JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Industry Message Forum A question for foreign, non-U.S. residents

Hello, everyone!

My question is in regards to the American Social Security number.

I'm Mexican and live in Mexico City. I would like to do work for certain music libraries but in order to receive payment and be able to pay taxes for the work, I need to:

A) Be a member of ASCAP or BMI, who ask for a social security number

and

B) be able to have a social security number in order to be able to actually give payment information to some of these music libraries.

So my question is this: I KNOW there are foreigners who don't live in the U.S. who do work for music libraries and get paid.

How did they get their social security number in order to do this work and, obviously, join ASCAP or BMI?

Thank you very much,


Serge

you are talking about a TAXPAYER iDENTIFICATION NUMBER I believe

not a social security number

heres the link to the us govt site for how to obtain a TIN or ITIN as they call it......

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96690,00.html

hope this is what you want

Tom

Thanks, Tom!

I'm guessing that's ALSO what I need!

I also need a social security number to join ASCAP according to their website.

But thanks for that information, too!

Serge

Hey Serge,

You don't need a social security number to join ASCAP ( as you're a foreign national, and are not subject to personal income tax in the US )

You need a TIN exemption form which you will find on the ASCAP site.

BUT, as ASCAP has now updated their website, I can no longer sign in as it says " No social security number, and no DOB on file "

Grrrrr, I try to ring member services, but just get cut off.

Is anyone close to an ASCAP office, that could enquire for me ?

cheers, niteshift

Thank you, nightshift!

I'll look into that this week.

Thank you very much, indeed!


Serge

Are you sure you shouldn't be joining the Mexican PRO rather than ASCAP?

The Mexican one, SACM, says that the only way to join it is if your music has been released in Mexico. In other words, ONLY if you've been on the radio, tv......

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

IN THIS MOMENT I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING THANKS TO YOUR QUESTION!!!!!!!!!

I'm a jingle writer and have already had three jingles on national tv... I'm going to have to figure out if that counts for them or if it has to be commercial music. If the thing is a work for hire, maybe they'll tell me no, but I'll check it out in anycase. I've just always figured that it's meant for songs.

SACM is very close to my house so I'm going to go check it out on Wednesday probably.

Thanks again!


Serge

I DO know that I need to join ASCAP if I want anything that I do for the American market to be well handled.

There are usually recipical agreements between American and Foreign Pros so you most likely would only have to join your Pro to be able to licence your works in other places. It happens all the time. Your Pro or a Publisher should be able to help you.

Not necessarily. I live in Denmark, and our PRO is called KODA. KODA works, through an scandinavian org. called NCB, and they work with ASCAP in the US to collect royalties ect.

So, everything is connected in International networks. They meet at big industry gatherings through organizations like MIDAS ect.

So, I'm not sure how it is in Mexico, but it might work the same way. Your local PRO might work with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in the US, so I would think you don't need to join a PRO twice just because you live outside USA.

Be aware, USA is the only country in the (Western) world, that doesn't reward performance royalties. A new proposal has passed the US Senate, though, so that is about to change.

Songcabinet,
You are jumping the gun on the Artist Performance Royality. There are not enough house Members to pass the legistation. At least 252 are opposing it as we speak. It would be nice but not even all songwriters get Pro royalities from radio Air Play so paying all Artists may be an accounting nightmare as well as extremely small returns even if it is enacted.

#%&$&#! Double post.

You are right of course, Ray. Latest news can be read here http://musicfirstcoalition.org/

For the other side of the story go to:
http://www.noperformancetax.org