and or 20k in sales this year you will get hit with this.

Last years numbers have a play in this.

They see the POTENTIAL of you hitting those numbers.

This is why I spread sales out over 100s of accounts, not to avoid anything other then them asking for the info you mentioned.

[Omgoozle]

PP is dead until next year unless you give them the tax info. Ignore all messages from it until Jan 2013. Then it will unlock and you can withdraw your money.

What you can do in the meantime is:

Log into eB, change the address on your eB account ("address b" from now on)
make new user account on your computer,
create new PP account on new user account with address B as info
from old user account, unlink your old PP from your eb.
from new user account, link your new PP to your eb.
make sure none of your payment info is linked to your old PP or you will get screwed. Basically you are pretending that you moved to a new house and bought a new computer.

...or....

You can continue to use your current PP account as linked to your eB account, but you can redirect your payments to another PP. The downside to this is that you will need to preemptively pay your eB fees with a prepaid cc for the rest of the year, and you will be accepting money into a PP that is under a different user account than your eB account so it can get tricky with printing labels and such.

hope that helps.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by ploughman

For GreenBean and others, here's the message I'm getting after login on PP:

It then lets me choose "remind me later" as usual, but obviously not being able to receive payments is huge.

The years-ago suspension was from an especially pointed VERO hit that was fairly widespread at the time, and over a line of business that I don't even sell anymore. Name and street address (unless I filed a new EIN with alternate address) might be linkable, with street address perhaps the most likely link and the name not matching or coming close to matching the name on EB or PP.

Ein is not used quite like that.

You have an EIN in the name of Ploughman Industries. You give that info to paypal.

Paypal accept that. They then ask the IRS is Ploughman Industries the correct info YES/NO.

[ploughman]

Originally Posted by GreenBean™

Ein is not used quite like that.

You have an EIN in the name of Ploughman Industries. You give that info to paypal.

Paypal accept that. They then ask the IRS is Ploughman Industries the correct info YES/NO.

So if I file an EIN in the name of the business (which is also the eBay username) that's all they check?

[jeffweico]

Originally Posted by ploughman

So if I file an EIN in the name of the business (which is also the eBay username) that's all they check?

The only response PayPal/Amazon get from the IRS is either MATCH or NO MATCH based on the business name they send. The IRS will not correct their information for them.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that you give the EXACT BUSINESS NAME to them as you gave to the IRS. For example, if you are ABC Company with the IRS and you give PayPal/Amazon ABC Co. it won't match.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by ploughman

So if I file an EIN in the name of the business (which is also the eBay username) that's all they check?

Read jeffweico's post CAREFULLY.

Simple as that.

Good Luck

[rsot]

Posting up the exact limitation message does help for guidance advice

[Dmshark25]

The name needs to be exact match on EIN as Paypal name what about the address does Paypal ask if address is a match as well???