The above mention thread has changed. Daniela is checking to see if a PDF file is acceptable with the IRS. Until then we are to request the W7 letter by mail.
(http://www.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24454):
Denis
The Three Stooges are running the legal department?
If you go to the IRS site and download any US tax forms, they are all PDF files!
Like this one, W-9 download, note the site is IRS GOV http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf
W-7 Here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf
However were are not discussing the forms here. We are discussing the hand-signed letter from FT that we need to attach to the form. It has to be hand-signed. They seem to be checking if the PDF printed version (i.e. not literally hand signed) is acceptable.
My mistake for not following the link and reading about "the form" and "the form".
Nothing personal because I know you aren't the one making up all this snow storm of forms and paperwork, but I'll stick with the Three Stooges running the legal Dept.
Keep this in mind. It has been one and a half months since this started and the latest this week is (quoting you) "An official Fotolia announcement regarding the Tax situation will be supplied shortly."
Also not your fault, but someone up top who decided to drop this crap bomb on the contributors should have also followed through on how to clean it up.
What I'm getting at is somewhere, someone made the decision to collect nonreturnable taxes from contributors (I don't understand that at all either... they can go file and collect it back from the IRS?) but when those people decided to start this affair, they didn't take into account what the ramifications would be for Fotolia or contributors and how to effectively make the transition. They didn't check with how to handle the exemption verification, ITIN applications or paperwork needed to make all this happen in a efficient manner.
Best wishes and nice of you to come here personally and try to answer questions concerning a sticky situation.