Etsy requesting Social Insursnce Number

[tessiesdelight]

Can any Canadian seller confirm to me they have given their SIN number to Etsy and this is considered normal.

Of course I am concerned about revealing this very personal information knowing Etsy already has my GST AND PST tax numbers.

[PoochandTabby]

You already asked this.

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Technical-Issues/SIN-number/m-p/146697597

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@tessiesdelight @MakenaMosaicGlass : The answer straight from Etsy https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/25255013479703-What-Information-Does-Etsy-Report-for-Canadia...

[GreatBearFrames]

As a "Business entity", you have a gst#.  The SIN# is your own and should never be offered up as information to anyone other than Revenue Canada directly. No One! Certainly not to etsy or other platforms. 

The amount of scamming is now unbelievable, so protect yourself.

[cindylouwho2]

@GreatBearFrames no one needs to registered for GST collection if they gross under $30K a year, so many Etsy sellers won't have a GST number. 

Meanwhile, the federal government is now requires platforms to report revenue (jut as in many other countries) so yes, Etsy needs a SIN. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/25255013479703-What-Information-Does-Etsy-Report-for-Canadia... 

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/newsroom/tax-tips/tax-tips-2024/operating-digital-platf... "Under the rules, reporting platform operators are now required to collect and report information on sellers considered to be reportable sellers to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)." 

You may want to consider keeping up with Canadian news before posting about it.

[JustMeToo]

@GreatBearFrames   This is incorrect advice.  The SIN is required for etsy if you make under $30,000 a year.  It is secure and safe.  Yes, we have to protect ourselves from scams, but this isn't one of them.

[BaraBespoke]

my SIN is is now visible on the platform... why is it not encrypted like bank account? This means any employee who has access to your account (and they seem to) or if your account was open online etc, could see it. No replies from etsy support at all. This concerns me. You should see all the numbers on any encrypted site. 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

you should never give your password to anyone, unless you trust them with all your finances

it is your account, no-one elses,

anyone can see all your billing  card details too, including expiry date

....

I can't see your number

[BaraBespoke]

I am curious for small sellers under gross 2800. ( is that before or after the etsy fees and shipping btw) OR more than 30 sales.. what if each sale was only 2.? digital images say... then you would have to give up your SIN for $60. in yearly sales? the over 2800. or 30+ sales doesn't make sense. 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@BaraBespoke 

It is total of sales, including everything

on finances - payment account

sales and fees - total sales

and it is $ OR 30 sales for a calendar year.

so 30  sales at $2 will mean your information will be passed to your tax authorities.

...

It doesn't make any difference at all, if you have been reporting what you should have been reporting anyway - it's just the tax authorities are now given the info from etsy - and they already know your sin

....

It is the Canadian government that has decided that this is what they want the platforms to report, AND that they want it reported against either your HST/GST number, or your SIN.

Our government has also decided to sign up to this, but they ask for VAT number (equivalent of HST/GST), NI (equivalent of SIN) OR UTR (tax ref no) our government lets us choose from more options.

[NancyQstudio]

Etsy has never asked me for this information and I've had a shop for awhile.  We are not employees so there is no reason for Etsy to have it.  This sounds like a scam attempt which could potentially lead to fraud.  

[cindylouwho2]

@NancyQstudio well, you are not in Canada so Etsy would never require a SIN from you. 

Etsy does require tax numbers from sellers in many countries now, including Canada. See above

[NancyQstudio]

@cindylouwho2 I didn't realize that.  I'd think just like any HR department there are safeguards in place to protect this information. 

[Adorabilities]

In the US, we have to give our SSNs or EINs to Etsy as well, so they can prepare our documents for tax filing.
@NancyQstudio It would be strange if Etsy has never asked you for that information.

[cindylouwho2]

@NancyQstudio I don't understand what you mean about HR departments. What would Etsy's HR department have to do with submitting seller tax IDs as required by law? 

[NancyQstudio]

@cindylouwho2 In wasn't being literal.  

[cindylouwho2]

@NancyQstudio ok, good, I was worried I was missing something
: - )

[NancyQstudio]

@cindylouwho2 Nope!  You aren't missing a thing.  

[cindylouwho2]

@tessiesdelight per all the links above, yes, you are now required to provide your SIN to Etsy and other marketplaces if you sell enough, with Canadian income reporting starting in 2025 for the 2024 year. See my links above. A GST number should be enough for many of us if registered, but of course not everyone is. 

Just ignore the people who were behind on the news. 

[JustMeToo]

@cindylouwho2  They asked me for mine last year for 2023 income so I think it started earlier.

[cindylouwho2]

@JustMeToo yes, some people needed to do it for sales into the US last year, I believe. It's part of a multi-national plan. 

[michellepatterns]

This is a normal thing when you are doing business online. Etsy also needs to protect itself.  

Our private info is not so private anymore. Some person or bot out there has stolen identifying information from probably every person at this point.

To protect yourself, monitor your card and bank account for unauthorized activity and keep an eye on your credit rating information.  

[MarioTreasureChest]

Yes I did, perfectly safe 

[cindylouwho2]

Just wanted to add this to my previous post: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/newsroom/tax-tips/tax-tips-2024/using-app-website-earn-...  

"If you do not provide your tax identification number to your platform operator(s), the CRA may assess you a penalty of $500 for each failure to provide it." 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

The OECD , which many countries have signed up to

require platforms to provide information to governments once sellers make more than 30 sales, or 2,000 euros a year

many countries, usa included, have signed up so companies in their jurisdiction have to provide this information, based in the buyers tax ID, so etsy has to ask for the tax ID.

Countries that have currently signed up, for etsy to provide it to them, are all EU countries, UK and Canada

as USA is part of OECD, etsy has o provide that information , to those countries, so has to ask the sellers for it