AdSense asking for Employer Tax Number

I'm not an employer!

[Lorel]

Hi,

I signed up with AdSense this morn with my business name instead of personal and was approved and went to fill out the form and it asked for my Tax ID number so I put in my Unifide Business ID number but then I got a message saying it needs my Employer Tax ID number which starts like xx-****x instead of xxx-xxx...etc. I'm not am employer so I couldn't put that in. I put in my SS number and got the same message--needing a number like xx-xxxx..etc.

I wrote adSense support but got no reply yet. Does anyone know how to work around this?

Lorel

[loanuniverse]

Are you in the US?

How is your business organized? If you are organized as anything other than a sole proprietorship you will need an FEI.

You can get an FEI for business from the IRS by filing an SS-4 form. You can even do it online.

It gets kind of complicated so the most information the better.

[Lorel]

>Are you in the US?

yes

>How is your business organized? If you are organized as anything other than a sole proprietorship you will need an FEI.

Sole proprietor.

What I need to know is why does Google require an Employer ID number from those businesses who don't have employees? I don't intend to either--went that route once and the paperwork isn't work the effort.

Lorel

[loanuniverse]

In tab titled "Tax Information", under "Select appropriate choice:" are you checking Individual/Sole proprietor?

If you are then you should be ok with the SS# as it says SS# or EIN.

If you are not ok there might be a bug, but it is mighty rare that nobody has reported this yet here.

[novice]

edit/ sorry just reread post and seen that you just signed up.

Google must have a new policy that requires business accounts to have a EIN.

[edited by: novice at 2:17 am (utc) on July 3, 2004]

[bnhall]

They need a tax id number for SOMEONE - either as an individual (Social Security Number) or a Business, be it sole proprietorship, LLC, S Corporation, or whatever, (EIN). Yes the E in EIN stands for employer, but think of it in the same way as the 2nd S in SSN stands for Security :-)

[BennyBlanco]

bnhall has it. Every company, whether they have employees or not, has an EIN number. It is the tax identification number that the IRS assigned you. You can find it on your Tax Form 2553

[Lorel]

>bnhall has it. Every company, whether they have employees or not, has an EIN number. It is the tax identification number that the IRS assigned you. You can find it on your Tax Form 2553

I always use my SS# when figuring my taxes. I have not used a Tax Form 2553 BECAUSE I don't have employees.

Lorel

[novice]

Lorel,

I am also self employed with no employes. I filed form ss-4, here is a link to the IRS site about ss-4 [216.239.39.104...]

Scroll down to page 2 and you will see that it states to fill out this form if you do not or ever plan on having employees.

You may want to check with your tax advisor before you file any IRS forms.

[Porkchop]

The best thing to do is get the EIN and set up a bank account with a dba name if you hadn't already done so. Best benefit...if you ever get audited they will look at your dba/EIN and it will be kept separate from your personal bank accounts etc.

You can get an EIN. I am in the same situation as you. No employees and don't plan on any. It is simple to do online. On the form under section 8 check sole proprietor and put your ss#, under section 9 it ask reason for applying check OTHER and state "identity fraud risk"
That was my reason for applying. I did not want to give everybody and his dog my social security number.

At tax time, have a cpa figure your taxes. They will probably file a 1040, schedule c(profit or loss from business) *your EIN will be on this form and an itemized deductions form depending on your situation.

Don't worry and good luck!