Lucillle Hotshot

I agree with you, they have no idea. To sum up, after coming back and forth lots of times with the LL this is what I got: IRS requires LL to provide information about certain users. To whom? Those who cashed out over 20.000 USD or did over 200 transactions in LindeX. last year, Why, if I don't meet any of the above mentioned criterions, I was requested to provide an ID with pic, W8BEN form etc? THEY CAN'T TELL (AKA, they don´t know). If I am to provide such sensitive data I would like to know at the very least why I am being asked to do so. LL have failed every single time I asked them to answer me that. First with copy/pasted answers and then by simply telling me what I was asking was "beyond their scope and cannot disclose internal procedures". My impression? They rushed so much with this they don't even know what they are asking for or why. They have serious problems not only communicating to its customers, but internal communication faces severe issues as well. I hope they send my righfully earned money for a final time and then I'll be done with SL and moving on to some other place were things are handled in a more professional way. Thank you all for your help.

Hi all, Tired of getting the same "automatic" response on my tickets (I seriously believed I was talking with some sort of robot) I finally got the following response from LL: Linden Lab is requesting the information on the advice of our Legal and Finance teams, and must communicate certain information to meet legal requirements. However, we do not disclose all of our internal processes, and therefore the blog posts and wiki pages contain the information that has been publicly disclosed. You're asking questions that go beyond that scope, and at this time we are not permitted to say more on the topic. They confirmed me that I am not being asked to do this because I cashed over 20 K USD last year (which I wish I did but i am FAR from that number) nor because I did more than 200 transactions. One quick remark on that one, when they say 200 transactions they mean 200 times you sell lindens in LindeX (I think I did 10 in total). When I asked why, if I don`t meet any of the two criteria t I am asked to provide all this infromation and forms, they answered me that they were not allowed to tell me why and they can`t disclose their internal processes (???). Okay, I am requested to disclose pretty much everything about myself, but they can`t disclose a simple internal procedure? I want to highlight the good will of the people from the Support center. I do understand they do their best and must be probably answerting loads of tickets these days. However, I don`t think it is a decent way to treat someone who has been customer of SL for many years. I hoped to hear some some clear, transparent rules for everybody but unfortunately my questions were never satisfactorily answered. I am walking out of SL with a bittersweet feeling. Glad for the many years and great people I met there but at the same time sad and a bit annoyed about how LL handled this new policy, rushed and pushy and not providing enough information (or at least clear enough). Thank you all once more for your help! Have a great second and real life!

Hi Pierre, Thank you for your answer and please apologize my ignorance when it comes to foreign taxes related questions. I do appreciate your help and the link but still I do think LL or someone willing to help like you do might want to answer the other 3 questions as it looks like most of my questions remain unanswered still. Please read again my post, Message # 19. I invite you or whoever that might be able to enlight me and make this a little less complicated than it is Thank you all!

Thank you all for your replies. LL has not been able to tell me exactly which the threshold amount is. I read somewhere it is either 20 K USD during the previous year (which of course I do NOT earn) or 200 transactions. I think this is most absurd, as a person with 200 transactions of 1 dollar each would in a worse situation than a person making 19.999 USD in a lesser amount of transactions. Everything has been rushed and with little to none communication. I'm afraid I will have to leave SL as after all the comissions and the already depressed economy it will be just not worth spending a lot of hours to earn little money. I would appreciate if ANYONE could answer the following questions. The replies I get via ticket are vague and look like copypasted from a template sheet of FAQs. I don't blame them, they must be getting thousands of tickets so they sort of reply default preset answers with generic explanations. My doubts are: 1) Which is the threshold in USD? Does it apply to year 2013? 2) Is it true you are liable to pay taxes after you reach 200 transactions regardless the amount of each (very unfair, but read about that somewhere). 3) Which is the tax rate for non-US residents? Will it be aplied hereafter or during the total amount earned during the previous year? 4) If I already declare in my local country and pay taxes here, would I still need to pay (even if partially) taxes? 5) If I do not provide the ID w/picture and W8BEN form, my account will be cancelled. i have both dollars that are pending for approval and lindens in-world. Will they be cashed and sent to my Paypal account in a one final payment? Do I need to sell the in-world lindens as well or will they do it automaticall? At which rate? I do appreciate all your help. I do understand LL is obligued by the IRS to comply with this, but I consider they could have communicated this in a better way specially for those who have been working in SL for years (and therefore paying LL $$ in commisions). The replies via ticket are delayed , provide little information and over the phone they cannot answer any payment related issues. Thank you all for your assistance!!

I declare the income in my country annual income declaration. If I pay now in the US too I'd be paying both in the US and locally.

After a day I have finally heard back from LL (online chat is no longer available, they do not even have a hotline, so you depend on these time consuming tickets). I pay my taxes in my country. I shouldn't be paying them twice. I have been saving my money for a lot months. I just want to CANCEL the operation and to receive the lindens back in world to finally start enjoying my second life and spend them in mesh clothes and maybe rent land for a couple of months. But guess what? LL will NOT give me MY OWN money back unless I feel this form. I have NOT been warned before I started processing the credit about this BEFOREHAND. How hard is to add a popup? All I know is that I am being forced to fill a form to CANCEL the operation and receive MY OWN MONEY BACK. I am clearly being harrassed and forced to do something I was not told in advance. I think they are killing what little business SL had left. I have adopted every single measure over the last years (age verified, forced me to add payment information to use LindeX when they banned 3rd party services, etc). But this is too much, to have to complete a form to have MY OWN LINDENS BACK? I don`t want to cash them out of the game, I want to use and enjoy them IN WORLD? Is that crazy to want to use my own money, the same one I worked hard to get?! Are you people suffering from the same disrespect and lack of manners?

Hi all, I am in the very same situation. I am a non-US citizen and after the last time I tried cashing lindens out I got this email asking me to provide W8BEN form to start paying 30% for taxes and now my money is on hold. I am terribly annoyed and concerned I was not not notified BEFORE I cashed the lindens out the last time. I would have happily spent them in-world instead of paying for something I already declare on my local annual declaration of income in my country. I've read that W8BEN is only applied to those who make 20 K dollars a year (definitely NOT my case, I am WAY FAR from that amount) or those who had more than 200 transactions. That is just RIDICULOUS. Most of my transactions are for just a couple of dollars. So if I have 200 transactions of 1 dollar each I am in a worse situation than a person who earned 19.999 USD in a few transactions? I feel I was scammed by LL. I think I should have been notified BEFORE my money was held that I was going to be required to pay taxes (and such a great rate!!!!). i am creating tickets with no response so far and I've realized they removed the online chat for users with Payment Information on file. Not even a phone number. It is a VERY POOR customer support. I don`t own a big business. I struggle to make some money there spending a lot of hours a day working hard. I already pay a lot of commissions (LindeX, Paypal, the bank, etc). If I have to pay an additional 30% I will simply take my business elsewhere, I just can`t afford it. I understand LL reduced staff must be hectic these days, but I would certainly appreciate some sort of response from their side, even if it was just to make sure they acknolwedged my case and are working on it. Does anybody know for sure which is the amount over which they start asking to pay taxes and if the rate applies to future payments or if they will claim to pay over all what's been transferred? Thank you all for your help.

I would like to add a verified Paypal account linked to a bank account. However when adding it asks me to add a credit or debit card. Is it possible to use the verified paypal account only or is it mandatory to also provide a credit/debit card? I am not sure if this thread belongs here, please relocate it if needed. Thank you!

I would like to add a verified Paypal account linked to a bank account. However when adding it asks me to add a credit or debit card. Is it possible to use the verified paypal account only or is it mandatory to also provide a credit/debit card? Thank you!