Why is Etsy rejecting my Singapore FIN Taxpayer ID for INFORM Act verification?

Hi! If your Singapore FIN keeps getting rejected even though Etsy says it’s acceptable, it’s usually not that your FIN is “wrong” — it’s that Etsy’s verification is failing due to (1) the ID being entered in the wrong field, (2) a country/account mismatch that makes Etsy treat you like a US seller, or (3) an automated format/identity-match check that’s picky about how your info appears (even tiny differences can cause a fail).

Here’s what I’d do, in the order that tends to fix it fastest:

1) Make sure you’re entering the FIN in the right place

On Etsy, there’s typically a difference between:

• the main “taxpayer ID”/tax ID section (often geared toward VAT/GST or US tax IDs), and
• an “Additional taxpayer identification” area where you pick your country and select the tax ID type.

For Singapore individuals, your FIN usually needs to go in that “Additional taxpayer identification” area with Singapore selected, rather than in any VAT/GST-style field.

Also double-check you’re set up as an individual (not a registered business). If Etsy thinks you’re a business, it may expect a UEN-type business ID instead of a personal FIN.

2) Enter it in the strictest format (even if Etsy says the format is valid)

Even when Support says “format is valid,” the automated checker can still reject based on formatting/normalization. Try all of these:

• No spaces before/after (paste into a plain text note first to remove hidden characters)
• No dashes or punctuation
• ALL CAPS
• Enter only the FIN itself (don’t add “FIN” or “Singapore” or any extra text)

If you’ve been copying it from a saved password manager or a document, retype it manually once too (to avoid invisible characters).

3) Confirm your identity details match your Etsy “Legal and tax information” exactly

Etsy’s verification can fail if your FIN is fine but your name / DOB / address don’t match what the system expects. Check:

• Your legal name on Etsy matches your ID format (order of names, spelling, middle name, punctuation)
• Your country is Singapore everywhere it matters (shop owner details, legal/tax page, bank country)
• Your bank account details are consistent with your seller location

One common gotcha: if anything about your setup makes Etsy classify you as a US seller (for example, US address on file, or other US indicators), Etsy may keep pushing you toward US-style taxpayer IDs and reject foreign IDs even when they “should” work.

4) If you’re not a “business,” don’t try to “force” a business tax ID

Some sellers try to solve this by entering random “tax numbers” that aren’t actually issued to them (or business-only numbers). Don’t do that — it can create bigger verification problems later and keep the hold going.

5) Yes — ask for escalation/manual review, but be very specific in your request

Etsy can sometimes resolve these cases by reviewing your verification attempt and/or having a specialist trigger a reset or manual check. When you contact Etsy, ask for “manual review / verification escalation for INFORM Act seller info” and include:

• that you’re a Singapore individual seller
• that your taxpayer ID is FIN
• that you entered it under the Singapore tax ID selection (or say you need them to confirm the correct field)
• that payouts are held due to verification failing
• 2–3 screenshots: the error message, the place you’re entering it (with most digits hidden), and your country selection

Also ask them to reset the verification flow on their end if it’s stuck (this is a real thing—sometimes the workflow gets “jammed” and keeps rejecting even after corrections).

6) If Etsy support keeps saying “format is valid” but it still fails…

Push back with a clear next step request:

• “Can you confirm which tax ID type your system expects for Singapore individuals in my account?”
• “Can you confirm whether my account is being treated as a US seller for tax verification purposes?”
• “Please escalate to the team that handles seller verification holds and request a manual review or verification reset.”

If you want, tell me what options you see in your dropdown for Singapore tax ID type (just the names of the options — not your number), and whether your shop is set up as “individual” or “business.” I can tell you which exact path usually works based on what Etsy is currently showing sellers.