leebarton

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help. Is there a standard form for flagging that you don't have a SSN yet when you open a bank account or get added to your parters account, or is it bank specific? If it is a standard form it is available in pdf format anywhere?

I did some searches on previous similar threads and couldnt find a form number but did find mention of one.

Thanks in advance
Lee

Duckie

is there a real need for beeing on the account before your ssc arrives? well yes, you could go shop already - but for the 2 or 3 weeks you could use cash for that. if you have no ssn there is not really the must to have an account. and it is worth investigating if opening a new account with your partner would be easier at your bank than adding you to the existing account - just a thought.

kariml

I'm not sure what form your referring to, but it is a federal regulation that banks ask for a SSN when setting up your account, so it is not necessarily bank specific. Most banks will go ahead and add you to your spouse's existing account without the SSN and you would be able to write checks. Not having a SSN would put an alert on the account that would prohibit you from using a debit card on the account.

cindyabs

Agreed, BOA said that I could add my spouse to the account without him having an SSN yet. However they did say to advise them as soon as he got one.

RoB1833

You could always let your significant other control the purse strings!!

Rich Coloyan

Hello

My wife got a SSN when she worked her last year. We are waiting on the K3
now but I was wondering, could I add her to my account with that SSN? Will
it be recognized or does she have to do something when she comes here to get
it reinstated or changed?

Thanks
Rich

Michael D. Young

Rich Coloyan wrote:

    > Hello
    > My wife got a SSN when she worked her last year. We are waiting on the K3
    > now but I was wondering, could I add her to my account with that SSN? Will
    > it be recognized or does she have to do something when she comes here to get
    > it reinstated or changed?

Hi All,

If she was assigned an SSN from the Social Security Administration, that's her
SSN to the grave and beyond. Now depending on the type of card she was issued,
she probably will want to apply for an unrestricted card once she has an I-551
stamp or card.

Take care,

Mike

lairdside

Do you mean a W8-BEN ?

The form:

http://www.bankofamerica.com/creditc.../nsbw_form.doc

The instructions:

http://www.bankofamerica.com/creditc...tructions6.pdf

katesuiter1

Hi!

I applied for a checking account 2 days after I got here. It was with Bank of America, and my lack of SSN wasn't a prob. They created a temporary tax ID, and told me to let them know as soon as I got my SSN. Your best bet would be to sit down with an associate of a bank who will let you open one without an SSN, and explain your situation.
Kate. xxxxxxx

Scout

Karimi said:.............. "it is a federal regulation that banks ask for a SSN when setting up your account"

Actually, no it's not. A lot of people think that, but it's not always true that you have to have a SSN.

What you need is a Federal Form W-8.

Here it is: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf

Be forewarned, a lot of Bank Employees are ignorant of this form. You have to be persistant . If they tell you no, ask to see a manager. Keep going up the chain of command until you get someone that is competent.

Cheers,

Leslie

kariml

I have a family member who is a higher up at a bank and this is what she told me. It only means that the bank will be fined later when they are audited for having accounts without SSNs, not that they won't initially open one for you.

Scout

Kariml, My degree is in banking. I researched this thoroughly when we went through it ourselves. It is not a federal regulation that a bank be provided with a social security number when applying for an account. It's a good idea, but not a regulation and there are many instances when a bank opens an account without a SSN. We obtained an account without one as did Kate.

You have up to 3 years to keep the account open when using the federal form W-8.

I don't want people to get the impression that a SSN is a requirement in the context that we are discussing here. While I as an USC would have a difficult time opening an account without divulging my SSN, it is indeed possible for foreign visitors to this country to open one. It's done every day in the course of business.

Cheers,

Leslie

lairdside

If they have been properly trained they should know about W-8's and W-9's.

Many banks instruct their employees to ALWAYS get a valid W-8 or W-9 instead of knowing the diference between when one is required and when one is not if they are unsure but they should allow people to open the account no probs.

Strictly a W-8 is not required for a non-interest bearing account but they usually get one anyway.

Scout

Lairdside said: "If they have been properly trained they should know about W-8's and W-9's"

That is precisely the problem! Sadly, you get what you pay for these days. Many bank employees simply are ignorant of the matter or don't care.

Cheers,

Leslie

kariml

Correct, most banks will open an without a SSN, but not all because when (and if) they are audited later they most likely will be fined for it. Most banks trust that you will provide them with the number in a short period of time and therefore will open one for you as a courtesy to their customers. Depending on your bank, there are restrictions to accounts opened without SSNs, such as not being able to use a debit card with the account. This is standard practice for the majority of banks in Kentucky.

I see your point about the difference between being a US citizen and an immigrant without a SSN. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

P.S. My degree is in banking and finance also