I'm selling a website to a PUBLIC company, and now they're asking for my full name, address, and either a driver's license or passport. They say that as a public company they are required by their auditors for each purchase they make, and the identification is to confirm that I am not a minor. Is this a scam?
Call them and speak to the boss of the person who is asking you for that information. That should help you get to the bottom of it
Probably not a scam. A lot of businesses need to confirm your identity before dealing with you. I am not surprised they want some form of an ID from you as they are buying your site.
Are you going to recieve more than $600 from them within the year? If you are in U.S. and they pay you over $600, they are required by IRS tax laws to provide you a 1099 form at the end of the year. Without the information they are asking for (plus your tax id, social security number or EIN) they cannot comply with the IRS requirement. So, if you are getting money from them as the result of a sale, THEY have to collect this information from you (name, address, EIN, tax ID or Soc.Sec.) so they can comply with the law.
if it's an approved company by us government , so don't worry but make sure that it's really approved
@rick The horrifying train wreck that is the IRS page on the 1099-MISC filing requirements does not appear to include sale of property (aside from the sale fish for business purposes, for some gd reason.) @boaster Unless you are dealing in age-restricted products or services, eg. adult entertainment, cigarettes, alcohol, firearms, gambling services etc. there is no conceivable reason why they need to "verify that you are not a minor." Go to the IRS website and get a TIN if you don't already have one, send them that and tell them to piss up a rope (or refer them to an attorney, who can explain it to them better than I can and will probably use fewer swear words.) Frank