Can Amazon Ask You For Your Tax Identity?

[Family Ties Forever!]

Anyone know if this is legit? Is Amazon allowed to ask for tax identity information?

Subject: Action Required: Please provide your Tax identity.

Hello,

Beginning with the 2011 tax year, new IRS regulations require Amazon to file a Form 1099-K for sellers who exceed $20,000 in unadjusted gross sales and 200 transactions in a calendar year. To assist in complying with these regulations, we are requiring sellers who exceed 50 transactions in a calendar year, regardless of monetary threshold, to provide their tax identity information.

To help protect the security of your taxpayer identification information, please do not respond to this e-mail or share it over the phone. Please log into your seller account and use the short interview process that can be accessed from the Seller Account Information > Legal Entity section. Note that this interview is only accessible to the primary user of the seller account.

Please provide your tax identity information to Amazon as soon as possible to prevent disruption to your seller account. Note that if the required information is not provided to Amazon by December 26, 2011, your Amazon selling privileges will be suspended until you provide the information.

For additional information about entering your tax information, see answers to frequently asked questions:

Best regards,
Amazon Services

[JamesG]

I would call Amazon directly and ask them before giving out any information.

I'm a member of Amazon and did not get this e-mail.

[HuntingtonM15]

I can see why sellers exceeding $20,000 would have to file 1099-K, since that would pretty much make them a merchant, but I think it's a bit much for every seller exceeding 50 transactions.