Employer Identification Number

Employer Identification Number - Is this REQUIRED?

Hello All,

I'm looking for a bit of advice from the seasoned shoppers on this forum.

I've completed numerous shopper applications where the choice was always given between either entering an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or a Social Security Number and as such I've also entered the latter. However, recently I've run across a MSC that requires that a EIN be entered and further states that the before mentioned is required for tax filing purposes. Are Mystery Shoppers required to have a EIN and establish themselves as a business?

Thanks in advance to any and all who can shed a bit of light on my question. : )

ProMysteryShopper66 * MSPA Silver Certified & Reaching For GOLD!

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More About Mystery Shopping Taxes

An EIN is not required to be a mystery shopper. Many of us work only with our SS# and this meets IRS requirements. TrendSource requires an EIN.

Please save yourself and all of us by doing a search here on "EIN" and "all dates." There are dozens of posts on this very subject. I am sure that you will find what you are looking for.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Just for your edification, the EIN requirement is some type of misguided attempt to establish that we are in fact independent contractors. The fear is some MSCs would not pass the test for IC versus employee and they would then be required to pay minimum wage, etc. So far only two MSCs have attempted this sham. What makes it funny, it is only those that pay the least, have the most financial penalties and the most requirements who seem to be in fear of the government cracking down

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Agree, for the most part with Lisa. If you want to work for TS ya gotta get the EIN, which I did and was painless. I am wondering if they do this b/c of the biz audits.
I only did it b/c I wanted to do their well paying Medicare shops (no client mentioned) and some biz audits. I do not do the pizza and $7 food, etc. shops. It has worked out for me. And PLEASE did not mean to start another involved discussion re EIN.

We'll blame it on the OP this time

I choose to "not" do the EIN...if a shop requires it, I don't shop for them.

nanabelle Wrote:
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> I choose to "not" do the EIN...if a shop requires
> it, I don't shop for them.

I think that I am going to follow your lead - thanks for your input!

As fellow shopper "AustinMom" was kind enough to point out that a EIN is not required for Mystery Shoppers then I'll just shop for the loads of other MSC's that do not have this requirement.

ProMysteryShopper66 * MSPA Silver Certified & Reaching For GOLD!

I opted to get an EIN because I didn't want to give out my SSN anymore. I could also get a business account that way. More shops are available to those who own businesses. I haven't actually partaken yet, but I can

Jamie
Editor and shopper

Here we go again!

I recently signed up with an MSC,not realizing that it was the very one everyone was talking about on this board. They required that I give them an EIN. Once I could not get them to budge, I told them that I could no longer perform the shop, and to give it to the backup person. They sent me a PO email saying they are taking me off the system. But thanks to everyone's advice on here I may have saved myself from a lot of grief come tax time.

Their loss, sethd85. Not yours. =D

sethd85 Wrote:
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>They required that I give them an EIN. I
> told them that I could no longer perform the shop...
>I may have saved myself from a lot of grief come tax
> time.

Why might you have saved yourself a lot of grief at income tax time?

Jamie
Editor and shopper

I've done a couple shops for TS in the past week. I don't have an EIN, but they let me do the shops. Has this happened to anyone else? Does it mean I won't get paid?

You got approved to do the shops. so you will be paid. The EIN has allowed me to self-assign, and I get a few of their
upscale grocery stores where I got none before. ....over and out

Live consciously....

Thanks, Irene. That's what I figured, but wanted to check.

Most companies require a social security number and a few an EIN number, or a choice between the two. More companies are requiring you to fill out a W-9. On the W-9 you have the option of entering a SS# or a EIN#.
Despite what some people may think, as a shopper you are in business for yourself. We require a w-9 to be on file for all shoppers, period (Our clients require us to have a W-9 on file). If we ever get audited we want a record on who we compensate. We can show the IRS who we compensate, their address and SS# (or EIN). And yes, they can follow up to see if you reported the income on your return. It is a part of doing business. Remember, even if you make $10 from any one company you must report that as income.
Personally with all the ID theft going on I would prefer to give out my EIN number rather than my SS#.

I'm leaning towards to getting and using an EIN for the same reason. I feel like my SS# is flying around everywhere in cyberspace what with all of the companies I am signed up with.

If we get an EIN now, would you go back to the MSCs and change from your SSN to the new EIN?

God Bless
NW VA, Silver Cert newbie

I think I might do this. Perhaps I'll leave it for a cold winter night, though since it's sure to be time consuming.

dcrector Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We require a
> w-9 to be on file for all shoppers, period (Our
> clients require us to have a W-9 on file). If we
> ever get audited we want a record on who we
> compensate. We can show the IRS who we
> compensate, their address and SS# (or EIN).

Who is "we"?

Jamie
Editor and shopper

Bay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think I might do this. Perhaps I'll leave it for
> a cold winter night, though since it's sure to be
> time consuming.

It wasn't time consuming for me.

Jamie
Editor and shopper

richardocr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If we get an EIN now, would you go back to the
> MSCs and change from your SSN to the new EIN?

No, if YOU get an EIN, I won't change MY info

I did, indeed, change my SSN to my EIN for the companies I could think of that I was signed up with.

Jamie
Editor and shopper

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Employer Identification Number - Is this REQUIRED?

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