EX-99.(A)(1)(F) 7 dex99a1f.htm GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number

Exhibit 99.(a)(1)(F)

Guidelines for Certification of

Taxpayer Identification Number on Substitute Form W-9

Specific Instructions

Name. If you are an individual, you must generally enter the name shown on your social security card. However, if you have changed your last name, for instance, due to marriage without informing the Social Security Administration of the name change, enter your first name, the last name shown on your social security card, and your new last name.

If the account is in joint names, list first and then circle the name of the person or entity whose number you enter in Part I of the form.

Sole proprietor. Enter your individual name as shown on y our social security card on the “Name” line. You may enter your business, trade, or “doing business as (DBA)” name on the “Business name” line.

Limited liability company (LLC). If you are a single-member LLC (including a foreign LLC with a domestic owner) that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner under Treasury regulations section 301.7701-3, enter the owner’s name on the “Name” line. Enter the LLC’s name on the “Business name” line.

Caution: A disregarded domestic entity that has a foreign owner must use the appropriate Form W-8.

Other entities. Enter your business name as shown on required Federal tax documents on the “Name” line. This name should match the name shown on the charter or other legal document creating the entity. You may enter any business, trade, or DBA name on the “Business name” line.

Exempt From Backup Withholding

If you are exempt, enter your name as described above and check the appropriate box for your status, then check the “Exempt from backup withholding” box in the line following the business name, sign and date the form.

Generally, individuals (including sole proprietors) are not exempt from backup withholding. Corporations are exempt from backup withholding for certain payments, such as interest and dividends.

Note: If you are exempt from backup withholding, you should still complete this form to avoid possible erroneous backup withholding.

Exempt payees. Backup withholding is not required on any payments made to the following payees:

1. An organization exempt from tax under section 501(a), any IRA, or a custodial account under section 403(b)(7) if the account satisfies the requirements of section 401(f)(2),

2. The United States or any of its agencies or instrumentalities,

3. A state, the District of Columbia, a possession of the United States, or any of their political subdivisions or instrumentalities,

4. A foreign government or any of its political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, or

5. An international organization or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.


Other payees that may be exempt from backup withholding include:

6. A corporation,

7. A foreign central bank of issue.

8. A dealer in securities or commodities required to register in the United States, the District of Columbia, or a possession of the United States,

9. A futures commission merchant registered with the Commodity Future Trading Commission,

10. A real estate investment trust,

11. An entity registered at all times during the tax year under the Investment Company Act of 1940,

12. A common trust fund operated by a bank under section 584(a),

13. A financial institution,

14. A middleman known in the investment community as a nominee or custodian, or

15. A trust exempt from tax under section 664 or described in section 4947.

Part I – Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

Enter your TIN in the appropriate box.

If you are a resident alien and you do not have and are not eligible to get a SSN, your TIN is your IRS individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Enter it in the social security number box. If you do not have an ITIN, see How to get a TIN below.

If you are a sole proprietor and you have an EIN, you may enter either your SSN or EIN. However, the IRS prefers that you use your SSN.

If you are a single-owner LLC that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner, enter your SSN (or EIN, if you have one). If the LLC is a corporation, partnership, etc., enter the entity’s EIN.

Note: See the chart on this page for further clarification of name and TIN combinations.

How to get a TIN. If you do not have a TIN, apply for one immediately. To apply for a new SSN, get Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, from your local Social Security Administration office or get this form online at www.socialsecurity.gov. You may also get this form by calling 1-800-772-1213. Use Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, to apply for an ITIN, or Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, to apply for an EIN. You can apply for an EIN online by accessing the IRS website at www.irs.gov/businesses and clicking on Employer ID Numbers under Related Topics. You can get Forms W-7 and SS-4 from the IRS by visiting www.irs.gov or by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).

If you are asked to complete Form W-9 but do not have a TIN, write “Applied For” in the space for the TIN, sign and date the form, and give it to the requester. For interest and dividend payments, and certain payments made with respect to readily tradable instruments, generally you will have 60 days to get a TIN and give it to the requester before you are subject to backup withholding on payments. The 60-day rule does not apply to other types of payments. You will be subject to backup withholding on all such payments until you provide your TIN to the requester.

 

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Note: Writing “Applied For” means that you have already applied for a TIN or that you intend to apply for one soon.

Caution: A disregarded domestic entity that has a foreign owner must use the appropriate Form W-8.

Part II – Certification

To establish to the withholding agent that you are a U.S. person, or resident alien, sign Form W-9. You may be requested to sign by the withholding agent even if items 1, 4, and 5 below indicate otherwise.

For a joint account, only the person whose TIN is shown in Part I should sign (when required).

1. Interest, dividend, and barter exchange accounts opened before 1984 and broker accounts considered active during 1983. You must give your correct TIN, but you do not have to sign the certification.

2. Interest, dividend, broker, and barter exchange accounts opened after 1983 and broker accounts considered inactive during 1983. You must sign the certification or backup withholding will apply. If you are subject to backup withholding and you are merely providing your correct TIN to the requester, you must cross out item 2 in the certification before signing the form.

3. Real estate transactions. You must sign the certification. You may cross out item 2 of the certification.

4. Other payments. You must give your correct TIN, but you do not have to sign the certification unless you have been notified that you have previously given an incorrect TIN. “Other payments” include payments made in the course of the requester’s trade or business for rents, royalties, goods (other than bills for merchandise), medical and health care services (including payments to corporations), payments to a nonemployee for services, payments to certain fishing boat crew members and fishermen, and gross proceeds paid to attorneys (including payments to corporations).

5. Mortgage interest paid by you, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, qualified tuition program payments (under section 529), IRA, Coverdell ESA, Archer MSA or HSA contributions or distributions, and pension distributions. You must give your correct TIN, but you do not have to sign the certification.

 

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What Name and Number To

Give the Requester

 

For this type of account:    Give name and SSN of:

1.      Individual

   The individual

2.      Two or more individuals (joint account)

   The actual owner of the account or, if combined funds, the first individual on the account1

3.      Custodian account of a minor (Uniform Gift to Minors Act)

   The minor2

4.     a.      The usual revocable savings trust (grantor is also trustee)

   The grantor-trustee1

b.      So-called trust account that is not a legal or valid trust under state law

   The actual owner1

5.      Sole proprietorship

   The owner3
For this type of account:    Give name and EIN of:

6.      Sole proprietorship

   The owner3

7.      A valid trust, estate or pension trust

   Legal entity4

8.      Corporate

   The corporation

9.      Association, club, religious, charitable, educational, or other tax-exempt organization

   The organization

10.    Partnership

   The partnership

11.    A broker or registered nominee

   The broker or nominee

12.    Account with the Department of Agriculture in the name of a public entity (such as a state or local government, school district, or prison) that receives agricultural program payments

   The public entity

 

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List first and circle the name of the person whose number you furnish. If only one person or a joint account has an SSN, that person’s number must be furnished.

2

Circle the minor’s name and furnish the minor’s SSN.

3

You must show your individual name, but you may also enter your business or “DBA” name. You may use either your SSN or EIN (if you have one).

4

List first and circle the name of the legal trust, estate, or pension trust. (Do not furnish the TIN of the personal representatives or trustee unless the legal entity itself is not designated in the account title.)

Note: If no name is circled when more than one name is listed, the number will be considered to be that of the first name listed.

 

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Privacy Notice

Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code requires you to provide your correct TIN to persons who must file information returns with the IRS to report interest, dividends, and certain other income paid to you, mortgage interest you paid, the acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA, or Archer MSA or HSA. The IRS uses the numbers for identification purposes and to help verify the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS may also provide this information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions to carry out their tax laws. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal laws, or to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism.

You must provide your TIN whether or not you are required to file a tax return. Payers must generally withhold 28% of taxable interest, dividend and certain other payments to a payee who does not give a TIN to a payer. Certain penalties may also apply.

 

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