TIN for a Burial Trust Account

Question:

When opening a burial trust account, can we submit the burial agreement as a verification of TIN?

Answer:

No. A TIN certification requires three specific statements made under penalties of perjury. Assuming the funeral home is the party opening the account under the laws of your state, they should bring you a proper TIN certification, aka IRS Form W-9, executed by the would-be decedent.

First published on BankersOnline.com 1/3/05