yes, I know they retain 30% of US sales, that's not the question. the question is, if they take it anyway why provide them with my personal data? if I don't fill any form and my US tax is retained and I am not a US citizen, am I breaking any US laws? I would like to travel there one day (not to be restricted because of some bizzare burecratic mumbo jumbo of shutterstock/IRS that I know nothing of), but I am reluctant to give my personal data to a goverment of a country that is not my country and what is not my goverment.

I don't believe you will have any trouble with US tax authorities when traveling to the US. However, SS is deducting taxes from you and they have to justify it. That is why they are asking for your information so they can put it in their claims. In other words, you can only have trouble with SS, not IRS (US tax authority).

I guess I had luck. I paid TAX only $2,5  

I paid 4,1 % from my earnings... Not bad, nod bad!

They took 3.6% from me. Much less than I thought, but still too much.

Why . should I pay taxes to the US, a country I have never ever had anything to do with, apart from using Shutterstock?

I don't pay taxes to the UK, Canada, Norway, all other countries where I sell images.

Ups this month 8.48% last month 5.8% 

September - 15% tax

Where do you see these tax percentages or numbers at Shutterstock?

Thanks,
Robert

Quote from: fotorob on October 02, 2009, 08:35
Where do you see these tax percentages or numbers at Shutterstock?

Thanks,
Robert

On the main page, look under "payment history"

I live in a country with tax treaty, and I filled the form online. But where can I see my tax status? I haven't got any confirmation either way after filling the form. I would like to be sure before next payment.

Quote from: Perry on October 02, 2009, 10:49
I live in a country with tax treaty, and I filled the form online. But where can I see my tax status? I haven't got any confirmation either way after filling the form. I would like to be sure before next payment.

If your tax form is rejected, you're notified via email, and the notification on the main page remains visible. As soon as it's accepted, the notification disappears. I agree, an email informing the tax form is accepted would've been nice.

I filled in the form, got it rejected the first time, filled it in again, and the message disappeared. SS didn't withhold anything for the IRS from my recent payment.

So, if you don't see the notification on the main page, you should be fine. If you want to be sure, SS tax-center have been extremely helpful, and they've responded the same business day, so you could send them an email.

I did not get my money and they send me a form W8BEN tax form. My country is not a treaty country so i thgt i did not have to fill in the form. Does this mean that if I don't fill the form, I wont ever get my money from Shutterstock??? Sigh...

Can someone tell me why SS want me to SUBMIT my W-8 tax form. I am canadian, I don't know what is a W-8 tax form and seriously, I don't care about W-8 tax form. lol, thanks for any help

I have hung off from sending in the form. I still dispute the requirement since most countries have a taxation agreement with the USA. You pay tax in your home country. It seems to me what is happening is an odd sales tax situation.

But it looks like there is no point, and I will have to sign the form. I just think it sucks, because now there will be a post on my Australian Taxation file and I will have to go through all the crap dealing with them over the $3000 I earn each year from stock.