Tax-ID for individual developer?

[sh2sg]

Hi,

I am living in Singapore, I don't have a company, can I use my National Registration Identity Card(NRIC) number as Tax-ID for the Ovi registration? In Singapore, individual Tax Reference number is same as NRIC number.

Thanks.

[Nitesh Bhardwaj]

welcome in DIBO,
just look on these links,
http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.ph..._Ovi_Store_FAQ
http://discussion.forum.nokia.com/fo...d.php?t=165916

[sh2sg]

Hi,

Thanks for the links, I have searched this forum and read those theads already, I am still confused with the term Tax-ID.

Is Tax-ID referring to any number related to national tax that can be used to validate publisher (individual or company)? So for individual without a company, it is just government issued IC number or personal Incoming Tax Reference number (in Singapore, they are same number), or must be a number of business entiry such as Company Register number?

I saw in the links you gave, it is mentioned that one can use Social Security Number as Tax-ID for US developers, I understand that Social Security Number in US has the same meaning as National Registration Identity Card number in Singapore, does that mean that individual without a company is able to register as publisher by providing this number as Tax-ID?

[jimgilmour1]

Hi,

must be a number of business entity such as Company Register number?

Social Security Number in US has the same meaning as National Registration Identity Card number in Singapore, does that mean that individual without a company is able to register as publisher by providing this number as Tax-ID?

You need a Tax ID as in many countries that have a National ID system this is the same.
On the company front, then you have to comply with your country tax rule for company registration.

Currently Ovi Store only supports companies and in UK we have found that we can use self-employed company tax, and sole trader, companies with out needing to register for VAT.

Beware Nokia Ovi Store will only pay into Company bank accounts so you will need a company Registration number

Tax -VAT is paid on your behalf by Ovi, you will only be affected when above you country threshold, in U.K this is above £68,000

However you need a website with company name as domain name URL and an support email address same as company website domain name .

Good Luck
Jim

[sh2sg]

Thanks Jim. Looks like I have to give up Ovi Store unless I register a company... I publish apps thru MS Marketplace and Apple AppStore too, they all open for individuals, hope Nokia does that too.

[AABEECEE]

This is a bit confusing.
Is it possible for individual developer (with no company involved) to publish programs in the Ovi Store or not?
If yes, then it would be interesting and very helpful to have and share some experiences and advice from different countries. Especially what to do with tax-id and taxes in general. Has Nokia provided this type of information somewhere, or is it left to individuals to find out and learn from each other?
Personally would like to know how things are in Finland.

[petrib]

This is a bit confusing.
Is it possible for individual developer (with no company involved) to publish programs in the Ovi Store or not?
If yes, then it would be interesting and very helpful to have and share some experiences and advice from different countries. Especially what to do with tax-id and taxes in general. Has Nokia provided this type of information somewhere, or is it left to individuals to find out and learn from each other?
Personally would like to know how things are in Finland.

I suspect in Finland you'd need minimally to register a "toiminimi", or "avoin yhtiö".

Relevant wikipedia descriptions (in Finnish) here:

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinkeinonharjoittaja
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toiminimi
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoin_yhti%C3%B6
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommandiittiyhti%C3%B6
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osakeyhti%C3%B6

And the official info here (also in Finnish):

http://www.prh.fi/fi/kaupparekisteri/yeh.html
http://www.prh.fi/fi/kaupparekisteri...yhtiojaky.html
http://www.prh.fi/fi/kaupparekisteri/osakeyhtio.html

[sh2sg]

just dropping by to say something before i give up all of my symbian projects.

is there a particular reason to stop individuals contributing to Nokia App Store? i have gone through 3 app stores to prompt my mobile apps, apple, microsoft and ovi, windows mobile marketplace is pretty young so far, no comment on it; apple appstore is exciting, i am not meaning it has thounds of apps, i mean many apps in apple store are very creative, imagination and stimulating. they may look yet in the rough, or look naive, but they certainly brought some very fresh ideas. these apps are all contributed by individuals, they are students or made-for-hobby, these people are smart and have tonz of free time to build their ideas, while i believe a serious/formal business entity won't release creative products that may cause ridiculed, and that's why ovi store does not look so active.

--
sent from my mobile device, sorry if any typo.

[jimgilmour1]

Thanks Jim. Looks like I have to give up Ovi Store unless I register a company... I publish apps thru MS Marketplace and Apple AppStore too, they all open for individuals, hope Nokia does that too.

Hi,
This was discussed in great detail in the beginning (Feb 2009), and its been decided that *LIKE* the Apple App store individuals wont be catered for until the store has been open for a period of time. Apple initially shunned individual developers and even refused to sell the tools to make apps on the iPhone. The tools to build apps on the Ovi store have always been free

The other side to you discussion which you have alluded to in other posts is that people and students will dump their apps as soon as the finish there courses. While no one denies that some of these could be highly creative the Symbian market is so mature and competitive that they probably would not get anywhere near the sales you seem to suggest.

Having millions of free apps receiving constant updates for problems does not make any sort of shop or store a good place

There seems to be an acceptance of Apple Marketing that the Apple App store is the place to be. However few developers have made enough money to cover the cost of that shiny new Mac gathering dust in the corner.

Most people in UK pay for company registration so they personally do not get held liable for any tax problems the company might encounter!!!.

This just makes business sense, and has nothing to do with the Ovi Store

Finally consider this Apple sold 2million phones a month is 2009 of the N series and E series which will support Ovi store Nokia Sales were 4.5million and 4.2Million . These would have been higher but for a shortage of parts for the N series (N97).
When considering you market, cutting out the biggest selling supplier of mobile phones by a ratio of 4 to 1 does not make business sense.

The initial finding of Ovi Store is that apps sell for more on Ovi store, than they do on the Apple Store

Selling apps is the purpose of Ovi Store. Sorry but its not a free shop windows for speculative apps.
Thanks,
Jim

[sh2sg]

so it is Nokia's marketing strategy? eg, try to present a 'high quality' app store at the first phase? personally i don't quite agree with this. i prefer popularity rather than the very subjective 'quality', why developers spend time on symbian/wm/objective-c? because the store is fun, not really sales or money stuff, which i think Nokia concerns the commerical part too much.

i dunno about the apple story, how long did apple open for individuals since appstore launched?

[sh2sg]

some discussions: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=34661

[tamhanna]

Send me an email to tamhan at tamoggemon dot com.

I can then help you out as a publisher if you want.