I've been using an EIN for my affiliate stuff for about 2 years now. One thing nobody mentioned yet is that some affiliate networks actually prefer EINs and might even give your application more credibility. When I applied to some of the more selective networks, having an EIN and presenting myself as a business seemed to help get approved faster. Also, it's way easier to keep track of 1099 forms when they're all going to a separate tax ID than your personal stuff. Makes tax time much less stressful.

This is really helpful info! I'm in a similar situation where I'm just starting out with affiliate marketing and was worried about giving my SSN to multiple platforms. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like getting an EIN is definitely the way to go for privacy and organization purposes. One question I have - when you fill out the EIN application, what do you put as your business name if you don't have an official business? Can you just use your own name or do you need to come up with something? And do you need to register that name anywhere or can it just be whatever you want to call your affiliate activities? Also wondering about the timeline - how long does it typically take to get the EIN after you apply online? I'd like to start applying to some affiliate programs soon but want to make sure I have everything set up properly first.

lol its the IRS, expect delays on everything. wouldn't be surprised if it takes till march 🤡

I work at a regional bank and can give you some insight! When the IRS sends deposits with a holiday date, most banks will actually process them early (usually Friday) or on the next business day (Tuesday). The deposit won't just disappear - it's already authorized by the IRS. Your bank's online system might show "pending" over the weekend but it'll clear. I'd check Friday evening and if not then, definitely by Tuesday morning!

Has anyone had issues with the limitations on Form 1116? I'm in a similar situation but with clients in multiple countries, and I'm getting confused about how to handle separate forms for different types of income and different countries. Some tax software doesn't seem to handle this very well.

For Australian contractor payments, make sure you're aware of the tax treaty benefits between the US and Australia. The 5% withholding rate your client is using suggests they're applying the treaty rate for personal services income, which is actually beneficial for you. One thing to watch out for - if you're working remotely from Colorado but your client is treating this as Australian-source income subject to withholding, you may want to verify this is correct. Under the tax treaty, income for personal services performed outside Australia (like remote work from the US) may not be subject to Australian tax at all, depending on the specifics of your arrangement. If the withholding is incorrect based on the treaty, you might be able to get a refund directly from the Australian Tax Office and wouldn't need to claim the foreign tax credit. But if the withholding is proper, then yes, definitely claim it on Form 1116 as others have described. Just wanted to mention this potential issue since it could significantly impact your tax situation!

Hi, Aisha, did you ever get this resolved? I have the same situation, and saw Stripe has this on their website saying the do not support disregarded entities, which is what my (and your) company is. https://support.stripe.com/express/questions/how-do-i-enter-my-disregarded-entity-that-needs-to-sign-the-w-8-or-w-9 I'm just wondering if you found a way around it.

@Write Angles I ran into the exact same issue with Stripe's policy on disregarded entities! After all the helpful advice here, I contacted Stripe support multiple times with the IRS documentation about W-8BEN-E being the correct form for foreign-owned single-member LLCs. What finally worked was escalating to their merchant services team (not just regular support) and providing them with official IRS guidance that clearly states disregarded entities owned by foreign persons should use W-8BEN-E. I also included the tax treaty information for my country of residence. It took about 3 weeks of back-and-forth, but they eventually created an exception for my account. The key was being persistent and providing official documentation rather than just explaining the situation. If you're still stuck, I'd recommend trying the Claimyr service that others mentioned to get official IRS confirmation in writing - that seemed to carry more weight with Stripe's compliance team.

Has anyone had success getting the IP PIN issue resolved by visiting an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person? I made an appointment next week because I'm tired of the phone runaround, but wondering if it's worth the time off work.

I had this exact same issue last month! Turns out the IRS had flagged my account for identity protection after someone tried to use my SSN to file early. The frustrating part is that I never received the CP01A notice with my PIN because it was sent to an old address (even though I filed a change of address form). Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS Identity Protection line at 800-908-4490 first thing in the morning (around 7 AM) and actually got through after only 20 minutes on hold. The agent was able to verify my identity using questions about my previous tax returns and issued me a new PIN over the phone that I could use immediately. Pro tip: Have your last 2-3 years of tax returns handy when you call, along with your current address, phone number, and any recent W-2s. They use this info to verify your identity. Once I had the PIN, I went back into TurboTax, entered it in the IP PIN field, and my return was accepted within hours. Don't give up - it's definitely frustrating but very solvable once you get the right person on the phone!