### Multiple methods for tax identification

This page documents your organization's tax identification number as the sender/exporter using the `customsInfo.taxIdentificationNumber` field.

For **other parties'** tax identification (consignee, importer of record, third-party payors):

- **Primary method (recommended).** Use the `registrationInformation` object within `payorAccounts` - see the [Specifying Payors documentation](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/specifying-payors#providing-tax-and-registration-numbers-for-payors).
- **Alternative method.** Use `customsInfo.importerOfRecord.taxIdentificationNumbers` or `customsInfo.brokers.taxIdentificationNumbers` - see [Broker & Importer of Record](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/broker-importer-of-record).

The `payorAccounts.registrationInformation` method is recommended for most use cases, especially when providing EORI numbers for international customs clearance.

# About the tax identification number

A tax identification number, or employer identification number (EIN), is assigned and used by the Internal Revenue Service to identify a business entity. A tax ID number is required for customs when shipping internationally.

Within the Shipium system, you can provide your tax ID number via Shipium Console configuration and API call.

### API call value overrides console configuration

If you pass a tax ID number (using `taxIdentificationNumber`) in your calls to Shipium's APIs, any value you have configured for tax ID number in the Shipium Console will be overridden by the value included in the API call.

# Configure your tax ID number in the Shipium Console

You can configure your tax ID number in the [Shipium Console](https://partner.shipium.com/login) during fulfillment context setup. A fulfillment context allows you to configure the characteristics for your network origins, carrier contracts, label augmentations, third party billing, injection shipping, and tenants, in addition to other feature settings.

Guidance for establishing your tax ID number as part of fulfillment context configuration can be found in the [Fulfillment Contexts](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/fulfillment-contexts#tenant-details) documentation.

# Pass your tax ID number via API call

You also may include a tax ID number when calling Shipium's [Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/carrier-and-method-selection-and-shipment-label-api) and [Carrier and Method Selection](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/carrier-and-method-selection-api) APIs. Including a tax ID number in the API calls described below will override any tax ID value you have configured for a fulfillment context in the Shipium Console.

## Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API for single-parcel shipments

As described in the request field table in the [Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/carrier-and-method-selection-and-shipment-label-api#request-and-response-fields-for-api-calls) documentation, the optional `taxIdentificationNumber` value can be included in the shipment parameters of your call to this API.

```json
{
  "shipmentParameters": {
    "partnerShipmentId": "MY_SHIPMENT_001",
    "shippedDateTime": "2019-10-29T09:12:33.123456Z",
    "customsInfo" : {
      "taxIdentificationNumber": "12345"
    }
  }
}
```

## Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API for multi-parcel shipments

For multi-parcel shipments, the optional `taxIdentificationNumber` value can be included in the multi-parcel shipment parameters of your call to the [Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/carrier-and-method-selection-and-shipment-label-api). You can find further guidance for using this API for multi-parcel shipments in the [Multi-Parcel Shipments](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/multi-parcel-shipments) document. However, the following code block demonstrates inclusion of the tax ID.

```json
{
  "multiParcelshipmentParameters": {
    "partnerShipmentId": "MY_SHIPMENT_001",
    "shippedDateTime": "2019-10-29T09:12:33.123456Z",
    "customsInfo" : {
      "taxIdentificationNumber": "12345"
    }
  }
}
```

## Carrier and Method Selection API

As described in the request field table in the [Carrier and Method Selection API](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/carrier-and-method-selection-api) documentation, the optional `taxIdentificationNumber` value can be included in the body of the shipment entity of your call to this API.

```json
{
  "partnerShipmentId": "MY_SHIPMENT_001",
  "shippedDateTime": "2019-10-29T09:12:33.123456Z",
  "customsInfo" : {
    "taxIdentificationNumber": "12345"
  }
}
```

# Pass a tax ID number for payors other than the shipment sender via API call

To include a tax ID, or EIN, for an entity other than the shipment sender (or shipper), the optional `payorAccounts` object can be included in your call to Shipium's APIs, included either in `shipmentParameters` (for single-parcel shipments) or in `multiParcelShipmentParameters` (for [multi-parcel shipments](https://docs.shipium.com/edit/multi-parcel-shipments)). The required request fields that are part of the `payorAccounts` object are defined in the table below the code example, which demonstrates inclusion of the EIN for a recipient in the `shipmentParameters` of the call.

### The consignee tax ID is required when shipping to certain countries

Several countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have requirements for including the consignee's tax ID on customs documents for international shipments.

Requirements for the consignee account type differ from other account types; the carrier ID does not need to be included when the account type is consignee. Other data requirements for the consignee differ by carrier, as noted in [Specifying Payors](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/specifying-payors).

Carriers that support passing the tax ID for a consignee account type via API call include Asendia, DHL, eHub, ePost Global, FedEx, FirstMile, FlavorCloud, Landmark, OpenBorders, Passport, Purolator E-Ship, Reliable Logistics, SpeedX, UPS, USPS Direct, USPS via EasyPost, USPS via Endicia, and USPS via Pitney Bowes.

```json
{
  "shipmentParameters": {
    "payorAccounts": [
      {
        "accountType": "recipient",
        "carrierId": "usps",
        "registrationInformation": {
          "typeCode" : "EIN",
          "registrationNumber" : "iamaneinnumber00001",
          "issuerCountryCode" : "US"
        },
        "billForShippingCost": false,
        "billDutiesAndTaxes": false
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

## Required fields

| Request field | Details |
| --- | --- |
| `payorAccounts.accountType` | **Type:** String (enumeration)<br>**Values:**`collect`, `consignee`, `recipient`, `sender`, `third_party`<br>**Description:** The type of account to use for billing |
| `payorAccounts.registrationInformation.typeCode` | **Type:** String (enumeration)<br>**Values:**`EIN` (Employee Identification Number), `EOR` (Economic Operators Registration and Identification), `GST` (Goods and Services Tax), `VAT` (Value Added Tax)<br>**Description:** The registration number type code for the payor account; this value should be `EIN` to include the tax ID for the designated entity. |
| `payorAccounts.registrationInformation.registrationNumber` | **Type:** String<br>**Example:**`12344509`<br>**Description:** The registration number for the payor account |
| `payorAccounts.registrationInformation.issuerCountryCode` | **Type:** String<br>**Description:** The [ISO 3166-1 country code](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/non-us-address-formats#per-country-details) for the payor account |
| `payorAccounts.billForShippingCost` | **Type:** Boolean<br>**Values:**`true` or `false`<br>**Description:** If `true`, this indicates whether the payor should be billed for the cost of shipping the package; the value should be `false` when designating tax ID for a payor type. |
| `payorAccounts.billDutiesAndTaxes` | **Type:** Boolean<br>**Values:**`true` or `false`<br>**Description:** If `true`, this indicates whether the payor should be billed for duties and taxes; the value should be `false` when designating tax ID (`EIN`) for a payor type (`typeCode`). |

## Conditional fields

| Request field | Details |
| --- | --- |
| `payorAccounts.carrierId` | **Type:** String (enumeration)<br>**Example:**`usps`<br>**Condition:** Required for `third_party` and `collect` account types; optional for `sender`, `recipient`, and `consignee` account types<br>**Description:** The carrier ID as represented in the Shipium platform; you can find carrier ID values in [Supported Carriers](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/supported-carriers). |

# Resources

Your Shipium team member is available to help along the way. However, you might find these resources helpful:

- [Terms and Definitions](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/common-terms)
- [Troubleshooting Guide](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/troubleshooting-guide)
- [Contact Shipium Support](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/contacting-shipium-support)

Updated 6 months ago