Linden Lab Official:Required Account Documentation FAQ

Note: For more information, see the following post on the official Second Life blog: Required Account Documentation.

Why is Linden Lab asking for my name, date of birth, address, and ID number?

US law requires that institutions such as Linden Lab collect and maintain this personal information for users that submit a certain volume and/or amount of Process Credit requests in a year. This is separate from the tax documentation we are required to collect for the IRS.

How will I know if I need to do provide this documentation?

Linden Lab will contact you via email, through our Support system. You can verify the request in your Case History in the Support Portal and reply to the Case if you have any related questions.

If I receive a request for this documentation, how long do I have to complete it? What happens if I don’t provide this information to Linden Lab?

You have thirty (30) days to complete the information request. If you do not complete this request within thirty (30) days, we will suspend your account(s).

What do I need to provide to Linden Lab if I receive this request?

Though the need for this information is not related to tax requirements, please complete either Form W-9 (for U.S. residents) or Form W-8BEN (for non-U.S. residents). These forms ask for the information we need to collect under US law, and you will not have to re-submit this information if we require tax documentation from you as well. Additionally, we are required to obtain a copy of your government-issued photo identification (ID). The information on the ID must be current (i.e. not expired) and must match the information you submitted on the form. Please attach a copy of your identification to the Support Case. The copy must be clearly legible (full color, no smudges or blurs) and must be fully intact (no cut-off portions, no redacted information). The following are acceptable forms of photo ID:

Driver's license
Military ID card
Passport
Any other form of government-issued photo ID

If your photo ID does not display your address, you must also provide us with a copy of a current utility or telephone bill. The name to which the bill is addressed must match the photo ID.

What is a Form W-9? What information will I need to provide?

This form collects the information the IRS requires from US taxpayers. This is the same information that US law requires Linden Lab to collect from US residents who submit a certain volume and/or amount of Process Credit requests in a year, therefore we are using this form to collect this information. To complete this form, you will need to provide a TIN; in most cases, this is either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Employer Identification Number (EIN). The IRS website contains more information about how to obtain an EIN here.

What is a Form W-8BEN? What information will I need to provide?

This form collects the information the IRS needs from non-US residents in order to exempt them from US tax reporting requirements. This is the same information that US law requires Linden Lab to collect from non-US residents who submit a certain volume and/or amount of Process Credit requests in a year, therefore we are using this form to collect this information. You only need to complete Part I, #1-5 (which does not require an EIN nor an ITIN)

I have questions about what’s needed and how to submit it - how can I get help?

Open the request in your Case History in the Support Portal and reply to the Case if you have any related questions.