Anyone could give me an advice how to get back overpaid taxes on Istock? For about a year Istock have been taking 30% taxes from US sales. I'm Ukrainian and have to pay only 10%. So now I wondering how to get back overpaid taxes.Anyone could give me an advice how to get back overpaid taxes on Istock? For about a year Istock took 30% taxes from US sales. I'am Ukrainian and have to pay only 10%. So now I wondering how to get back overpaid taxes.

Didn't you have to fill in a 'tax interview'? I understood people weren't being paid at all until they'd filled it in (at least I've read that on their forum and here). Perhaps that's only those from countries with a US tax agreement.
You'll need to contact iStock's Contributor Relations to see if they can help or advise. No-one else can help.

I think it may be that if your country doesn't have a tax agreement with the US, you may have to pay the 30% and the 10%, but hopefully CR have the facts about that. Possibly the information is available somewhere on the iS background site, but I can't find even the link to the site map at the moment (used to be right at the bottom of each page)

And how is it that you only have to pay 10%


30% is automatic for anyone not being US citizen or a citizen of a country that has a Tax treaty with US. As far as I am aware, there is a tax treaty between Ukraine and US but only for double taxation. In this case, and I might be wrong, you are under the 30% - hence my question how is it that you are claiming to be in the 10% bracket.

To answer ShadySue, I believe that all stock agencies put you in the 30% bracket (if registered account is non US) and after filling the Tax forms (tax interview) put you in the appropriate bracket (or leave you in the 30% in my case).

If they filed the Tax forms (which they did, april is deadline), only IRS can help you by filing the Tax return. Good luck with that.

According to tax treaty between Ukraine and US I pay 10% from US sales on all other stock agencies

You are right, I just read a treaty (part about the royalties).
My suggestion is to let it be (unless you overpaid some serious amount of money) and then change the status of your Tax applicant - this part you should check with iStock - or if you did not do the Tax Interview - do it now with the 10%

anyone know how often these tax interviews have to be completed? I had filled all the tax forms for all the sites initially and no tax was withheld (Canada) but recently found some sites were withholding tax (I let it go - a gift to my neighbours to the south).

Do we have to fill the forms annually?

AFAIK the one time we filled it out is good until our circumstances change, particularly if we change country.

Quote from: ShadySue on June 22, 2016, 17:24
AFAIK the one time we filled it out is good until our circumstances change, particularly if we change country.

ShadySue is correct. Any changes require a new tax interview. Even as small as the address change