Amazon Associates Tax Interview

 

How do I complete the Tax Interview?

Why do I have to take the online tax interview?

 Amazon requires all Associates to provide valid taxpayer identification information. The new tax interview automatically validates your information against IRS records. The tax interview must be completed and validated with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) before you can receive payment of commissions earned as an Affiliate Marketer through Amazon Associates.

To update your tax information:

1. Log in to Amazon Associates https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
2. Hover over your email address at the top of the page
3. Click on Account Settings
4. Click on View/Provide Tax Information to review or update specific tax information
5. Click “Take Interview”

Once the tax interview is complete, you can follow the status of your submission on your account page under "Payment Information."

Why do you require my tax information?

U.S. law requires Amazon.com to collect tax information from Associates who are U.S. citizens, U.S. residents, or U.S. corporations and certain non-U.S. individuals or entities that have taxable income in the U.S.

We're obligated to have this information on file in order to make payments. Please note that this information is encrypted and stored in a secure database.

What is a U.S. Tax Identification Number (EIN or SSN)?

A U.S. Tax Identification Number (TIN) is issued by the IRS and can be a Social Security Number (SSN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), or Employer Identification Number (EIN).

For U.S. persons, this is typically an SSN (generally for individuals) or EIN (generally for companies). For non-U.S. persons, this may be an ITIN (generally for individuals) or EIN (generally for companies).

For more information on tax identification numbers, please consult your tax advisor.

I’m having problems entering the tax id.

Here are some tips that usually help when entering your tax information:

1. Make sure the tax ID you are using is correct. Tax IDs are normally 9 digits and can be entered without dashes.
2. When entering in your tax information, be sure to select the correct organization type from the drop-down menu.

If you're an individual, your Tax ID Number is your Social Security number, and your Tax Name is your personal name. However, if you represent a non-individual, such as a corporation, partnership, or non-profit organization, the Tax ID Number is the organization's IRS employer identification number EIN, and the Tax Name is the name of the organization.

If you represent a sole proprietorship or a Single Member LLC, your Tax ID Number is either your Social Security number or the sole proprietorship's IRS employer identification number EIN.

After you've confirmed that the information is correct and if you are still having problems, please let us know. If you do contact us back, please provide the screenshots of the error message you’re seeing.

I am a non-US person, why do I have to provide my tax information?

The US Internal Revenue Service requires Amazon to withhold up to 30% from non-US associates earning referral commissions in the US unless the associate can provide a completed W-8BEN with a valid claim of treaty benefits.

To provide us with your tax information online:

1. Log in to Amazon Associates https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
2. Hover over your email address at the top of the page
3. Click on Account Settings.
4. Click on View/Provide Tax Information to review or update specific tax information
5. Click “Take Interview” 

We are a nonprofit organization, how do we complete the tax interview?

If you are a non-profit under Internal Revenue Code sections 501(c) or 501 (d), select “Other” as your federal tax classification and then select the first option “An organization exempt from tax under section 501 (a), any IRA, or a custodial account under section 403(b)(7) if the account satisfies the requirements of section 401(f)(2)” under the “Other type” drop-down.

Please refer to the code section that states under 501(a) “An organization described in subsection (c) or (d) shall be exempt from taxation…” Therefore, by saying you are exempt under (a), you are saying that you are exempt under either (c) or (d).

Why is my withholding at 30% when I have already completed the tax interview?

Possibility 1: If an appropriate treaty has not been claimed while taking the tax interview.

Possibility 2: If while taking the tax interview you indicated that you provide your services both inside and outside the United States. For this to apply, you have to be physically present inside the United States for part of the time you are doing business with the Amazon Associates program. If this is the case, we need to know the percentage of time you will be spending inside the United States conducting business with the Amazon Associates program.

Being a member of the Amazon Associates US program does not mean that you supply your services both inside and outside the United States. (i.e.) if you are an Associate in the UK, posting links to a US based site, does not constitute US sourced income.

If you believe you chose this selection in error, please retake the tax information interview.

Directions to retake the interview:

• Go to: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
• Log in to your account with your email address and password
• At the top right of the screen, click on “Account Settings”
• Click on “Change your Tax Information” in the “Payment and Tax Information” section

 

Why is my Tax information invalid?

We don't know exactly why your tax identity information came back as invalid, but here are some things to consider:

1. If you are completing the tax identity information as an individual, use the information that appears on your Social Security card.
2. If you are completing the information as a business, use the name that appears on the top line of the address on your CP575A notice from the IRS.
3. Misspelling your name, not including your middle initial or middle name, or entering an incorrect Tax Identification Number may cause validation of your form to fail.
4. Your tax name may be different from the name you use to conduct business or receive payments.

My tax information is still Pending, is something wrong? (TaxInfoOnFile status)

Your tax information could still be under review if you recently applied for your U.S. tax identification number (TIN) and that it has not yet been updated in the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) system.

Validation process can take up to eight weeks from the time Amazon receives your information, either electronically or in the mail, this is because you have mentioned, "I have received my EIN/SSN within 60 Days."

Our system will continue to attempt to validate your TIN for 60 days from the date on which you completed your tax information interview.

Once your tax information reflects in the IRS database, your validation completes.

When will I receive a 1099 form?

We'll issue a 1099 form by January 29 to any Amazon Associate who received payments of $600 or more or received payments where taxes were withheld in the previous calendar year unless you are an exempt entity. Generally, payments to a corporation including a limited liability company LLC that is treated as a C- or S-Corporation do not receive a 1099.

I am a Non US person, will I get a Tax Form?

The IRS requires Amazon, to issue an information statement called the 1042-S form to Non US payees. Specifically, an IRS Form 1042-S is generally provided to non-U.S. payees that received U.S. sourced income during the calendar year. 

The Form 1042-S will be issued by March 15th of the year following payment.

What is a 1042-S tax form?

Form 1042-S is an information statement that the U.S. taxing authority (called the “Internal Revenue Service”, or “IRS”) requires Amazon to send to certain payees. 

Specifically, an IRS Form 1042-S is generally provided to non-U.S. payees that received U.S. sourced income during the calendar year. 

The form shows payments made and taxes withheld, if any. The amount in Box 2 represents U.S. source payments received in USD. The amount in Box 7 represents any associated U.S. tax withholding deducted from these payments, also in USD.

Please consult a tax advisor or www.irs.gov if you have questions about how to use this information, including whether you can apply with the IRS for a refund, or whether your domestic taxing authority might provide a deduction or credit for withholding taxes.

Please note that Amazon cannot provide tax advice to you, including what you should do with IRS Form 1042-S once received.

 How do I access my form on line?

To access a digital copy of your form, please follow these steps: 

1. Log in to Amazon Associates https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
2. Hover over your email address displayed in the top right corner, and select Account Settings.
3. Scroll down to Payment and Tax Information.
4. Click on Find Forms, at the bottom of the page.
5. Download the applicable forms.

Do I have a tax liability?

We cannot determine if you have a U.S. tax liability. If you have any questions regarding your tax liability, we recommend that you contact a tax professional.