I received a letter from CardConnect about my TIN mismatching my legal name. What do I do?

Summary

If you've received a letter similar to the one below, you have three options:

  1. You can go to businesstrack.com (as stated in the letter) and update your information there.
  2. You can fax your updated information. This is likely the quickest and easiest way to resolve this, as you can simply fax your last year's tax return, since all the information on that should be up to date, assuming you haven't changed your legal name or your TIN/EIN in that time.
  3. You can mail your updated information.
  4. You can send over a document with your TIN/EIN and legal tax filing name to us at hello@rebelgive.com and we can pass it onto our card processor to validate your TIN mismatch. (Please note, if you are already in backup withholding, this option does not apply to you.)

For faxing and mailing information, scroll to the bottom.

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First, if you're wondering who CardConnect is, that's the card processor RebelGive has partnered with.

Second, if you're wondering if the letter you received is legitimate, it almost certainly is. (You can compare the letter you received with the example provided below for reference.)


So, what do you do if you've received a letter from CardConnect regarding your TIN not matching your church's legal name in the IRS' database?

First of all, don't panic. That being said, this is a matter to be taken seriously and should be dealt with ASAP. As written in the letter, if you do not follow the instructions provided, approximately 25% of your donations/funds will be withheld by the IRS (not CardConnect or RebelGive) until:

1. The information is corrected in their system, and

2. You've filed for the upcoming year's taxes.

So if you've received this letter, simply follow the instructions laid out in the document. It's possible that you may need to try this process a number of times if the name or TIN/EIN you are updating isn't exactly precise or what the IRS is looking for. So once you do the process once, ensure you enter your email address to ensure you can be notified if your changes were successful or not.


What happens if the information I provide still doesn't match?

If you've followed the instructions and the updated information you enter still doesn't match, and you entered an email address to be notified at, you will receive an email that looks similar to the following:

At this point, follow the instructions in the email and try, try again. As maddening as the situation might be, the only resolution to this is to correctly input the mismatched TIN/EIN or the legal tax filing name of your church.


Note:
  • Where you see the word "merchant", this is a catchall term that includes any entity receiving funds. You can substitute this word for "church" to make the rest of the information below easier to understand.


Some helpful information and definitions


Backup Withholding definitions


What is it?

Backup Withholding (BUW) is a program instituted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where funds are withheld from a merchant as a result of failing to provide correct taxpayer information to their payment card processor. Typically, the amount of funds withheld is between 24-28% of each batch that the merchant submits. 


What causes it?

Backup Withholding (BUW) occurs when a merchant fails to provide the correct taxpayer information to their processor. In short, the combination of the Legal Business Nameand Tax Identification Number (Tax ID) does not receive a match when ran against the records from the IRS. A merchant can receive a mismatch from an incorrect Legal Name, Tax ID, or both.  (View the Tin validation codes HERE)

Please note that the IRS Database is very case sensitive (ex. use of "&" instead of "and" can cause an mismatch and put a merchant onto BUW). As a result, it is important for merchants to know that it is crucial that they are providing their information as accurately as possible. 


Who is withholding the funds?

It is important to remember that CardConnect and RebelGive are not the institutions withholding a merchant's funds. Though CardConnect is the one that funds the merchant for their processing via RebelGive's platform, the IRS has legal authority to withhold the allotted percentage from each batch when a merchant is on BUW.


BUW Process AFTER the hold is placed


What the hold entails

If a merchant fails to respond to the notices or provides incorrect information their account will officially be placed in Backup Withholding (BUW). This means 24-28% (specific amount will be listed on notices) of their funds will be held UNTIL they correct their information and the hold is listed.


How is the hold removed?

The merchant will need to fax or mail (address/number located  HERE) in documentation to correct their legal information.


What documentation is acceptable? 
  • Form W9: IRS Document used for a request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Certification. This is the most common form that merchant's will submit.
     
    • Please note: The merchant is the one completing this form, which leaves room for error if they do not provide the correct Legal Name/Tax ID combination.
  • SS4 Issuance Letter:A merchant who has an Employer Identification Number (EIN) would have received their SS4 Issuance Letter upon being assigned an EIN number from the IRS. This letter clearly shows the Legal Business Name and Tax ID number.

    • Please note: Management and QC will not accept the SS4 application letter (the form a merchant would fill out to apply for an EIN). The merchant must provide the SS4 Issuance Letter
  • 147C Letter: This letter documents how an individual or business entity is filed with the Internal Revenue Service and clearly states the Legal Name and Tax ID number of the business. This form must be obtained directly from the IRS at 1-800-829-4933.

  • Most Recent Tax return: A merchant's tax return for their business will also show their Legal Business Name and Tax ID number.

    • The Tax return must be from the prior year (ex. for 2019, a 2018 tax return is applicable.
    • The Tax return must be a Federal Tax Return. States documents will not be approved by Management or QC.


Upon receiving one of the applicable legal documents (W-9, SS-4, Tax return or 147C) and receiving a TIN match through the IRS Database, the legal information can be updated. Once the legal information is updated and receives a match in the backend platform, the merchant will no longer have funds withheld. 


Retrieving the held funds

The merchant will not receive the withheld funds until they file their taxes for the year the withholding occurred (ex. If the merchant has BUW during 2019, they will not receive the withheld funds back until they file their taxes for 2019). Please note that the withheld funds  automatically go toward their taxes for the year Withholding occurred, with any remaining amount being funded back to the merchant (ex. If the merchant has $200 withheld and their taxes for the year are $100, $100 will remain with the IRS to go toward their taxes and the remaining $100 will be funded back to the merchant).


Note:
  • If your church is tax-exempt (which in most cases, it will be), you should receive 100% of all funds withheld, since you wouldn't have to pay any taxes to the IRS come tax season.


2nd B-Notice

If the merchant fails to respond OR their response(s) is incorrect after  one calendar year, the merchant will receive a 2nd B Notice. At this point they must send their IRS 147C Letter or their social security card (a W9 will NO LONGER suffice).


Alternative methods of correcting the TIN mismatch

If you'd rather not update/correct your information through the Business Track website, you can fax or mail your information instead. Below are some fax numbers and a mailing address you can use to do this.


Note:
  • If you fax your last year's tax return, this will likely clear things up immediately, since that information would have been processed by the IRS within the last year and the information on there should be 100% accurate (unless you've actually changed your TIN/EIN or legal name since then).


By Fax: (Allow 3-5 business days for processing) 

  • Omaha: 402-934-4492
  • North: 402-934-4548
  • Memphis: 402-934-4546


By Mail: (Allow 7-10 business days for processing)

Fiserv Reporting Services LLC
PO Box 6604
Hagerstown, MD 21741-6604

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