[Foundation-l] [ANNOUNCEMENT] Greenspan illustration project

Sat Nov 3 01:53:09 UTC 2007

Hoi,
You misunderstand. It is none of our business. It is up to the foundation to
organise its activities. When people want to get paid for things they have
to provide enough data to comply with the regulatory requirements to get
paid. This has nothing to do with privacy issues and is of no concern to us.
It is indeed a privacy issue and as such it is exclusively between the
foundation and the people / organisations involved.

When people do not want to get paid for services rendered, they just do not
invoice. There will be more money to do whatever in this way. When this
happens it would be a good moment to reconsider "Donations, putting your
money where your mouth is" (article on Meta).
Thanks,
    GerardM

On 11/3/07, George Herbert <george.herbert at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The concern is that we're perhaps talking about getting independent
> contractor paperwork (for US citizens, including a social security number)
> for perhaps hundreds of people.
>
> "The Foundation just does it" is legally correct, presumably, but the
> concern was whether it was going to be a mess for the Foundation or not.
>
> It's not primarily a policy issue, but one of curiosity by the community
> into what may end up being an operational / administrative headache for
> the
> founation.
>
> Also, there are privacy issues.  If the Foundation ends up needing to 1099
> people to pay them in the US, then you have to do the social security
> number
> thing for US contractors, which may discourage some from participating.
>
> If it doesn't interest you then that's fine, but it seems to concern some
> of
> the rest of us...
>
>
> -george william herbert
>
> On Nov 2, 2007 6:30 PM, GerardM <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hoi,
> > Why would the WMF buy from the community for the rights to material that
> > the
> > community already makes available in the first place ?
> >
> > When the WMF pays specific people to do a specific job that involves the
> > creation or conversion of material in order to have more / better /
> > whatever
> > illustrations for the Wikipedia project it is irrelevant whether they
> are
> > a
> > member of the community as well. Again, I do not understand the
> relevance
> > to
> > this list. It is up to the WMF to deal with taxes where and when they
> have
> > to be paid. It is none of our business.
> > Thanks,
> >    GerardM
> >
> > On 11/3/07, George Herbert <george.herbert at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > I think you may misunderstand.  The concern is that the WMF will now,
> > for
> > > the first time that I know of (but I could be ignorant), be paying or
> > > purchasing something (good, or services) from members of the
> community,
> > > and
> > > not from a normal vendor or paying an internal employee.
> > >
> > > The WMF might be required, under some interpretations of tax law in
> the
> > US
> > > and how the payments are structured, to get a US IRS tax form (form
> 1099
> > > probably) for each person it paid for an illustration.  Which is a lot
> > of
> > > administrative and recordkeeping headache and requires things like a
> > > social
> > > security number to be provided, etc.
> > >
> > > If it's structured so that the foundation is buying the rights to an
> > > image,
> > > then that may be outside the contractor / pay for work structure
> enough
> > to
> > > be safe.  But this is legal / accountant territory.
> > >
> > >
> > > -george william herbert
> > >
> > > On Nov 2, 2007 6:03 PM, GerardM <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hoi,
> > > > Indeed. But in all instances, it is none of our business nor of the
> > WMF
> > > > how
> > > > the donor handles it re his taxes. When we accept a gift and spend
> it
> > > > within
> > > > the limitations associated with that gift, how the WMF pays
> applicable
> > > > taxes
> > > > is of no concern to either the donor or to the Wikimedia community
> as
> > it
> > > > is
> > > > part and parcel of spending the money.
> > > >
> > > > It is unlikely that the US tax office will restrict us from spending
> > > money
> > > > outside the US and consequently I do not understand at all why it is
> > > > relevant to consider taxes.
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >    GerardM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On 11/3/07, Sue Reed <sreed1234 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > > From: GerardM gerard.meijssen at gmail.com
> > > > >
> > > > > Once money has been given to the WMF, the WMF can spend the money
> > > where
> > > > it
> > > > > wants. People or organisations may deduct taxes under certain
> > > > conditions.
> > > > > If
> > > > > these conditions are met is none of our business.
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > >     GerardM
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > That's not actually true. US-based non-profits typically have
> > > restricted
> > > > > funds and non-restricted funds. Money given under non-restricted
> > funds
> > > > can
> > > > > be used however the non-profit feels is necessary. However, money
> > > > > specifically given to certain projects must be used for those
> > > projects.
> > > > > Reading Cary's email, it looks like this gift was given
> > *specifically*
> > > > for
> > > > > use in creating various illustrations for Wikipedia projects. That
> > is
> > > > the
> > > > > only thing that the money can be used for. IANAL and don't have
> > access
> > > > to
> > > > > the specifics of the grant, but things like employment taxes would
> > > > probably
> > > > > be covered. Most grants require specific accounting back to the
> > people
> > > > > giving the money on how they funds were spent.
> > > > >
> > > > > Sue Anne
> > > > > sreed1234 at yahoo.com
> > > > >
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> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > -george william herbert
> > > george.herbert at gmail.com
> > > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
> --
> -george william herbert
> george.herbert at gmail.com
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