To my fellow foreign authors,
ACK!
When TWRP sent out the notice, I did a sweet fainting goat impression. Then I ate lots of chocolate. Then I did some research.
Here’s what I’ve found and I’m passing on so you, my fellow foreign authors, will not dance with a diabetic coma as I’ve just done. 😛
I went through the instructions and here’s what I have (we’ll go through it box by box). Now, here’s my disclaimer. I don’t have ALL the information, but this is what I have for now. If, in your travels, you find correction, etc., then please let me know and we can update all this stuff.
The instructions I’m giving you are based on the IRS instructions. You can find the full document here: http://www.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/formsInstructions.html?sortColumn=sortOrder&indexOfFirstRow=0&value=&criteria=&resultsPerPage=25&isDescending=true and http://www.irs.gov/publications/p901/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000219369
Okay, grab some tea (or whiskey) and let’s go through this:
Reason for submitting a W-7:
· Check œa
· You also have to check œh
o Beside œh you have to list your exception. Authors are œexception #1d
o You have to list your treaty country (in my case, œCanada) and the treaty article number (which made me do a fainting goat). So, if you’re Canadian (though I’m sure it’s the same for everyone), the article number is 12. If you want, go here to see what they say. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p901/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000219369
· Now, the form.
o Box 1a is your current legal name
o Box 1b is your name at birth
o Box 2 is your current address
o Box 3 is your address IF YOU DON’T RESIDE AT THE ADDRESS IN BOX 2 “ if both addresses are the same, you must enter œN/A in box 3”YOU CANNOT LEAVE ANY BOXES BLANK
o Box 4 is your birth information
o Box 5 is your gender
o Box 6a is your country of resident
o Box 6b is your S.I.N.
o Box 6c is your U.S. Visa (if you have one)
o Box 6d”okay, so talked to Mr. Pankost from the IRS and he said the instructions are wrong. If you’re sending the notarized copy of your passport, it’s all you need. (note to Canadians, you can only get it CERTIFIED from the passport office).
o Box 6e is (it seems) for visiting students or professors. For most of us, this would be œno.
o Box 6f is linked to 6e. If you said œno in 6e, then 6f is œN/A
o Box 6g œN/A (if 6e was a œno)
Now, that’s finished, here are the things you’ll need to mail to the IRS:
· The completed W-7 form
· The notarized, color, photocopy of your passport (again, to Canadians. Your ONLY choice is to get it CERTIFIED at the passport office. They won’t charge & we can’t get it notarized because Canada isn’t part of some treaty, hence the certification¦confused? Yep. Me too.
Non-Canadians need to include the apostille (also get this at the passport office. Basically, according to the IRS agent I spoke with, it’s a certification that the person who certified your passport, is certified to do so. I know, hey? But we have to have it or the form will be rejected).
· Your cover letter which explains why you’re applying for a W-7
· The letter from TWRP/your publisher:
o It MUST be on official stationary
o It MUST have your name”the same one that appears on the W-7 form
o It MUST be signed
o It MUST read: œ[your name] is required to get an ITIN for federal tax withholding or information reporting purposes.
Okay, that’s all I have for now. Take care and if you have any questions or tips, let me know.
