Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 26, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Last year I sold an image to a French publishing company and only a few months ago received word that they had indeed used the image and already published in in a textbook, but I have not received payment yet.
Now in order to receive payment for the image, I have been sent forms to fill out regarding their laws and taxes both their's and ours. Since these forms are a bit confusing to me, I wonder if anyone else has gone through this and can lend some advice?
Any help would be much appreciated!!
Posted by Rod Barbee on January 26, 2007 at 6:07 PM
Toni,
I have had this experience when dealing in France and it can be confusing. The editor I was dealing with was very helpful and the issues were cleared up by email. Usually the purchasers have experience with the paper work and are willing to help.
Sorry I can't help more.
Posted by Mark Meyer on January 28, 2007 at 2:03 AM
Toni,
I've been through this. In fact my wife and I jokingly referred to the paperwork they sent as 'The Treaty of Versailles' due to its voluminous and rather confusing nature. I even had to get it notarized by my bank to prove that I am an American and not someone from France trying to escape a few bucks worth of tax. It was for a fair amount so it was worth the trouble, and in hindsight it wasn't so bad. As far as advice, I don't know...I just started at the top and stopped when I got to the last page. A few weeks later I had a check. Who ever thought you'd need experience in the world of international finance just to sell some photos.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 31, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Thanks very much for the advice! French forms are filled out, but I'm starting to think that was the easy part!!
For any one else who might end up in a similar situation....this is what I have found out so far:
Regarding the tax related problem....one cannot simply go to their local tax office for the required IRS certification now. Rules changed in November of 2006. Now why couldn't this have happened before then??
IRS form 8802 has to be filled out in order to request Form 6166, which is the actual required certification for residency. The IRS charges a minimum fee of $35 for 1-20 copies, which are only good for the year requested. Besides that, you also need to allow a minimum of 6 weeks before the IRS sends you the certification.
Would I do this again if given the chance? I honestly don't know. Ask me again when this is all behind me!
Discussion
7 repliesNow in order to receive payment for the image, I have been sent forms to fill out regarding their laws and taxes both their's and ours. Since these forms are a bit confusing to me, I wonder if anyone else has gone through this and can lend some advice?
Any help would be much appreciated!!
I have had this experience when dealing in France and it can be confusing. The editor I was dealing with was very helpful and the issues were cleared up by email. Usually the purchasers have experience with the paper work and are willing to help.
Sorry I can't help more.
I've been through this. In fact my wife and I jokingly referred to the paperwork they sent as 'The Treaty of Versailles' due to its voluminous and rather confusing nature. I even had to get it notarized by my bank to prove that I am an American and not someone from France trying to escape a few bucks worth of tax. It was for a fair amount so it was worth the trouble, and in hindsight it wasn't so bad. As far as advice, I don't know...I just started at the top and stopped when I got to the last page. A few weeks later I had a check. Who ever thought you'd need experience in the world of international finance just to sell some photos.
For any one else who might end up in a similar situation....this is what I have found out so far:
Regarding the tax related problem....one cannot simply go to their local tax office for the required IRS certification now. Rules changed in November of 2006. Now why couldn't this have happened before then??
IRS form 8802 has to be filled out in order to request Form 6166, which is the actual required certification for residency. The IRS charges a minimum fee of $35 for 1-20 copies, which are only good for the year requested. Besides that, you also need to allow a minimum of 6 weeks before the IRS sends you the certification.
Would I do this again if given the chance? I honestly don't know. Ask me again when this is all behind me!
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." --Albert Einstein
Amen to that, Guy!!!!