I have read a few posts about supplying an ebook for the ipad via ibook, but one of the prerequisites according to apple is that an author should have a tax id number, on amazon via kindle (so long as you are an individual and not a company) you only need your SS if you are a U.S. citizen.
I have contacted apple and they told me to send the question to another help desk department, which I did, and replies would come back from the email address that I had originally sent my inquiry to.

this kept going on for three weeks!
I never received an answer to the simple question as to whether or not I need a tax id or just a social security number if I am giving the book away for free and I am not representing a company.
could someone else who has provided content for the ipad help me out with some info? This is really my last option to post a question such as this here.
I have googled like heck, read forum after forum, and I can't find the answer I need, not even from apple themselves!