How to navigate the TikTok US TIN verification requirement for Creator Fund

The TikTok Creator Fund requires a Tax Identification Number because it's considered taxable income by the IRS. For minors, there are a few legitimate approaches: A minor can use their own Social Security Number as their TIN for the verification process. Even though they're under 18, they can still file taxes with their SSN if they're earning income. If they don't have income above the filing threshold, parents can still include this income on their tax return. Alternatively, a parent can create a sole proprietorship and obtain an EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS, which can be used for the TIN verification. This would mean the parent is technically the business owner receiving the funds. Setting up an LLC (in Montana or elsewhere) is honestly overkill for most Creator Fund participants and creates unnecessary complications and costs. It's also problematic if the intention is to obscure the true earner of the income.

I went through something similar with my TikTok verification for the Creator Fund last year, and I found a solution through taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). I was completely confused about the whole TIN verification process and what it meant for my taxes as a content creator. Their AI tool analyzed my situation and explained exactly what I needed to do for the TikTok TIN verification. They walked me through using my SSN properly for the verification process and then helped me understand how to report that income correctly on my taxes. It was way better than the generic advice I was finding online that didn't address the specific TikTok requirements.

I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since my nephew was facing the exact same TikTok TIN verification issue. The platform actually had specific guidance for social media creator programs, including TikTok's specific requirements. The tool explained that for minors, there are proper ways to handle the TIN verification that are completely legitimate. It clarified when a minor should use their own SSN versus when parent involvement makes more sense. The step-by-step guidance made the whole process straightforward, and my nephew's verification went through without any issues. Just wanted to come back and share that it actually worked really well for this specific TikTok tax situation.

After trying to help my son with this TikTok TIN verification nightmare for weeks, I was about to give up until I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I initially tried calling the IRS myself to get clarification on how a minor should handle the TikTok Creator Fund verification, but I couldn't get through after multiple attempts. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes (you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). The agent was able to confirm exactly what we needed to do for the TikTok verification and explained the proper tax treatment for a minor receiving Creator Fund payments.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still struggling with my daughter's TikTok TIN verification, so I decided to try it out of desperation. I was shocked when I got a call back in about 35 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent clarified that my daughter could use her SSN for the TikTok verification and explained how we should handle reporting the income based on how much she expects to earn. This was exactly the information we needed to complete the TikTok verification process. Not only did we get the TikTok issue resolved, but the IRS agent also gave us some helpful advice about self-employment tax considerations for social media income that I hadn't even thought about. Definitely worth it for the time saved and stress avoided.

Just wanted to share what actually worked for my situation with TikTok's TIN verification. My 16-year-old used her own SSN for the verification, and it went through without any issues. For taxes, we talked to our accountant who said that since she'll earn less than $12,950 this year, she'll file her own simple return reporting the TikTok income, but we can still claim her as a dependent on our taxes. If she were earning more, we'd need to consider quarterly estimated tax payments too. The Montana LLC thing is unnecessary and actually could create more headaches. Better to do it properly from the start rather than creating potential tax issues down the road!

Has anyone successfully used their ITIN instead of an SSN for the TikTok verification? I'm not a US citizen but live here on a visa, and I'm stuck on the verification page.

As someone who works in tax preparation, I want to emphasize that using your SSN for TikTok's Creator Fund verification is completely legitimate for minors. The key thing to understand is that a TIN (Tax Identification Number) is just the umbrella term that includes SSNs, ITINs, and EINs. For your 17-year-old brother, he should use his SSN as his TIN. When he starts earning from the Creator Fund, he'll need to track that income and report it on his tax return if it exceeds the filing threshold. Even if it doesn't, it's good practice to file anyway since TikTok will likely send him a 1099 form. One important consideration: if he expects to earn over $400 from TikTok this year, he'll owe self-employment tax on that income, which means he should consider making quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. This is something many young creators don't realize until tax time. The Montana LLC idea is definitely unnecessary and creates more complexity than it solves. Keep it simple and legitimate with his SSN!