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To comply with a new 'final rule' recently announced by the U.S. Census Bureau, the International Association of Movers (IAM), a global association of movers and forwarders, issued the following guidance to help individuals and companies involved in exporting household goods and personal effects from the United States. Steven Leff of International Logistics Services provided assistance with the instructions. 

EIN Replaces the Social Security Number as an Identification Number in the Automated Export System (AES)

On December 3rd, the U.S. Census Bureau implemented a final rule stating that all transferees holding U.S. Citizenship must submit an individual Employer Identification Number (EIN) when registering to file and filing electronic export information (EEI) in the Automated Export System (AES) or AESDIRECT.

For companies involved in exporting household goods and personal effects, this regulation will require American transferees relocating to a foreign country to obtain an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service prior to exporting their container. Companies may apply for an EIN on behalf of their transferees but they will need to know the transferee’s Social Security Number prior to applying on the IRS website. Once the EIN has been obtained, export can proceed with the EIN being entered into the AES or the AESDIRECT as the identification number for the transferee.

This regulation was implemented in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and its stated goal is to eliminate the Social Security Number as the identifier in the AES. US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) will enforce this regulation by refusing to export any container where EEI is not correctly entered into the AES or AESDIRECT. This information can be found by following the link below:

US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) will enforce this regulation by refusing to export any container where EEI is not correctly entered into the AES or AESDIRECT. This information can be found by following the link below:
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/regulations/regs/regulations20090805-federalregister.pdf

Please Note the following exemptions to this rule:

Foreign citizens will still be able to file export information under their foreign passport number.
Government Employees and Military Service Members are exempt from filing in the AES. Therefore, they will not need to obtain an EIN. This information can be found by following the link below and scrolling to page 27.
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/regulations/regs/regulations20080602-federalregister.pdf

How to obtain the EIN number with the IRS:

1. Go to the Internal Revenue Service Website at:http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html
2. At the bottom of the page locate the APPLY ONLINE NOW link and click once.
3. Click once on the Begin Application button.
4. Customers applying for an EIN for the purpose of filing their export information with the Census Bureau should select “Sole Proprietor” as the legal structure on this page. Once selected click the Continue button once.
5. Again select “Sole Proprietor” and click the Continue button once.
6. Confirm your selection by clicking the Continue button once on this new page.
7. This page requires you to choose a reason for applying for an EIN. Any of these can be selected. Once selected click the Continue button once.
8. Fill out the name, address and SSN fields. Select sole proprietor and click the Continue button once.
9. Leave the field for Trade Name blank and enter United States as the country where the sole proprietor is located. Select your State of origin and enter today’s date as “Sole Proprietor Start Date”. Click the Continue button once.
10. Answer “No” to the five questions on this page and click the Continue button once.
11. Select “Other” for “What does your business or organization do”. This should not be associated with your employer. Click the Continue button once.
12. Select “Other” as your business’ activity and enter relocation in the blank field. Click the Continue button once.
13. On this screen select “Receive letter online” and click the Continue button once.
14. Review your data on this screen and print a copy for your records. Click the Continue button once.
15. Your EIN number will appear on the following screen. Print your EIN conformation letter from this screen and save for your records.

SOURCE: IAM eBLAST

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