Asked for SSN when buying art, this normal?

[Castella]

I was in the process of buying a piece I've been admiring for a while, and when it came time to finalize the sale, the gallery asked for my Social Security number. They said it was for tax purposes, but it caught me off guard and honestly made the whole thing feel clinical and uneasy.
I collect because the work speaks to me, not to feel like I'm signing a contract with the government, now it has made me hesitate, even though I still want the piece but is this a normal or standard procedure or am I about to be wrapped in conspiracy like in movies, lol

 

[antonov]

I was in the process of buying a piece I've been admiring for a while, and when it came time to finalize the sale, the gallery asked for my Social Security number. They said it was for tax purposes, but it caught me off guard and honestly made the whole thing feel clinical and uneasy.
I collect because the work speaks to me, not to feel like I'm signing a contract with the government, now it has made me hesitate, even though I still want the piece but is this a normal or standard procedure or am I about to be wrapped in conspiracy like in movies, lol

Yes, that's one way to feel uneasy when shopping pieces. It's too frustrating when they do that. And I feel like that's the gallery just wanting to protect themselves from scam or something, but it's just too meh.