U.S. IRS Form W-7 ITIN Application

Question

I am an Australian Self Publisher www.nixonspublishing.id.au currently selling both ebook and printed books in the www.blurb.com bookstore. Like many others who have invested a lot of time and money in that magic application  iBooks Author I wish to avail myself of publishing in the iBookstore. Even though Apple carry on business in Australia and deal in this market in value I am still required to have an ITIN in order to register for this service. My guess is that is because I might sell something to a US citizen [thats a novel ideal]. It should be noted there is no such requirement in dealing with blurb I guess that is because they to have an Australian presence and are carrying on business in this part of the World.
My application has just been rejected by the IRIS because I answered question 'a[x]' in the affirmative ' Nonresident alien required to get ITIN to claim tax treaty benefit' and failed to provide the correction information in relation to question h[ ] which requires me to state the 'Exception I am entitled to claim' and the 'treaty article number' that applies to that detail. Given that I did engross the treaty in the first place which just happened to be signed by Ronald Reagan for the US and John Howard for Australia I am not quite sure what the finer details of this Tax Treaty as applied by the IRS actually entail.
The detail for the inexperienced which on the face of it appears to be quite a trivial matter appears to be cloaked in a volume of documentation that you probably could not jump over. The finer points as to what is required are not known to the Australian Tax Office [who actually benefit from this treaty], The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs [who probably negiotated the treaty] and Trade the US Consulate [Canberra] or Business Services [Sydney] if fact I have been told that the closest IRA representative which conducts business and can answer questions in our time zone is in China. Unfortunately several phone calls at considerable expense have failed to make a connection or get a response I guess the IRS representative is  to busy with the Chinese or perhaps is subject to rotation which apparently happens in US Government circles at this time of the year.
Now I could take the risk and submit again but that might mean another rejection which based on the last application was a waste of 6 weeks. Alternatively I could get up at 4am Australian time and actually ring the processor of my original application but unfortunately I am not an early riser.
My guess is that someone out there probably an Australia has already been put though the jump and hopefully prepared to share with me the magic associated with form W-7.
Oh and for our US cousins the cost in Australia to have a single page A4 document apostilised is $60.00 which actual pales in significance when compared to the cost to get to the Department duly authorised to perform these notary services. And more importantly I am not encouraged to commit an offense by sending them my origional Australian Drivers licence not unless I am not planning to drive for 6-10 weeks.
A response any response would be appreciated. Ant..

Answer 1

adnixon wrote:
Thanks for the response but on my reading EIN's do not apply to persons who do not live in the US or one of its Territories and that the principal officer must have a valid US issued taxpayer identification number.
Not so. I'm in Australia, I'm registered with Apple with an EIN, and everything is just fine. The royalty payments are arriving on schedule.
Given that I happen to be the pricipal officer and live in Australia I don't have a valid taxpaer identification number and as a consequence I am obliged to apply for an ITIN a process on my understanding that is applicable to all aliens.
I don't know where you got this info from, but I don't believe it is correct. As a publisher, I registered with Apple under my company name, and I got an EIN for my company in ten minutes over the phone, no problem.
Michi.