Google AdSense: Submit updated tax information

IRS taxes adsense payments

[Frost_Angel]

I got a notice from Google adsense today:

Based on data provided by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it appears that you might have entered incorrect tax information for your account. As a result, we've placed your future payments on hold and kindly ask that you resubmit your tax information.

Reason(s):
•Your Tax Identity Number (TIN) and Name combination entered in the tax form does not match IRS records.

Nothing has changed. Not my name, my address, my EIN - nothing. I went in and checked everything and it all appears correct. So I'm not sure what this is about.

Has anyone else gotten this notice recently?

Thanks in advance.

[ember]

I just got the same message. Nothing has changed in my account, either. Same tax information and number for the last 10 years.

Weird this happening now with all the IRS, Google and NSA news lately.

[Frost_Angel]

It is somewhat scary. I have always used my NAME and my EIN. I'm wondering if they are wanting me to change to my SS# and not use my EIN? But I've been a corporation for 10+ years and no issues. So I dunno?
I re-checked the info, clicked submit and the hold alert went away - of course - that doesn't mean the holds been lifted I suspect.

[ember]

I'm a corporation, too, and use my FEIN. I resubmitted the W-9, and the alert disappeared. I know everything is kosher with the IRS, so I don't know what it would be. Just hope it is resolved.

[Frost_Angel]

I'm right there with you. Maybe it's just some kind of random check - and there is no real reason why a specific account is put in cue for a check.

I

[netmeg]

I dunno; I have an EIN and I didn't get a notice (so far). The account is under the name of Netmeg, Inc. though, and not my own name.

[Chris13]

It is somewhat scary. I have always used my NAME and my EIN. I'm wondering if they are wanting me to change to my SS# and not use my EIN? But I've been a corporation for 10+ years and no issues. So I dunno?

This is just my personal advice. I haven't had this happen to me.

Make sure your corporate name and EIN with google matches what the IRS has, and make sure your bank account is a corporate account with the correct EIN and corporate name.

If everything is correct from google to IRS to your bank account, then you might need to call the IRS. I'd also complain with your congressman. Don't complain to your congressman unless you know for sure that everything matches up.

[ember]

In my case, everything matches and always has.

[Frost_Angel]

@Netmeg

Right now I have my personal name and my EIN. Maybe this is the hiccup - but this is the way it's been for 10+ years. I've never used my corporate name on my adsense payment info.

I don't know how to check what the IRS has? If I look at this year's corporate tax return though It does have my corporate name - so would the general advice be to change my name to my corporate name?

[bzpilot]

Received same alert today. Resubmitted same info that has been working for 18+ months, alert went away (for now). Will update on anything further.

[Frost_Angel]

Seems like it might just be a random yearly audit on Google's part. But we'll just have to see what happens now that we've all checked and re-submitted our info.

[wilduck]

Is it costly to setup a corporation? can anyone suggest a service to setup a corp. and apply for EIN? Thanks.

[ember]

I don't know if I can give a company name here, but google legal zoom, and the top company is the one I used. It was about $150 but that was 10 years ago. I went with an S Corp, which saves on payroll taxes since only part of your income is counted as salary. Applying for an EIN is done via an IRS form. I don't think that there is a charge. You can do it on your own, or the company you use can do it (I think).

[Frost_Angel]

I already have an EIN and an S Corp - I'm just wondering what Google wants - my name or my corporation name. Is there a way to find out what the IRS has on it's records?

[ember]

Is there a way to find out what the IRS has on it's records?

You probably have to call them.

[LifeinAsia]

Is there a way to find out what the IRS has on it's records?

Look at your tax return.

[netmeg]

You could also contact support and ask why you got this notice out of the blue after it's worked fine for so many years. It's not completely unheard of that the email went out by mistake. Yesterday I got eleven or twelve invitations from Google to join Google Engage (an AdWords program for agencies) and I've been IN that program for months and months.

[bzpilot]

I re-submitted the same tax info the day I received the notice (June 12). Today my bank shows incoming payment processing from Google right on time like always.

May have been a glitch in the system that sent out the notices. If anything changes I'll update again.

[MisterWizard]

I work in payment processing and this sounds a lot like the IRS Taxpayer Identification Number "TIN Validation" program, which started getting enforced this year. Basically, the IRS wants to make sure that your business entity name and employer ID number (or social security number) match up between what they originally sent you on form cp575 when they originally created your EIN.

Here's the kicker: if any of the information is off, even a little bit, it triggers an alert. In the credit card processing field, a mismatch is causing business owners to see 28% of their receipts withheld until the mismatch is fixed. An example of a mismatch is if the IRS sees an ampersand (&) on your business registration and your bank shows the word "and" on its records for the name of your company. You may have also left off "LLC" or "Corporation" from the name they have on file, or may have used the abbreviation "Corp" when the full word is on the CP575 Form. The 2013 tax year is when implementation of penalties started for people who have credit card machines, and the IRS is compelling the banks and processing companies to enforce the withholding.

I am guessing that Google has to do the same thing for Adsense customers, given the high sum of money distributed throughout all of Adsense. If you originally submitted a W9 form with data that doesn't match up (or if someone transcribed it incorrectly on the other end) then this could trigger a notice. If you got an EIN number, and lost the form CP575 which shows what the IRS has listed, you can request for them to fax you (but not anyone else) form 147c to get the same information. When you re-file your W9 form, you want to be sure everything matches up precisely, or else the automated programs that match up this data will still flag your company.

[ember]

Thanks very much, MisterWizard, for that information. That was a great first post! I also re-submitted my W-9 info and was paid today, so I guess everything is now matching.