Tax on shares

onlyonpaper

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I have recently received the W-8BEN form relating to withholding tax on U.S. company shares which I own. I have received these at regular intervals for many years. However this one is requesting D.O.B. and Foreign Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). This appears to be a new requirement as I was never asked for it previously. I was wondering if others on this forum have completed this new format. I am tax compliant but I am nervous of what appears to be harvesting of information
 
I have done these for company and as personal submissions. They are very straight forward forms that I view as a box ticking exercise. What are you concerned about?
 
I noticed this recently. When completing the w8ben form electronically it wouldn’t accept a blank entry for TIN. I ended up using my PPS number but didn’t like doing that. Is it a new requirement that TIN is mandatory?
 
As far as I know the TIN is your PPS number. I have shares from a US company and was asked to provide this a long time ago.
 
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Almost all developed countries now share tax data using national tax identification numbers (TIN) - in Ireland this is your PPS number
 
Yes I had to do the same already 3 years ago. The TIN is your PPS number. I had to renew the W-8BEN forms this year and was still there. I'm also tax compliant however a friend of mine who works in the financial sector told me clearly that the U.S. adhere to their own scheme called FATCA which provides for tax information exchange with hundreds of countries but it's a one way scheme in favour of the U.S. only. In reality the U.S. while ask and require full info on accounts held by U.S. citizens abroad , they are exchanging no or very little information with third party countries on foreign nationals having accounts in the U.S.. He told me that the U.S. at the moment is one of the main worldwide tax haven for non U.S. national / companies.

Seamus
 
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