OFFICIALLY NO ITIN REQUIRED WITH FOTOLIA!!!!!!

[cybernesco]

06/01/2010 21:29
 ModeratorWE WANT OUR W7 LETTERHi All,

good news, as it stands right now, no ITIN will be needed for treaty to apply, therefor the W8ben form will be sufficient for the treaty to apply, so the vast majority should have a 0% or a very low withholding rate.   Just submit your W8 forms correctly and wait for validation. Once your W8 form has been validated, you'll be done.  

A refund for the taken taxes so far will apply to each account within the next few days.

we will soon make an official announcement. Check blog and forums later on.

I hope you are all happy campers now  

Daniela

Director, Fotolia United Kingdom


http://www.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24454




Denis

[Giuseppe Parisi]

Denis I think you made my day my friend!

 

[willie]

actually there is a simpler way.

my colleague, a canadian music composer, stated to me that during the time when mp3 was fledgling representing indie musicians,  canadian musicians needed only to submit their SIN (if you're canadian ), and the equivalence in other treaty countries , and no tax withheld would apply. this has to be linked to a canadian address, not a p.o. box, or whatnot.

there was no need for anything other than your Social Insurance Number, and a canadian home address.

i mention canadian because my colleague is canadian.

[cybernesco]

Denis I think you made my day my friend!

 

Thank you Giuseppe

[gostwyck]

Well done Denis. You are a star __ take a heart for your trouble too!

[cybernesco]

actually there is a simpler way.

my colleague, a canadian music composer, stated to me that during the time when mp3 was fledgling representing indie musicians,  canadian musicians needed only to submit their SIN (if you're canadian ), and the equivalence in other treaty countries , and no tax withheld would apply. this has to be linked to a canadian address, not a p.o. box, or whatnot.

there was no need for anything other than your Social Insurance Number, and a canadian home address.

i mention canadian because my colleague is canadian.

I am canadian and I went through this process before with SS a few months ago and the IRS would not take my SIN. Denis

[cybernesco]

Well done Denis. You are a star __ take a heart for your trouble too!

Thank you gostwyck

[willie]

actually there is a simpler way.

my colleague, a canadian music composer, stated to me that during the time when mp3 was fledgling representing indie musicians,  canadian musicians needed only to submit their SIN (if you're canadian ), and the equivalence in other treaty countries , and no tax withheld would apply. this has to be linked to a canadian address, not a p.o. box, or whatnot.

there was no need for anything other than your Social Insurance Number, and a canadian home address.

i mention canadian because my colleague is canadian.

I am canadian and I went through this process before with SS a few months ago and the IRS would not take my SIN. Denis

it figures. that must have been during the time when Reagan and Mulroney were jigging to When Irish Eyes are smiling    and ties were closer bet Canucks and Yanks 

[sharpshot]

Thanks for the news Denis.  I thought it would only be a matter of time after seeing what shutterstock went through.  I hope not many people started to apply for the ITIN.  Nice to be getting the money back as well.  The first good news I have seen from FT in a long time.

[cybernesco]

Thanks for the news Denis.  I thought it would only be a matter of time after seeing what shutterstock went through.  I hope not many people started to apply for the ITIN.  Nice to be getting the money back as well.  The first good news I have seen from FT in a long time.

I would like to thank you as well for the very good tax info you came up with. I think it was a matter of time as well. We just made things go a little quicker and save some money. I would like to thank Warren and Princess Zelda as well for their effort.  I think this is how a forum should be. Denis

[Tomboy2290]

Yay! And a big thank you to all who "stuck-up" for us on this issue xxx

[runamock]

Thanks Denis and all who have been lobbying. We can work for the common good. 

[Pixart]

Sending out a big wet kiss to everyone who lobbied on my Canadian behalf!  Thanks guys!

Hey, if I filled out an online form that was approved in November or December when this all started, that was the W-8BN I think, I don't have to do it again?

[Artemis]

Indeed thanks so much Denis (and others) for all the sorting and searching things out, lobbying etc!!!
I was just wondering why i had a photo credit on FT for the exact amount they withdrew a couple of days ago, then saw the good news here. Don't think you'll have to fill it in again since they already are paying back the witholdings.
Gracias gracias

[ingesche]

Hallelujah!  And thanks to Denis and anyone else who has been putting a lot of effort into trying to resolve this tax issue.

[le_cyclope]

Ahhh! What a relief!  Merci Denis, on t'en doit une!

Now if you could only make my W8 form go through this silly �tranfer error, please try again�     

Claude

[Eireann]

Wow!
Big, big THANK YOU to Dennis, Warren, Sharpshot, FD-Amateur, Princess, Linn, CPhoto, (to name just a few) and everyone else who kept on posting either here, or directly on Fotolia's forum!

I kept on following on your steps
Thank you!

@Warren,
You were right.
I have a feeling that the hassle of having to post by mail thousands and thousands of letters to more and more contributors was an important factor in the breaking of this deal.
That's why I asked for my official letter.
They just couldn't face the trouble
Regardless, this is good news.
Let's enjoy it

[Nekros]

No doubt... I am very glad that Fotolia dug deeper, and found out that the IRS does not require an ITIN number for foreign contributors to obtain treaty rates....

BUT... I'm still feel very burnt by Fotolia... specifically their lack of communication with contributors about this entire issue...

Needless to say, I will be keeping a wary eye on Fotolia from now on...

[cybernesco]

Another message from Daniela:



Hi All,

An official Fotolia announcement regarding the Tax situation will be supplied shortly. 

thanks for your patience and apologies for the confusion!

Daniela

Director, Fotolia United Kingdom

[cybernesco]

Ahhh! What a relief!  Merci Denis, on t'en doit une!

Now if you could only make my W8 form go through this silly �tranfer error, please try again�      

Claude

Merci y'a pas de probl�me. C'a fait plaisir Claude. Tank you. Denis

[warren0909]

Hey all,
 Yeah great news, and its all down to the power of people, if only Fotolia had thought about this first before rushing in, but hey alls well that ends well, I was very lucky and had no US sales since Jan 1st and in all honesty havent had loads anyway, but its the pricipal and we shall now all go back to uploading 
Thanks to all who helped we did a grand job 

Warren

[Talanis]

Merci Denis

[cybernesco]

Merci Denis

C'a fait plaisir

[luder / Lu�s Br�s]

Great news! Thanks to everyone who kept nagging on Fotolia to get their facts right. Too bad they handled it so poorly, all of this could have been avoided...

[lisafx]

Great news!  Congratulations on your persistence!!

[Linn Currie]

Bravo Dennis!  You were relentless and we all thank you!
Linn

[Pheby]

All this doesn't really affect me much, but I would like to thank you anyway, Dennis! Cheers!

[PrincessZelda]

Hey y'all,

What fantastic news!! I'm over the moon and soooo relieved!

As Warren said, "it's all down to the power of people".
T'was great teamwork, and special thanks to Denis.

I shall leave with one of my favourite quotes:
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength, but through persistence." (Buddha)

Have a good day y'all 

[cybernesco]

This is the latest message from Daniela:

�Fotolia will conduct a review relating to ITIN requirements and tax treaty rates for foreign residents who submit withholding tax forms such as Form W-8BEN.  During this period, Fotolia will change the current procedure for foreign contributors when submitting Form W-8BEN.  If you are a resident of a country which has a tax treaty with the U.S., an ITIN/EIN will not be required with submission of the W-8BEN to enjoy tax treaty benefits.  All other form requirements will remain in effect.

Foreign residents in non-tax treaty countries will be subject to withholding at the standard 30% rate on U.S. sales.  If an appropriate tax form is not submitted, withholding is applicable on all Fotolia sales at the standard 28% rate.

Contributor earnings statistics will be adjusted effective January 1, 2010.  We encourage contributors without an ITIN to complete Form W-7 to get an ITIN number .  Pending the outcome of this review, ITIN/EIN submission requirements may be revised in the future.

Fotolia Team�


I think what they are doing is that they are carefully covering themselves for all eventualities.  Meaning that, at the moment we don�t need an ITIN number but they are encouraging us in getting one in case we need it in the future.  By doing so, they are covering themselves against members that have already spent the money on certifying documents.  But then again an ITIN number might be very useful in the near future .

Fotolia  is the greatest microstock agency  

Denis

[robynmac]

What a relief!   

Given that Fotolia is still encouraging us to spend time and money obtaining an ITIN, I've asked the question whether or not Fotolia is going to mail out the "W7 letter" to all contributors who have asked for it. 

[Eireann]

@Dennis,
there's a sticky now, on the Legal Forum.
Linn has posted there as well. I guess this time her message will be harder to delete

Ok, so we're under review right now.
Until further notice W8 forms from treaty countries do not need an ITIN.

This has nothing at all to do with me, but just like Warren I can't help but thinking of photographers from non-treaty countries. Reading Daniela's message it seems they are forced to pay 28 % on ALL sales.
That's a blow. Can they do anything about it? Are there any other forms they need to fill? And why is it that only Fotolia does that?
I'm not clear.

@Roby,
I'm going to ask for that letter.
In my case getting the ITIN number makes no sense (costs wise).
Things may change in the future. Regardless, I want my letter anyway.
It's my right and if I am to work for it, so should they.

Phew, and I only started uploading again ...

[cybernesco]

@Dennis,
there's a sticky now, on the Legal Forum.
Linn has posted there as well. I guess this time her message will be harder to delete

Ok, so we're under review right now.
Until further notice W8 forms from treaty countries do not need an ITIN.

This has nothing at all to do with me, but just like Warren I can't help but thinking of photographers from non-treaty countries. Reading Daniela's message it seems they are forced to pay 28 % on ALL sales.
That's a blow. Can they do anything about it? Are there any other forms they need to fill? And why is it that only Fotolia does that?
I'm not clear.
 

From the way I read it, photographers from non-treaty countries will pay 28% on all sales IF they don�t fill out a particular tax form. If they fill out this tax form, they will get taxed 30% only on US sales. I guess this is an IRS requirement to show that you are not a US resident. Now the reason why other sites don�t do it that way?  Again, could be because they had special arrangement with the IRS.  Denis

[Linn Currie]

It is important that everybody completes the W8 form (click on Tax Centre on Fotolia's website and follow the steps).  Once validated by Fotolia, only USA based sales will be taxed.  If they do not complete this form, then yes all sales will be taxed.

This has nothing at all to do with me, but just like Warren I can't help but thinking of photographers from non-treaty countries. Reading Daniela's message it seems they are forced to pay 28 % on ALL sales.
That's a blow. Can they do anything about it? Are there any other forms they need to fill? And why is it that only Fotolia does that?
I'm not clear.

[Eireann]

Aha!
Ok.
So there is something that they can do. They've got their own W.
And they will not have to pay 28% on all of their sales.
Good to know. No need to worry about them anymore
Thank you!

[sharpshot]

I love the word "review".  The UK government seem to start a new one every day.  I have another word for it but I don't think I can use it here

Hopefully they will find the way the other sites have set this up.  There is no way I am applying for an ITIN/EIN and I really think they should be telling people to wait.  Why spend money and time on this when it probably wont be required?

[le_cyclope]

By the way, I just noticed that they change the way their W8 form looks and after filling it (again!) it went throught!   

So if anyone has had the same error (An error has occured. Please try again later) go ahead!

Claude

[cybernesco]

I love the word "review".  The UK government seem to start a new one every day.  I have another word for it but I don't think I can use it here

Hopefully they will find the way the other sites have set this up.  There is no way I am applying for an ITIN/EIN and I really think they should be telling people to wait.  Why spend money and time on this when it probably wont be required?

The way I see it, with this new development, Fotolia know that most members will not apply for an ITIN number now that it is no longer necessary, even if they encourage it.  And that is the way they probably want it now as they don�t want to consume their time in sending us letters. However, what they are doing is that by telling us that the situation could change in the future and encouraging us to get an ITIN, they are telling members that have already paid to get certified documents, nothing is lost as this could be used in the future.

I think that if you have not started the process of certifying documents, good economic sense would dictate not to bother with it until it is really necessary as there is not much to gamble or lose by waiting.

Denis

[warren0909]

Linn,

Your dead right I did put it on one of the forums in bold it is important to at least fill in one of the W forms, at least its a lot less hassle than applying for an ITIN number and can be done and submited on the Fotolia site.
And yeah its good that they say they are still going to send out the letters you never know if and when things change !!

Warren

[PrincessZelda]

By the way, I just noticed that they change the way their W8 form looks and after filling it (again!) it went throught!   

So if anyone has had the same error (An error has occured. Please try again later) go ahead!

Claude

Claude, why did you have to fill in the form again? Or was it just because of the error message and you had to resubmit?

I've seen how it has caused a bit of confusion, and some people think they have to submit the W8BEN all over again. Whilst other people, think that because the ITIN is not needed, they don't need to fill in the W8BEN at all!

Warren, I did see your post about the importance of submitting one of the W forms. I'm hoping this official announcement from Daniela happens soon. There are still some confused people out there.

I'm also pleased to see that the other fotolians who don't have access to any forum apart from 'Cafe du Monde' have also been told by David Laguillo from Fotolia Spain, that he will update all the members there too.

Here's his post:
"Hello:

Please wait a bit until we distribute some more information with an official and complete statement about this issue.
Thank you.

Regards,

David Laguillo
Director
Fotolia Espa�a
http://es.fotolia.com
[email protected]
SKYPE: fotoliaespana"

[ThomasAmby]

This is fantastic news.

But I don't get why some of us are only allowed to see the "Cafe du Monde" forum. I can't access, for instance, "the legal forum" that everyone keeps talking about. Even direct URL's will redirect me to the main forum page. Is this a matter of where in the world you are located? I'm in Denmark

[PrincessZelda]

Yeah Thomas, I don't get it either.

I posted a note as a reply to David Laguillo asking him to explain why so many fotolians only have access to 'Cafe du Monde'. Let's hope he replies.

Hmmm... now that our People Power is on a roll, how about getting together with other fotolians to request access to all the forums? There are lots more forums that I and other fotolians have access to and it's not fair that others like you are excluded.

I wonder if it's only the EU fotolia that has limited access to forums??

[Adeptris]

Anyone in a non treaty country will have the withholding tax of 28% of revenue on US Sales only if they submit the W8BEN, if not the 28% on all sales, most countries tax authorities will allow them to off-set this against thier own tax liability under double taxation rules, so it should not be a problem for most.

If the photographer is not declaring the revenue from microstock, then they will just have to accept the situation or register the income, at some point online companies like ebay will be forced to share revenue information with governments.

It is not unusual for a business or individual who is resident in one country to make a taxable gain (earnings, profits) in another.
This person may find that he is obliged by domestic laws to pay tax on that gain locally and pay again in the country in which the gain was made.
Since this is inequitable, many nations make bilateral Double taxation agreements with each other.
In some cases, this requires that tax be paid in the country of residence and be exempt in the country in which it arises.
In the remaining cases, the country where the gain arises deducts taxation at source ("withholding tax") and the taxpayer receives a compensating foreign tax credit in the country of residence to reflect the fact that tax has already been paid.
To do this, the taxpayer must declare himself (in the foreign country) to be non-resident there. So the second aspect of the agreement is that the two taxation authorities exchange information about such declarations, and so may investigate any anomalies that might indicate tax evasion.

So when you submit the W8BEN for treaty countries even if you do not pay withholding tax, it means that your earning details will be sent to your countries tax authority by the US revenue services, so the international tax treaties does not mean tax free revenue, just less paperwork for the IRS.

In the UK with other freelance trades like agency workers, construction workers and IT consultants like me, as sole traders we are not employees but we are often taxed at source, if you pay to much tax you get a rebate, and if you pay to little you get a bill for the balance, but revenue should be declared and tax has to be paid.

David  

[qwerty]

well that's a bit better, I wish they had done their homework first and saved everybody some heart ache.

Hopefully they might have learnt something about looking after their suppliers but I doubt it.

[ThomasAmby]

I wonder if it's only the EU fotolia that has limited access to forums??

Probably something like that.

Using a proxy to hide your IP won't help, I just tried. It's most likely a matter of where your account is registered. Mine is set up with the European website as well - automatically.

[cybernesco]

Bravo Dennis!  You were relentless and we all thank you!
Linn

Thank you Linn and I thank you as well for your continuous effort!
Denis

[PrincessZelda]

I wonder if it's only the EU fotolia that has limited access to forums??

Probably something like that.

Using a proxy to hide your IP won't help, I just tried. It's most likely a matter of where your account is registered. Mine is set up with the European website as well - automatically.

I have heard rumours that there is a way, but I haven't a clue. Maybe someone here has the know-how.

[dirkr]

I at least know the workaround from the German forum.

If you just try clicking links on their website it will always take you to your "home" forum.
But if you type in the correct link in the adress bar of you browser you can read other forums as well.

Example:
"http://de.fotolia.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=28"
is what is shown in the adress bar for the German legal board.

If you now replace the last two characters with other numbers, you will be able to read other site forums, e.g. number 7 is the English speaking legal board ("http://de.fotolia.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=7").

Don't know if it works from everywhere but it works from Germany...

[Pheby]

You can also get to the forums you're not supposed to see by entering English key words into the forum search. It gives you threads where your search word occurs, and the threads take you to the legal bord or the fotolia caf� or wherever. But when you click on the main index, you're taken back to your "home" forum.

[PrincessZelda]

You can also get to the forums you're not supposed to see by entering English key words into the forum search. It gives you threads where your search word occurs, and the threads take you to the legal bord or the fotolia caf� or wherever. But when you click on the main index, you're taken back to your "home" forum.

Hey stardust,

Thanks for sharing a useful tip! It doesn't give excluded members the chance to contribute though does it?

I started a new thread on Cafe du Monde called 'One World Fotolia'.
This is what I wrote:
"Hi everyone,

It seems that a lot of you at 'Cafe du Monde' do not have access to other forums that other fotolians do. It is such a shame that so many of you are missing out on joining in with the discussions in other forums. This has been very much the case with the debate surrounding the whole tax issue, where there has been a lot of activity on the 'Legal Forum' which many of you could not see.

David Laguillo, director of Fotolia     has recently come on Cafe du Monde and said he will get back to everyone regarding the tax issue, especially the ITIN. I asked him why many fotolians do not have access to the other forums the rest of us do, so hopefully there will be a response.

I just had an idea.
Until something is worked out, how about if we mimic the forum titles by creating a separate thread for each one at Cafe du Monde? Then we can encourage the others from the other forums to visit Cafe du Monde more often.

The forum titles we have are:

Fotolia Cafe
Welcome to the Fotolia Cafe where artists and members meet from around the world and discuss all things Fotolia. Share your ideas and knowledge about the industry. So open up and say hello you just might make a new friend.

Fotolia Q&A
Members helping members. This is the place for Newbie�s, those perplexed about technical problems, and people who seek answers as how to improve sales. Don�t worry if the members don�t know all the answers the Fotolia customer service team is always here to help.

Photography techniques
Ok photo geeks this is your place. Talk about your best photography tips and tricks, debate over which is better film or digital, discuss the latest digital camera and suggest workflow ideas. We welcome the young and old to share your thoughts, ask questions, and discuss photography techniques.

Design techniques
Welcome home designers. If design runs in your veins and the computer is your canvas then this is your new home. Here you can share, teach, and discuss design ideas, current graphic art trends, Photoshop and other software.

Academy Board
Has one of your photos just been refused by the Fotolia editing team? Would you like to know why? Would you like to get feedback for one of your photos from your peers? Critique, learn, and Share your experiences on the Academy Forum! (To post a Fotolia image on the forum, just type your photo id in the post image section)

Legal Board
Ok legal beagles share your knowledge of model and property releases, intellectual property, copyright, tax issues, and new imaging laws. Although we don�t guarantee the legal information provided here with but this should be the first place you should come to for legal insight from your fellow Fotolia members.

Idea Box
Do you think you can make Fotolia better? Discuss your great ideas here, we�ll be listening.

Order Request Board
Are you looking for just the right image and just can't seem to find it using the search engine? Then post your request here and let your fellow members help you. They might just have what you are looking for. Feel free to also use the Alert/Order request system.

Fotolia Classifieds
Buy it, Sell it, Trade it, or Give it away for free, on the Fotolia classified forum. All Fotolians may publish classified ads to buy or sell photography and design equipment (cameras, lens, computers, etc) - Please read these specific instructions before posting !

Caf� du Monde
Share your experiences with Fotolia members worldwide - The language of this board is english.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From what I understand (and I may be wrong), this exclusion applies to eu.fotolia. How about if all of you write to David Laguillo requesting access to all the forums?
His contact details are:
David Laguillo
Director
Fotolia Espa�a
http://es.fotolia.com
[email protected]
SKYPE: fotoliaespana

We are not only contributors of images, but in my opinion, also contributors within fotolia itself.
Let us know what you guys think about the suggestions here. "


Dunno what you and the others here think of this... I suppose we would need a few volunteers to keep an eye on certain forums like Legal Board, Idea Box etc and copy and paste backward and forwards to update Cafe du Monde. Hmm.. perhaps a bit complicated. I can't think of a better way do help our EU fotolia peeps for the time being.

[Pheby]

You can also get to the forums you're not supposed to see by entering English key words into the forum search. It gives you threads where your search word occurs, and the threads take you to the legal bord or the fotolia caf� or wherever. But when you click on the main index, you're taken back to your "home" forum.

Hey stardust,

Thanks for sharing a useful tip! It doesn't give excluded members the chance to contribute though does it?

I've no idea, and I didn't dare try it out, in case fotolia gets rid of that "bug"!

Also, I'm so fed up with them at the moment, that I've forbidden myself to write anything for the next couple of weeks - I'm sure I'd get chucked out sooner or later, and in some cases you just need the information from their forum: The official statement from fotolia Germany about contributors not needing an ITIN was only published on their forum.

[PrincessZelda]

Well, so much for my idea to help people excluded from other forums - my thread just got closed !

@stardust - I think I'll join you and lay low   

[warren0909]

Yeah did notice that Princess and its a shame, dont know why they closed it I presume if we try to keep the peps on the cafe du monde informed of any important news they cant close those posts down ??

 Warren

[Nekros]

Dear Fotolia... (in case any spys are lurking, looking for contributors to ban...)

If I was looking for a vague and ambiguous resolution to our problem... then you have done a great job!
If I was expecting a "forked tongue", "double speak" response from you... then here is your pat on the back!

First you say... I don't need the ITIN number... for now...
Secondly... You still recommend that I spend time and money to get the ITIN number... even though I probably don't need it...
Third strike... You still (after a month of waiting) haven't sent me the official (IRS required) letter, to get my ITIN number...

What is it that they say about three strikes?
Don't worry... you'll soon find out...

[warren0909]

Hey all just got my letter and to me looks like we are back at square one !!!!! here it is any comments !!!!


Dear Mr Millar

                                                                     Member # ****

This letter is to advise you based upon the information in our files it appears that you may be a resident of the United Kindom, which has an income tax treaty with the United States that provides for reduced rate of witholding tax on royalties.

if you are a resident of the United Kindom and qualify for benefits under the US/United Kindom income tax treaty, you will need to complete a US Internal revenue Service (IRS) Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States tax witholding on royalties payable by Fotolia LLC. However, in order to obatain treaty benefits, Form W-8BEN must include a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number, which includes a Social Security Number (SSN) or US Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If you do not currently have a SSN or an ITIN, you can obtain an ITIN by filling a form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Number, with the IRS. This process takes only 4-6 weeks and could reduce your witholding taxes significantly.

Please complete From W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and include the proper documentation. This letter will serve as documentation for box h, Exception 1(d) referencing individuals who are reciving distributions such as royalties during the current year and require to provide an ITIN to the witholding agent, which is Fotolia LLC.

Please note that without an ITIN or SSN and a validated IRS from W-8BEN on file with Fotolia LLC royalties payable will be subject to US witholding tax at the appropriate non-treaty rate.

If you have any questions on tax witholding on your Fotolia earnings, please visit our Tax Center or contact your leagal/tax advisor.

Thank you for your coperation and attention to this matter.

Best ragards



Ralph G. DeLorenzo
Corporate Finance
Fotolia LLC

[gostwyck]

^^^ Could it be that the letter was sent out before the policy change? Where was it sent from, the UK or US?

[warren0909]

Good point gostwyck,

It was dated 30/01/09 and sent from the US have to wait and see I suppose but anyway nothing seems to have changed as regards Fotolias change of policy for the time being so at least ive got a letter if I need one !!

Warren

[PrincessZelda]

Good point gostwyck,

It was dated 30/01/09 and sent from the US have to wait and see I suppose but anyway nothing seems to have changed as regards Fotolias change of policy for the time being so at least ive got a letter if I need one !!

Warren

Wot! Looking at the date, it was sent a year ago!!

[Adeptris]

As you live in the 'United Kindom' are you sure there is a treaty, I know there is one with the 'United Kingdom' but I am not sure where in the world the United Kindom is maybe close to the United Stats.

David 

[Eireann]

Warren,
not to disappoint you but I'm afraid that this is not good enough
Princess is right, look at the date!
It's neither here, nor there.
Where did they get the 30 Jan 2009 from?
Random pick?

You live in the 'United Kindom', the date is one year old and the wording of the whole letter is confusing. It is addressed to you, the contributor, and it sounds more like a set of instructions than a certifying official document.
Warren, jokes aside, I don't think you should spend any of your money based on this letter. The date is strange and the wording is not how I think it should be.
Let's wait a little bit longer, see how things unfold.

Princess,
sorry about your 'Viewing Other Forums' thread. Only saw it now. It's a shame, really and it's absurd.
Fotolia Eu contributors can only access a small part of the forums. Absurd, unhelpful and a waste of time.
But instead of using their connections to try and solve the problem, leave it to Fotolia's moderators to lock the thread. They're in a league of their own.
Is there a price for such behaviour? Or does it come naturally?

[PrincessZelda]

No Comment! 

[warren0909]

Ooops sorry folks its me and my typos sent on the 30/12/09 !!!!! 

Im such an idiot

Warren

[warren0909]

All the spelling on the letter are correct I was just typing it out on here in a rush because I wanted you all to see it and get your comments sorry about the mistakes ...... I will go to bed early with no supper 

Warren

[sharpshot]

Warren, thanks for typing all that out.  I don't think it is relevant anymore though, as they have stated they are going to have a review.  I am just going to let Fotolia sort this mess out and wait to see what they say after their review.  I see no reason why they can't sort this out with the IRS, like several other sites have, so we don't need the ITIN.  If they can't do that, I am not sure I want to work with them anymore.  I have already put up with commission cuts and moving the canister levels, this is their chance to prove they can do something good for their contributors.  They need to get it right.

[PrincessZelda]

@ Warren - oh, now I see it was a typo with the date... and no pudding after supper tonight too!

@ Sharpshot - the sad thing is fotolia are losing some good contributors recently. It's not all due to the tax issue, but sad nonetheless.

[Eireann]

Off Topic

@Warren,
you're the cutest Fotolia model ever.
And very famous too!
Your grey hair is beautiful, you're enthusiastic, great sense of humor, warm hearted and all the girls love you (see Jane, Princess, Trina comments on Academy board).
Actually, I think the boys love you too
All is forgiven.
You can do no wrong!

On a more serious note, thank you for typing that letter for us. Shows that you care, much appreciated.
Let's talk Princess into letting you have your pudding tonight

[warren0909]

Eirean,

You mean the top part of your post wasnt serious !!!! 

But your too kind and thankyou for that if i could see myself now Im sure i'd be blushing

Warren

[PrincessZelda]

Ok Eireann, you've convinced me!

Warren, as we all luv ya, you can have an extra helping of pudding after supper tonight! Tee hee! 

[eyeCatchLight]

Dear everyone,

I am sorry for this message. But all this tax thing has made me thoroughly confused, and so I would like to ask you guys for what I have to do in my simple case with all these forms and ITIN and so on.
I live in Canada, currently I have stated Canada in my Fotolia account. I am Austrian, so I could also switch it to Austria.
What is better, where do I have to do what and pay which taxes...? Which is the better choice?

Sorry to ask so boldly but I just can't see through it :-(.

Simone

[gostwyck]

^^^ I'm no expert but you would normally be domiciled (i.e. live) for tax purposes in only one country, usually the one where you reside and/or have a job.  If you live (and pay tax and therefore have a Tax Number) in Canada then that would probably be the more straightforward arrangement to make.

[warren0909]

Simone,

As it stands at the moment with Fotolia if you live in a country with a tax treaty with the US you just fill in the relavant W form leaving the ITIN number off in my case, UK, it was the W-8BEN form.
If and when Fotolia decide we do after all need a ITIN number then you will have to request a letter from fotolia to submit to the IRS along with your passport and i think its the W-7 form !!!
At first Fotolia where isisting we all need an ITIN number but after a lot of debate this was put on hold and Fotolia are now looking into this. Quite a few people have requested the letter from Fotolia and have now got the letter (me included) just in case it is needed after all.
This maybe different as you live in Canada not too shure, Hope this helps a little and I haven confused you even more !!!

Warren

[eyeCatchLight]

Simone,

As it stands at the moment with Fotolia if you live in a country with a tax treaty with the US you just fill in the relavant W form leaving the ITIN number off in my case, UK, it was the W-8BEN form.
If and when Fotolia decide we do after all need a ITIN number then you will have to request a letter from fotolia to submit to the IRS along with your passport and i think its the W-7 form !!!
At first Fotolia where isisting we all need an ITIN number but after a lot of debate this was put on hold and Fotolia are now looking into this. Quite a few people have requested the letter from Fotolia and have now got the letter (me included) just in case it is needed after all.
This maybe different as you live in Canada not too shure, Hope this helps a little and I haven confused you even more !!!

Warren

Warren, thanks so much for your help! I am sorry I am a bit naive on this, but as my (few) sales picked up a few days ago and i received this tax e-mail, I also filled the W8-BEN form. 
I stated Austria now, just to be sure, as I am not a Canadian citizen, and it went through. But now - they say I also need an ITIN for 0 tax withhold - what is the status now, do I have to get an ITIN? And if yes, how do I request that letter?

Thanks for your help and sorry for the silly question.

[warren0909]

simone,

You should (as long as you have the W-8BEN done and accepted) now no longer pay any tax on any sales. Fotolia were insiting before Christmas that we had to get an ITIN number as well but have backed down on this for the time being while they look into it a bit more.
You should also get a rebate of any tax you have paid.
If fotolia come back and say we need an ITIN we will have to apply for one via the IRS in the States for which, amongst other things, we will need a letter POSTED to us by fotolia on headed Fotolia paper stating our account number.
A lot of us on Fotolia have requested the letter anyway so we can have it at the ready if Fotolia do indeed change again.
What I would do is contact support and ask them to send you the letter you will need in order to get an ITIN number and when you get it keep hold of it until you need it or not as the case maybe !!!
And if you are still paying tax on US sales even with the W-8BEN approved let Fotolia know.

Hope ive made sence here and this has helped you out a little

Warren 

[eyeCatchLight]

simone,

You should (as long as you have the W-8BEN done and accepted) now no longer pay any tax on any sales. Fotolia were insiting before Christmas that we had to get an ITIN number as well but have backed down on this for the time being while they look into it a bit more.
You should also get a rebate of any tax you have paid.
If fotolia come back and say we need an ITIN we will have to apply for one via the IRS in the States for which, amongst other things, we will need a letter POSTED to us by fotolia on headed Fotolia paper stating our account number.
A lot of us on Fotolia have requested the letter anyway so we can have it at the ready if Fotolia do indeed change again.
What I would do is contact support and ask them to send you the letter you will need in order to get an ITIN number and when you get it keep hold of it until you need it or not as the case maybe !!!
And if you are still paying tax on US sales even with the W-8BEN approved let Fotolia know.

Hope ive made sence here and this has helped you out a little

Warren 

Thanks thanks thanks and thanks again! i wrote to support and wait for my letter. you are the best!

[warren0909]

Thank you Simone your too kind 

Warren

[eyeCatchLight]

Thank you Simone your too kind 

Warren

so they answered me:
" Fotolia :     ok we will add your name to the list."

I guess this means the list of letters to write?? lol
how long did it take for you?

[warren0909]

Simone,
Think it took about 2-3 weeks for the letter to arrive to England from the states, let just hope we dont need them and they will stay filed away for ever 

Warren

[Linn Currie]

STILL waiting for mine and I requested it before Warren did.  I have now sent them a total of five letters asking for it.

[warren0909]

Linn,

Keep pestering them for it and dont give up, hope you get it soon, let us know 


Warren