Opening a new account without a ss number

[chariot_badges]

My next door neighbor was hanging in my garage the other day, watching me wrap and pack ... he asked me a question about eBay policies and I honestly didn't know.  So I came here because I just bet there's somebody here (probly more than one) that knows the answer.

He is a foreign national (French, but a good guy anyway).   Here legally.   He does not have a SS number and, for some reason, doesn't want one.  Wants to sell on eBay on an individual.  He has a few things that may have some value.  

I don't think that eBay will allow him to open an individual account with an EIN.  
I contacted chat assist and they said he'd need to do the W8 route.  

So, how does THAT work.  The W8 application gives you a temp ss number?  Do I file that with eBay, or IRS? or both?   

[luckythewinner]

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

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@bonjourami wrote:

"He is a foreign national (French, but a good guy anyway). "

What the heck does that mean? 

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😆🤣lol, the way OP worded it down the post, me thinks it's him.

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Also in the last line the OP said "I" and not "HE" ... 🤔

[lacemaker3]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

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@bonjourami wrote:

"He is a foreign national (French, but a good guy anyway). "

What the heck does that mean? 

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😆🤣lol, the way OP worded it down the post, me thinks it's him.

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Also in the last line the OP said "I" and not "HE" ... 🤔

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Just looking at the sales they have received feedback for this year, OP is well over the $600 threshold at which eBay requires a seller to provide their SSN or ITIN, though. This threshold  has not been changed even though the threshold for eBay to issue a 1099-K has been changed.

• For 2023, all sellers who reach the $600 threshold must provide a Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to access any blocked funds.

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/resources/changes-to-ebay-and-your-1099-k

[luckythewinner]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

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Just looking at the sales they have received feedback for this year, OP is well over the $600 threshold at which eBay requires a seller to provide their SSN or ITIN, though. This threshold  has not been changed even though the threshold for eBay to issue a 1099-K has been changed.

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A seller with two accounts that were not linked by a common SSN might think they could be able to sell twice the threshold without triggering a 1099-K.

[maxine*j]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

OP did not say that their friend had an EIN. It was mentioned in a hypothetical statement: "I don't think that eBay will allow him to open an individual account with an EIN"...  

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I read it the same way, as a hypothetical statement. 

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[maxine*j]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

With a few exceptions (students for example), a resident alien would have the right to work in the USA, but for tax reasons may prefer to be registered in their home country.

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At the risk of being nit-picky:

We do not know if OP's friend is a resident alien (e.g., a lawful permanent resident) or not. Perhaps he entered, and remains in, the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa, such as the student visa you mentioned.   

Many non-immigrant visa types do not allow work or they allow it with restrictions. Students on F-1 visas, for example, may work up to 20 hours per week on campus. (Under certain circumstances, they may be given authorization to work off-campus but, again, for no more than 20 hours per week). Students on J-1 visas must have permission from their sponsors (usually their governments), as well as authorities here, to work. Students on M-1 visas may not work at all. 

And so on, through each visa type -- some allow unlimited work, some allow limited work, some allow no work at all.

As an aside, many people enter the U.S. legally but overstay their visas, or violate the terms of their visas, and are no longer lawfully present. 

As another aside, I have had such folks argue passionately that they are not "illegal aliens," aka "undocumented immigrants."  That's like arguing that since I invited you into my house to play cards one afternoon, you now have the right to move into my place and live here forever.

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[clown_car_driver]

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to respond to my quite incomplete question.  I really didn't want to get into a lot of detail because ... well ... zzzzzzzz.   

He checked with his atty and was advised, "Yea, not worth it. Don't."

He ended up opening an account under his daughters name and numbers.  He really doesn't have that much to sell.  I'll help him with advice on what little I know.

-  I never considered 'making it my problem', I don't know where that came from in my one and only post, I just asked for advice. 
-  What did I mean by "He's French but a nice guy anyway?"   What did I mean?   Pfft .. he's French, what do you mean, what did I mean?

Anyway, thanks to all for your input.
Have a Very Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukah!!

[maxine*j]

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@clown_car_driver wrote:

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to respond to my quite incomplete question...  He checked with his atty and was advised, "Yea, not worth it. Don't."...

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Thank you for letting us know the outcome.  I am very glad that he has a lawyer, because no one here can do more than offer general comments on immigration law, which can get terribly complex very quickly.

Merry Christmas to you.  And to your friend, Joyeux Noël.

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[soh.maryl]

When you, in your original post, said, "Do I file with eBay? The IRS? Or both?

that kind of sounded like you planned to make it your problem by asking if YOU could file.  

[bonjourami]

"-  What did I mean by "He's French but a nice guy anyway?"   What did I mean?   Pfft .. he's French, what do you mean, what did I mean?"

No big deal just sounds like you meant in spite of being French, hes a nice guy anyway.

[mam98031]

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@deltilogical wrote:

Why doesn't he do what all the other noncitizens do - find someone else's SSN to use - every town has a bum district now that sells this stuff -  or get one off the dark web.    

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That is such a myopic view and absolutely idiotic.  You are listening to the wrong news reports or people or both.  Do your own research @deltilogical and find the actual truth so you can be informed instead of spouting things that are not.

There is all kinds of info on the internet.  I encourage you to do your own research.

[mam98031]

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@maxine*j wrote:

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@clown_car_driver wrote:

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to respond to my quite incomplete question...  He checked with his atty and was advised, "Yea, not worth it. Don't."...

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Thank you for letting us know the outcome.  I am very glad that he has a lawyer, because no one here can do more than offer general comments on immigration law, which can get terribly complex very quickly.

Merry Christmas to you.  And to your friend, Joyeux Noël.

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They aren't the OP unless they are posting with another ID on their own thread?!?!?  

@maxine*j 

[lacemaker3]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@maxine*j wrote:

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@clown_car_driver wrote:

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to respond to my quite incomplete question...  He checked with his atty and was advised, "Yea, not worth it. Don't."...

---

Thank you for letting us know the outcome.  I am very glad that he has a lawyer, because no one here can do more than offer general comments on immigration law, which can get terribly complex very quickly.

Merry Christmas to you.  And to your friend, Joyeux Noël.

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They aren't the OP unless they are posting with another ID on their own thread?!?!?  

@maxine*j 

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I thought it was pretty obvious that OP was posting with a different ID.

[ebeths_eclectic_collectibles]

It seems like the easiest solution would be for the person in question to contact eBay and inquire if there is a route for them to register and sell in ebay

[maxine*j]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@maxine*j wrote:

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@clown_car_driver wrote:

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to respond to my quite incomplete question...  He checked with his atty and was advised, "Yea, not worth it. Don't."...

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Thank you for letting us know the outcome.  I am very glad that he has a lawyer, because no one here can do more than offer general comments on immigration law, which can get terribly complex very quickly.

Merry Christmas to you.  And to your friend, Joyeux Noël.

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They aren't the OP unless they are posting with another ID on their own thread?!?!?  

@maxine*j 

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@mam98031 

Who else would it be except the OP?  Nothing unusual.  People have more than one ID and are in ID-X when they start threads and forget they are in ID-Z later when they later reply.   

I mean, I know that to use two IDs deliberately to try to manipulate the "conversation" is wrong, even a violation of board policy, I think -- but it frequently happens inadvertently, as it obviously did here.

[maxine*j]

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@ebeths_eclectic_collectibles wrote:

It seems like the easiest solution would be for the person in question to contact eBay and inquire if there is a route for them to register and sell in ebay

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Per the original post, that was done:  "... I contacted chat assist and they said he'd need to do the W8 route..." the OP said.

The advice given was useless, which is not surprising, as  eBay CSRs and chat-bots cannot be programmed to handle questions of immigration / visa law.

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