How much money?
Hi there.
The question is unpolite but i have to know if
the invested time is worth it. Any brave souls
who would like to tell me how much $ they are
making with cosmetics? I would really aprecciate
it.
The question is unpolite but i have to know if
the invested time is worth it. Any brave souls
who would like to tell me how much $ they are
making with cosmetics? I would really aprecciate
it.
Replies
But...if you have any interest in doing this kind of stuff, either for a living or just as a hobby, I have to ask: what's the downside to doing it, no matter how much money you make?
At worst, you're learning and working on cool stuff from a cool game with an amazing art style made by one of the best game companies in the world. At best...you're doing that and getting paid.
Well, my work basically I can't work on Dota 2 stuff while on salary with them, but they could let me work on a part time basis if I want to do Dota 2 stuff on the side. So I'm just trying to figure out if I should go on salary or not.
It's a serious faff. For various reasons, I'm still waiting on mine a year after I started applying for it.
Valve can't pay you anything if you don't have one.
Wait what!? Wasn't the ITIN only to recover the 30% tax?
Selaznog: Its worted. Even if you are employed in a gamedev company.
BTW guys . any idea when do we get the tax returns? is it at the end of this year? I'm looking forward for that
Can you explain more about this Farfarer? I'm a UK citizen and working on my first set at the minute, so I imagine I'll have to go through the same process you did. I would have just assumed I would file my self-assesment as a sole trader as usual, to pay the tax on any Workshop earnings, but you're saying this isn't the case?
Why did it take you a whole year to get yours sorted? Is there anything that could have expediated the process in hindsight? Shhould I start working through the process on http://london.usembassy.gov/irs/irsitin.html now, so I am all setup and ready by the time I start submitting stuff to the Workshop?
Have any other non-US citizens had the same problem?
I sent off a notarised copy of my passport 'cause I didn't fancy sending my actual passport away in the mail (as I needed it for a marriage application and I also didn't want to get it lost in transit).
That got rejected, so I had to re-apply with my actual passport (which screwed up our marriage application - that went down well with my fianc
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/How-to-Apply-for-an-EIN
Note: International applicants must call (267) 941-1099 (Not a toll-free number).
if u do the phonecall via skype u will get it nearly for free.
@Shock - EIN seems like a much easier route than ITAN then! Can anybody do this or do I have to be registered as s company (I'm not and just work and file as a Sole Trader when freelancing)?
Also - you guys said you included the letter form Valve with your applications - is this something you get when your first item gets accepted? IF so, I guess I'll have to wait until I actually finish/ upload and get a set int eh Workshop before working through all this stuff?
I know I will lose the 30% USA cut but my country doesn't charge taxes. So it is only single. I guess that is why we don't have a tax treaty...yet.
u just call that ein application number, tell them ur name and ur address. then they
create the number for u and instant give it to u. thats all.
@vayne no tax lol
It's found here;
http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/workshoppaymentinfofaq
Search for the text "Please download this letter by clicking here." and click the link.
It'll ask you to fill in your name, then you can print out the resulting document and send that off with your W-7 form if you're applying for an ITIN.
From what Farfarer says I still need the ITIN? I suppose it makes sense since I need to be taxed in the states, but I was never asked for an EIN or ITIN either. The wording of this in the FAQ makes it even more ambiguous, since it sounds like Valve has it settled almost.
Anyone got experience with non-treaty payment?
I had emailed Valve support and got the response that they were withholding my workshop royalties until I had supplied them with an TIN number. Perhaps they don't bother if the country doesn't have a treaty (as you have nothing to lose)?
If I'm living in a country that has a tax treaty with the U.S. I have to apply for an EIN (for the U.S. to confirm I'm a foreigner) and then fill out the W-8BEN in order to exercise the benefits of that tax treaty and Valve doesn't have to withhold 30% of the payment.
In this case, Valve provides a sample form (for the W-8BEN) which you can see here.
So, basically the steps would be: Gain an EIN by calling the number mentioned in the FAQs -> In order to recieve the benefits arranged in the treaty you have to fill out W-8BEN -> Send Valve your bank information + EIN + whatever the response from the W-8BEN is.
Do I got this right?
Much easier, I recommend you do that instead :P
1.This letter is on my nativ language (not an English (Adress of company is english) , so i should print it how it supposes me to be printed (not in English)? or try to find it fully in English?
2.What is the benefits of registering ITIN instead of EIN (EIN is 10-15min phone call , and ITIN is 2-4 month waiting answer on your mail.
So it seeme EIN is much more efficient way of getting your TIN and then using it in W-8BEN form.
There was a thread back on 4chan in /3dcg/ that asked this question. Chances are that thread still exists considering how slow that place is. The answer you're looking for is in there. If not, just start a new thread there.
Think of it like this, some people treat this like a job, its their main source of income. It's personal information, some people don't feel confortable sharing that, and they aren't obligated to share either. And in some instances they aren't aloud to share, while this isn't the case, its generally accepted that it's slighty rude to flat out ask someone what there salary is.
For example, I'd prefer to not share what I make, others might feel different.
The only information required was a street address, a phone number and a Social Security Number. Now I lived and worked in the US for a while therefore I do have an american SSN so I suppose that makes things a little easier. I would guess that if one does not have such a number the operator would simply ask for an equivalent. Maybe someone here knows more about this detail.
Of course at the end of the registration process the operator will also ask you why you need the EIN in the first place. Simply explaining that I am a 'graphic designer doing work for a US company, which needs an EIN to give me my share of the revenue generated from my work" was all it took.
The only tricky thing to be prepared for is ... spelling out a foreign street address to an american operator
I hope this clarifies things a little for people confused by the process.
(also - maybe a mod could add "+ ITIN and EIN discussion" at the end of the thread title and maybe make it sticky - or maybe make a new thread with compiled information ? This thread is pretty useful ...)
Now that reminds me... I still haven't received my EIN in the mail.
Straightforward yes, but with a LOOOOOOOOONG waiting time! Unless you got lucky and missed the queues? I thought Farfarer was exaggerating when he said you're kept on hold for a while before speaking to an operator... an hour and 15 minutes of listening to the same holding muzak later, I definitely felt his pain
Well, regardless - I am glad you got yours now
let's say I get some items into the game and I make some money but I don't have any of those things that you mentioned( EIN, ITIN, tax treaty and etc). Will steam keep my money as credit until I solve the tax issues?
For instance, if someone is from a country without a tax treaty with the US, or, if someone didn't bother getting an ITIN or EIN but still provided bank transfer information to Valve, I would think that Valve would pay that person 70% of their share, and the remaining 30% goes to taxes ... (tax withholding at the source, basically).
In the case of a country without a treaty, I suppose there is a way to then obtain a Foreign Tax Credit later down the line in order to avoid being taxed twice (once by the US with the 30% thing, and once more by the country of residence ...)
I just dont see Valve (and the IRS ...) paying back the 30% retroactively. Or maybe I am misunderstanding something ?
Or maybe you are just saying that if someone is from a country which does allow to get an EIN, but he/she didn't bother getting it but still provided bank transfer information, then Valve holds all the money until this is resolved ? That seems to go against the warning text they put on the payment detail page ...
(Also : to my understanding it seems like if someone didn't provide transfer information at all, then the money stays at Valve until the whole details (IBAN, SWIFT) are filled in. Which is why it seems safer to me to first get the EIN, and then later on fill in the payment information. )
I am sure someone here can shed some light on this issue !
When my item was accepted - I was asked to fill out my personal information on a new page link (given to me by Valve).
This had my address, bank info etc.
At the bottom was a paragraph with some links that explained the additional paperwork needed. I only needed the W-8BEN form to be completed ( based on our tax treaty).
I called the EIN number at the IRS, was on the phone for about 40 minutes, and after about 3 minutes of answering questions, got the number.
I filled out the W-8BEN, scanned, and emailed it to Valve Finance.
I received a reply from them a couple weeks later saying thanks.
I just received my documents from the IRS last week (approx 4 weeks since getting the number on the phone).
Annnd... that's it.
Cheers!
If you've submitted all the documents, they usually pay during the last week of the month, so you can expect it late next week.
Actually we might expect it sooner, last year the december check rolled out a week early, I supect the holidays has something to do with that.
It's the only thing I have on the store so far, so I can be pretty confident that's all sales of that set.
I suspect most of the sales are because it's part of the Polycount Mega Bundle (some basic maths and a look on Dota2 Meet The Stats would support that) and because it was a finalist in there at all. I don't think it's a very popular set by any means.
So if you make a set that people actually want, then yeah it's probably worth getting into... a few good sets in a year and you could make a living off it.
Hope that's helpful.
Last time I asked them, they said it was something they were working towards. So.. taking account of Valve time, I guess it's a few years