Special rules for readily tradable instruments acquired through a broker

(a) Readily tradable instruments acquired through post-1983 brokerage accounts with a broker who is not a payor—(1) In general. If a readily tradable instrument is acquired through a post-1983 brokerage account (as defined in § 31.3406(d)-1(c)(2)) and the broker is not a broker holding a security (including stock) for a customer in street name, the broker must—

(i) Obtain once with respect to each account the certifications described in § 31.3406(d)-2(a) and § 31.3406(d)-1(b)(3) and (c)(2) from the payee (relating to certification regarding payee underreporting and taxpayer identification number, respectively);

(ii) Furnish the payee's taxpayer identification number to the payor; and

(iii) Notify the payor to impose withholding if the payee fails to make either of the required certifications to the broker or if the broker has been notified by the Internal Revenue Service before the acquisition of the instrument that the payee is subject to withholding due to notified payee underreporting under section 3406(a)(1)(C) or that the payee is subject to withholding because the payee's taxpayer identification number is incorrect under section 3406(a)(1)(B) (as described in § 31.3406(d)-5).

(2) Additional requirements. The broker must give the information required by paragraphs (a)(1) (ii) and (iii) of this section to the payor with the transfer instructions for the acquisition (including account registration instructions transmitted by a broker in the case of acquisitions of shares in a mutual fund). A notice including the information described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section fulfills the broker's requirement to give notice to the payor. Once the broker transmits the transfer instructions containing the information required by this section, the broker has no further responsibility to obtain a missing taxpayer identification number or missing certification or to provide additional notices to the payee or payor with respect to the acquisition of the instrument. Upon receiving the notice from a broker, the payor must impose withholding on the account pursuant to § 31.3406(a)-1.

(3) Transactions entered into through a brokerage account that is not a post-1983 brokerage account. If a broker acquires readily tradable instruments for a payee through an account (with the broker) that is not a post-1983 brokerage account (as defined in § 31.3406(d)-1(c)(1)), and the broker is not the payor of the instruments, the broker must furnish the payee's taxpayer identification number to the payor. In addition, if the broker has been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that the payee is subject to withholding under section 3406 either because of an incorrect taxpayer identification number or due to notified payee underreporting as described in section 3406(a)(1) (B) or (C), respectively, the broker must notify the payor of the instrument to impose withholding with respect to that payee and transmit the information in the manner described in this paragraph (a). After a payor receives a notice from a broker pursuant to section 3406(d)(2)(B) and this paragraph (a), the payor must impose withholding on any accounts of the payee paying reportable interest or dividends as defined in section 3406(b)(2) in accordance with § 31.3406(a)-1.

(4) Payor must notify payee—(i) Failure to provide certifications. If a payor is notified by a broker, as required in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, that a payee is subject to withholding because the payee failed to provide the certifications, as described in § 31.3406(d)-2(a) and § 31.3406(d)-1(b)(3) and (c)(2), and the payor has not received the certifications from the payee, then the payor must notify the payee that withholding has started (or will start) no later than 15 days after the payor makes the first payment to the payee that is subject to withholding under section 3406. A notice that contains the information described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section satisfies the payor's requirement to give notice to the payee. If the broker notifies the payor that the payee failed to make a required certification and the payor has received the certification from the payee, the payor may disregard the notice from the broker.

(ii) Notified payee underreporting and incorrect taxpayer identification number. The payor must notify the payee under this section if the Internal Revenue Service or a broker notifies the payor to withhold either because of an incorrect taxpayer identification number under section 3406(a)(1)(B) (as described in § 31.3406(d)-5) or due to notified payee underreporting under section 3406(a)(1)(C) (as described in § 31.3406(c)-1). If a payor is notified by the Internal Revenue Service or a broker with respect to a readily tradable instrument, the payor may not ignore the notice even if the payee previously provided the payee's taxpayer identification number under penalties of perjury to the payor and even if the payee certified to the payor that the payee is not subject to backup withholding due to a notified payee underreporting. See § 31.3406(d)-5(c) (1) and (2) and (f)(2) for notice requirements under section 3406(a)(1)(B) due to an incorrect taxpayer identification number. See § 31.3406(c)-1(c)(2) for notice requirements under section 3406(a)(1)(C) due to notified payee underreporting.

(b) Notices—(1) Form of notice by broker to payor. A broker who is required under paragraphs (a)(1)(iii) and (2) of this section to notify the payor with respect to a readily tradable instrument may notify the payor in connection with the transfer instructions by means of magnetic media, machine readable document, or any other medium, provided that the notice includes the following information—

(i) The payee's name, address, and taxpayer identification number (if provided to the broker); and

(ii) A statement that the payee is subject to withholding under section 3406(a)(1) (A), (B), (C), or (D) of the Internal Revenue Code, whichever section applies; and

(iii) When applicable, a statement that the broker was notified by the Internal Revenue Service that the payee is subject to withholding under section 3406(a)(1)(B) or (C).

(2) Form of notice by payor to payee. A payor who is required to notify a payee that the payee is subject to withholding must provide notice that is substantially similar to the following—

(i) For a notification concerning a failure to provide a taxpayer identification number in the required manner under section 3406(a)(1)(A) or a failure to make the following certification described in section 3406(a)(1)(D):

Recently, you purchased (identify security acquired). Because of the existence of one or more of the following conditions, payments of interest, dividends, and other reportable amounts that are made to you will be subject to withholding of tax at a 31 percent rate: (specify the condition or conditions, described below, that are applicable)

(1) You failed to provide a taxpayer identification number, or failed to provide this number under penalties of perjury, in connection with the purchase of the acquired security. (An individual's taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number.)

(2) You failed to certify, under penalties of perjury, that you are not subject to withholding due to notified payee underreporting as required under section 3406(a)(1)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code.

If condition (1) applies, you may stop withholding by providing your taxpayer identification number on the enclosed Form W-9, signing the form, and returning it to us. If you do not have a taxpayer identification number, but have applied (or will soon apply) for one, you may so indicate on the Form W-9. Withholding may apply during the 60-day period you are waiting for your taxpayer identification number. You must provide us with your taxpayer identification number promptly after you receive it in order to avoid withholding after the end of the 60-day period or to stop withholding if it has already begun. Certain persons, described on the enclosed Form W-9, are exempt from withholding. Follow the instructions on that form if applicable to you.

If condition (2) applies, you may stop withholding by certifying on the enclosed Form W-9 that you are not subject to withholding due to notified payee underreporting, signing the form, and returning it to us.

If more than one condition applies, you must remove all applicable conditions to stop withholding.

Please address any questions concerning this notice to: [Insert payor identifying information].

(Do not address questions to the broker who purchased the securities for you.)

(ii) For the form of the notice concerning imposition of withholding due to an incorrect taxpayer identification number, see § 31.3406(d)-5 (d)(2) and (g)(2).

(iii) For the form of the notice concerning the imposition of withholding due to notified payee underreporting, see § 31.3406(c)-1(d)(2).

(c) Payor's reliance on information from broker—(1) In general. A payor of an instrument acquired by a payee through a broker may rely on the information that the payor receives from the broker pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

(2) Amount subject to backup withholding. The payor is required to withhold under section 3406 depending on the payor's customary method of making payment on an instrument or instruments owned by a payee. If it is the practice of a payor to combine in one account all readily tradable instruments of the same issue owned by a payee and if only certain of those instruments are subject to withholding, the payor must withhold on the aggregate payment made with respect to all the instruments in the account. Otherwise, the payor must withhold on the payment made on the instrument or instruments with respect to which the payee is subject to withholding.