Trendsource- EIN ?

So I just signed with Trendsource & they are asking for an EIN. Can I give my Social Security # instead? I don't want to get an EIN. I'm in California.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2015 06:07PM by Raffles.

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It's my understanding that you have to get the EIN if you want to receive jobs from them.

Getting an EIN is free. And fast. You can get it on the IRS.gov website. It costs nothing. It does not complicate your tax return, simply gives you something to put in another box on Schedule C. I doubt that it will take you 10 minutes. No fuss. No muss. Here is a link to the proper page at the IRS site: [www.irs.gov]

I think that Trendsouce backed off on the requirement, but getting an EIN provides you with further "proof" for the IRS that you are indeed running a business.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

Please check with your local government. In my area an EIN for a business (as opposed to handling an Estate) alerts local government who then wants a business license, business inspections, tangible tax returns for the business and a sales tax number with quarterly reporting.

An EIN does not trigger all that. Especially a Sales Tax number which must be applied for and justified. A state and other municipality has absolutely no idea where your business is to operate. Getting the number is like having a reference number for any business you operate. As an individual, not as a corporation or partnership, it stays with you. The business name may change but the number stays the same. Incorporating has a way of triggering responses, not simply getting a Federal tax ID number. The same number is required if you have a household employee. Do not sweat it. It gives a layer of confidentiality to your Social Security number.,

It SHOULD NOT, but in my area, with a previous home based business it DID for us and once that Pandora's Box is opened it is really, really hard to get shut. Obviously my area is the exception rather than the norm since obviously many people can get the EIN without repercussions. And I live in an area where the zoning would allow a home based business such as the type we were contemplating. Many areas that are residentially zoned don't allow a home based business if they know about it.

It is more than a little aggravating when someone shares their personal experience and another poster comes along to say it is impossible. As Flash stated, her area may not be the norm, but it was recommended by someone in my local government that I avoid it because of all the potential expenses which they deemed unnecessary. In my case it would have been at least one and possibly two business licenses, home office taxes and business property taxes on all of my equipment and even my desk and file cabinet. All of the taxes are because I live in a small city which is part of a larger county. I chose to address the issue with the first layer of government, my city. After finding what my business entailed, that I do not meet customers at my home or sell a retail product and my business would not violate any local zoning laws they made their recommendation and I took it. Should everyone else make the same choice because I did? Of course not. Anyone and everyone who is starting a business should treat it as such and ask the questions of their own local governments.

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.

I never got one because of what Flash stated - I didn't know what more comes with one. Call me uniformed or misinformed. Either way, without an EIN, I simply request the shop I want and then get them 90% of the time. You do not have to get one for Trendsource, but the self schedule feature is revoked if you choose not to.

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

I guess I am glad to be living in Pennsylvania. I also know that an EIN doesn't cause a problem in Delaware.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I don't know that it goes by state myst4au. LisaSTL found it through her city and I found it through my county. I suspect it comes down to how your area wants to fund government at whatever level it happens to be. My state has no state or local income tax. Our sales tax is not outrageous and our property taxes are lower than any other place I have lived as an adult. Funding government is always an issue because government wants to grow faster than their income grows.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2015 03:38PM by Flash.

I signed up with this MSC using my social security number.

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When? I was told if I didn't have an EIN I wouldn't be paid. I had to cancel my assignment.

I'm trying to determine if, in NJ, registering an EIN becomes more trouble than it's worth. Does anyone have any feedback one way or the other?

@ShopSouthTexas wrote:

I never got one because of what Flash stated - I didn't know what more comes with one. Call me uniformed or misinformed. Either way, without an EIN, I simply request the shop I want and then get them 90% of the time. You do not have to get one for Trendsource, but the self schedule feature is revoked if you choose not to.

I was able to do one shop for Trendsource, but was told that I would not get paid until I provided them with an EIN. I also was no longer to see available jobs in order to request them. Did you request the jobs from the notification emails, and still get paid anyway?

This goes back to a situation created by Maritz and Trendsource. They threatened to drop us unless we obtained an EIN. When it started costing them money, both backed off. Maritz backed off completely and Trendsource dropped our preferred shopper status. Check out your situation completely before applying for one. If you are drawing any SSN or if your local area taxes small businesses for obtaining one, Think Twice!

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

I go through the app and request them. I still get the PAD emails on weekends and urgent emails and assure you I do get paid, by direct deposit. Perhaps I was grandfathered in because I did sign up with them before the EIN situation... Not getting paid would be a true bummer.

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

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