Got Ticketmaster refund without having to give my SSN - sharing this win!

Tax professional here. You made the right call being cautious about sharing your SSN. Companies like Ticketmaster are only required to issue a 1099-K if you have more than $600 in total transactions for the year AND you're making a profit on the sales. Since you sold at face value (no profit) and it was under $600 anyway, there's no taxable event to report. The SSN request was likely their standard procedure for all refunds, but their system eventually processed it correctly without the information. Always good to be protective of your personal information like SSNs - identity theft is a real concern with how many data breaches happen. If you ever do receive a 1099 from them for some reason, you can report the income but also report the equal expense of purchasing the ticket, resulting in zero tax impact.

Just wanted to share my experience with this exact situation! I was skeptical about providing my SSN too and found a really helpful service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand when I actually need to provide my SSN for ticket sales. After uploading my Ticketmaster receipt to their system, they explained I wasn't required to provide my SSN for this type of transaction since there was no profit involved. The tool even generated a custom letter I could send to Ticketmaster explaining why I wasn't legally obligated to provide my SSN in this case. Super helpful when companies try to collect more info than they need!

I was in a similar situation with StubHub where they kept asking for my SSN for tickets I resold. I was super skeptical about it but decided to try taxr.ai that someone recommended here. The tool actually identified that StubHub was incorrectly applying the reporting requirement to my case! Turns out they only needed my SSN if I'd sold over $600 in tickets AND made a profit, which I hadn't. Their system generated a letter citing the specific tax code sections that I forwarded to StubHub's support. StubHub stopped asking for my info within 48 hours of me sending that letter. Such a relief not having to share my SSN unnecessarily. Definitely worth checking out if you're getting these requests.

Warning to anyone dealing with these ticket platforms: if they're being pushy about your SSN and you can't get answers, try using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). When Ticketmaster was hounding me about my SSN for a similar situation, their customer service was absolutely useless - couldn't get through to anyone who understood tax rules. I used Claimyr and got connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes who confirmed I didn't need to provide my SSN for that type of transaction. Just sharing the phone call recording (they let you record the call) with Ticketmaster's support team was enough to get them to back off. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - saved me hours of frustration!

I take back what I said about Claimyr. After our conversation here, I decided to try it because I've been dealing with this EXACT Ticketmaster situation for weeks and getting nowhere. Not only did I get connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes (while I was just going about my day), but the agent confirmed that Ticketmaster was incorrectly applying the reporting requirements. They explained that since I sold the ticket at face value and it was under $600, no SSN was required. The call recording feature was clutch - I emailed it directly to Ticketmaster's support team and they processed my refund the next day without the SSN. Saved me so much stress and protected my personal info. Sometimes I'm too quick to assume something's a scam!

Anyone know if this applies to StubHub too? They're demanding my SSN for selling a couple of baseball tickets last summer that I couldn't use. It was like $180 total and I actually sold them for less than I paid.

So does this mean I could sell tickets all year long and as long as I'm selling at face value, I never have to report it on my taxes? Seems like a loophole.

This is such a helpful thread! I had no idea about the $600 threshold and profit requirements for 1099-K reporting. I've been paranoid about selling a few concert tickets I couldn't use, thinking I'd have to deal with tax paperwork for small amounts. @Leeann Blackstein - your explanation about the difference between occasional personal sales vs. regular business activity is really clarifying too. It makes sense that the IRS would look at patterns and intent rather than just individual transactions. For anyone else dealing with pushy platforms asking for SSNs, it sounds like the key is knowing your rights and not being afraid to push back when they're overreaching on their data collection requirements.

Really appreciate you sharing this experience! I've been dealing with a similar situation where Vivid Seats has been emailing me for weeks asking for my SSN after I sold some tickets I couldn't use. The emails felt really pushy and I wasn't comfortable providing that information for what was essentially a small personal transaction. Your post gives me confidence that waiting it out might be the right approach. I sold the tickets for exactly what I paid (maybe even a few dollars less after fees), so there's definitely no profit involved. It's reassuring to know that these platforms often have automated systems that will eventually process things correctly without needing all that personal information. The fact that you never received a 1099 also makes sense based on what others have explained here about the reporting thresholds. Thanks for taking the time to share this - it's exactly the kind of real-world experience that helps people make informed decisions about protecting their personal information!

This is such valuable information! I had a similar experience with SeatGeek last year where they kept requesting my SSN for a ticket I resold at a loss. I was so worried about ignoring their emails, but after reading everyone's experiences here, I'm realizing I made the right choice by not providing it. What really bothers me is how these platforms make it seem like you're breaking some rule by not giving them your SSN immediately. They use language like "required by law" or "needed for tax compliance" without explaining that these requirements only apply in specific circumstances - like when you actually have reportable income. It's great that you shared this because so many people probably just hand over their SSN thinking they have to, when in reality they're giving away sensitive personal information unnecessarily. The fact that your refund processed automatically proves their systems can handle these transactions properly without collecting extra data from customers. Thanks for helping others learn about protecting their personal information while still following actual tax requirements!

This is exactly what I needed to read! I've been going back and forth with Ticketmaster for over a month now about providing my SSN for a ticket I resold at face value. The constant emails were making me feel like I was doing something wrong by not responding immediately. Your experience gives me so much peace of mind. I sold one concert ticket for $185 (exactly what I paid) because I got sick and couldn't attend. Like you, I was really uncomfortable with the idea of sending my SSN through email, especially for such a straightforward transaction where I didn't make any money. Reading through all the expert advice here about the $600 threshold and profit requirements really clarifies things. It sounds like these platforms send out blanket requests for SSNs but their systems are designed to handle situations like ours automatically when the legal requirements aren't actually met. I'm going to follow your lead and just wait it out rather than stress about those emails. Thanks for sharing this - it's so helpful to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation and had it resolve positively!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently in a similar situation with TicketNetwork where they've been requesting my SSN for tickets I sold below face value. I was getting really anxious about their repeated emails, but reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to wait it out. What strikes me most is how consistent these patterns are across different platforms - they all seem to send blanket SSN requests regardless of whether the transaction actually meets IRS reporting requirements. It's clear that their automated systems are designed to eventually process legitimate refunds without the additional personal information. The tax professional's explanation about the $600 threshold and profit requirements was particularly enlightening. I had no idea these specific conditions had to be met before any reporting obligations kicked in. It makes me wonder how many people unnecessarily hand over their SSN simply because these platforms make it sound mandatory for all transactions. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here. It's reassuring to know that protecting your personal information while following actual tax law requirements is not only possible but often the right approach with these ticket resale situations.

This is such a reassuring thread! I've been dealing with almost the exact same situation with Ticketmaster for about 6 weeks now. I sold two tickets to a Broadway show for $320 total (exactly face value) because my friend couldn't make it, and they've been relentlessly emailing me for my SSN. Like you, something felt off about providing such sensitive information via email for what was clearly a personal transaction with no profit involved. I kept thinking "why do they need my SSN for a simple refund?" but their emails made it sound so urgent and mandatory. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially from the tax professional about the actual IRS requirements - has been incredibly validating. It's clear that these platforms use intimidation tactics to collect more personal data than they actually need for most transactions. I'm definitely going to follow your approach and just wait it out. The fact that your refund processed automatically without any tax forms or complications gives me confidence that their system will eventually handle my situation correctly too. Thanks for sharing this win - it's exactly the kind of real-world experience that helps people make informed decisions about protecting their personal information while still meeting legitimate tax obligations!

This is such valuable information! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where StubHub has been sending me weekly emails requesting my SSN for tickets I resold at a small loss back in December. I sold some basketball tickets for $180 that I originally paid $195 for, so there was definitely no profit involved. Like you, I felt really uncomfortable about providing my SSN through email for such a small transaction. The emails kept saying it was "required for tax compliance" but something didn't feel right about it, especially since I actually lost money on the sale. Your experience gives me so much confidence to just wait it out rather than cave to their pressure. It's reassuring to know that these platforms' systems are designed to eventually process legitimate transactions automatically without needing to collect unnecessary personal information. Thanks for sharing this win - it's exactly the kind of real-world experience that helps people understand they don't always have to comply with corporate data collection requests, especially when actual tax law doesn't require it for their specific situation!

This is such a helpful post! I'm dealing with the exact same situation with Vivid Seats right now - they've been emailing me for about 3 weeks asking for my SSN after I sold some concert tickets at face value ($150 total). I was starting to worry that I was doing something wrong by not responding to their requests. Your experience really validates my instinct that something felt off about providing my SSN via email for such a small personal transaction where I didn't make any profit. The constant emails with phrases like "immediate action required" were making me second-guess myself, but reading your story and all the expert advice here gives me confidence to wait it out. It's frustrating how these platforms make it seem like you're legally obligated to provide your SSN immediately when the actual IRS requirements are much more specific. Thanks for taking the time to share this win - it's exactly what people in similar situations need to hear!

This is incredibly timely! I'm currently in week 4 of StubHub sending me emails demanding my SSN for some hockey tickets I sold back in January. I sold them for $275 total - exactly what I paid after fees - because I had to work that night and couldn't use them. The emails have gotten increasingly aggressive with subject lines like "URGENT: Tax Information Required" and "Final Notice: Account Action Required." It was making me feel like I was breaking some law by not immediately complying, but your experience shows that waiting it out is actually the right approach. What really bothers me is how these platforms prey on people's anxiety about tax compliance. They make it sound like the IRS is breathing down your neck when in reality, for transactions like ours with no profit involved, there's no taxable event to even report. Thanks for sharing this success story - it gives me the confidence to stop stressing about those pushy emails and just let their system work properly. It's reassuring to know that protecting your personal information while following actual tax law is not only possible but often the smart approach with these ticket resale situations.

This is so helpful to read! I've been in a similar situation with Ticketmaster for the past month where they keep emailing me asking for my SSN after I sold a single ticket for exactly what I paid ($165). Like you, something felt really sketchy about sending my Social Security Number through email for such a straightforward personal transaction. Your post gives me so much confidence that I'm making the right choice by waiting it out rather than caving to their pressure tactics. It's reassuring to know that their automated systems are designed to eventually process these legitimate refunds without requiring unnecessary personal information from customers. What really gets me is how these platforms use language that makes it sound legally mandatory when the actual IRS reporting requirements are much more specific. Based on all the expert advice in this thread about the $600 threshold and profit requirements, it's clear that most personal ticket sales like ours don't actually trigger any reporting obligations. Thanks for sharing your win - it's exactly the kind of real-world experience that helps people feel confident about protecting their personal information while still meeting legitimate tax requirements. I'm going to follow your lead and just wait for their system to process things correctly!

This is such a reassuring thread to read! I'm currently dealing with a nearly identical situation with Ticketmaster - they've been emailing me for about 5 weeks asking for my SSN after I sold some theater tickets for $190 (exactly face value) because I had a family emergency and couldn't attend. Like everyone else here, those emails with urgent language like "Tax Compliance Required" were making me really anxious. I kept wondering if I was somehow breaking tax rules by not immediately providing my SSN, but reading all these real experiences has been so validating. What strikes me most is how these platforms seem to use blanket scare tactics regardless of whether your specific transaction actually meets any IRS reporting requirements. Based on the tax professional's explanation about the $600 threshold and profit requirements, my situation clearly doesn't warrant any additional reporting. Your success story gives me the confidence to stop stressing about those pushy emails and just wait for their system to process things correctly. It's amazing how many people are dealing with this exact same issue across different platforms - really shows these are corporate tactics rather than legitimate tax requirements for most personal ticket sales. Thanks for sharing this win and helping so many of us realize we're not alone in protecting our personal information while still following actual tax law!

This is such valuable information, thank you for sharing! I'm currently dealing with something similar with TickPick - they've been sending me emails for about 2 weeks requesting my SSN after I sold some football tickets for $145 total (actually less than what I originally paid since I had to price them to sell quickly when I found out I couldn't attend). Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful. I was starting to feel guilty about ignoring their emails, especially with subject lines like "Action Required for Tax Reporting" that made it sound so official and urgent. But seeing how consistent everyone's experiences have been across different platforms really validates my instinct that something wasn't right about providing my SSN for such a small personal transaction where I actually lost money. The tax professional's explanation about the $600 threshold and profit requirements was particularly enlightening - it's clear my situation doesn't come close to meeting any IRS reporting obligations. What bothers me most is how these platforms use official-sounding language to pressure people into giving up sensitive personal information when it's not actually required for most personal ticket sales. Your success story gives me confidence to continue waiting it out rather than cave to their pressure tactics. It's amazing how many people are dealing with this exact same issue - really shows these are standardized corporate data collection strategies rather than legitimate tax requirements. Thanks for helping all of us realize we have the right to protect our personal information while still following actual tax law!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with a similar situation with Ticketmaster for the past 3 weeks. They keep emailing me requesting my SSN for selling a pair of concert tickets at face value ($240 total) that I couldn't use due to a work conflict. Like many others here, those emails with urgent language made me feel like I was required to comply immediately, but something felt off about sending such sensitive information via email for a straightforward personal transaction with zero profit involved. Reading everyone's real experiences - especially seeing how consistently these refunds get processed automatically across different platforms - gives me so much confidence to wait it out rather than cave to their pressure tactics. The tax professional's explanation about the $600 threshold and profit requirements really clarified that my situation doesn't even come close to triggering any IRS reporting obligations. It's eye-opening to see how widespread this issue is and how these platforms use the same intimidation strategies regardless of whether your specific transaction actually requires any additional reporting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that helps people make informed decisions about protecting their personal information while still following legitimate tax requirements!