Select language

Form W-8 BEN

  1. Country USA
  2. Language English
  3. Activity Taxes
  4. Department Internal Revenue Service
Fill out this form
Form W-8 BEN

Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)

Rev. October 2021

[Form W-8BEN (Rev. October 2021)] This tax form is for individuals to provide identification and certification of foreign status for United States tax withholding and reporting. Part I requires the beneficial owner's identification, country of citizenship, permanent residence address, mailing address, U.S. taxpayer identification number, and foreign tax identifying number. Part II allows the beneficial owner to claim tax treaty benefits. Part III is a certification under penalties of perjury. The form must be given to the withholding agent or payer and not sent to the IRS.

Instructions

FAQ
  • What is my filing status?

    You can choose Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household based on your personal circumstances.

  • What is the purpose of Form W-8BEN?

    Form W-8BEN is used by foreign individuals to certify that they are not subject to U.S. income tax withholding on certain types of income, such as scholarship or fellowship income.

  • If I qualify for a treaty exemption, do I need to complete Form W-8BEN?

    Yes, if you qualify for an exception under the first protocol of the U.S.-China tax treaty and want to claim exemption from tax on your scholarship or fellowship income, you would still need to complete Form W-8BEN.

  • What should I do with my completed Form W-8BEN?

    Give it to your withholding agent, who will use the information to reduce or eliminate income tax withholding on your income.

  • How do I sign and date Form W-8BEN?

    You must sign and date Form W-8BEN. The beneficial owner or account holder may incur liability for the penalties provided for an erroneous, false, or fraudulent form.

  • Do I need to file a tax return?

    It depends on your income and filing status.

  • What is the estimated burden for business taxpayers filing Form W-8BEN?

    The estimated burden for business taxpayers filing Form W-8BEN is approved under OMB control number 1545-0123.

  • What is the Paperwork Reduction Act?

    The Paperwork Reduction Act requires federal agencies to get approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before they can collect information from the public. It aims to reduce paperwork burden on the public.

  • What is backup withholding?

    Backup withholding is a requirement that a payer withhold a certain percentage of payments made to a nonresident alien individual or foreign entity if they haven't provided their correct taxpayer identification number or certified their exemption status.

  • What is a W-9 form and why do I need it?

    A W-9 form is used by individuals to provide their name and address to a business for tax reporting purposes. You may need to complete a W-9 if you are paid in cash or if your income isn't reported on a W-2 form.

  • How do I know what forms to file?

    You should consult with a tax professional, refer to the IRS website, or use tax software to determine which forms you need to file.

HOW TO

How to fill out Form W-8 BEN for free, online in 3 easy steps:

  1. 1
    Open form template in editor
    Click on the “Get this template” button.
  2. 2
    Fill out Form W-8 BEN
    Wait a moment and you will be redirected to our online PDF Filler app.
  3. 3
    Download file
    Download your completed Form W-8 BEN for free. You can also save it to a cloud storage.
Formize PDF Filler app
ABOUT

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms

Form W-8 BEN is one of the official tax forms used in the United States to report income, claim deductions and credits, calculate tax liability, and fulfill other tax-related obligations. The IRS is the federal agency responsible for administering and enforcing the internal revenue laws in the United States.

Here are some examples of Internal Revenue Service forms:

Form 1040: This is the primary individual income tax return form used by most taxpayers. It is used to report various types of income, claim deductions and credits, calculate tax liability, and determine whether a taxpayer owes additional tax or is entitled to a refund.

Form 1099: There are different variations of Form 1099, such as 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, etc. These forms are used to report income received by individuals or businesses from various sources other than employment, such as self-employment income, interest income, dividend income, and rental income.

Form W-2: This form is used by employers to report wages paid to employees and the taxes withheld from their pay. Employees use the information on Form W-2 to complete their individual tax returns.

Form 941: Employers use this form to report employment taxes, including federal income tax withheld, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax, for their employees.

Form 1065: This form is used by partnerships to report their income, deductions, and tax liability. Partnerships themselves do not pay income tax; instead, the partners report their share of partnership income on their individual tax returns.

Form 1120: This is the corporate income tax return form used by C corporations to report their income, deductions, and tax liability.

Form 990: This form is used by tax-exempt organizations, such as nonprofits and charities, to report their financial information, activities, and compliance with tax laws.

Form 8862: This form is used by taxpayers who previously claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) but had it disallowed, and now want to claim it again.

These are just a few examples of the numerous IRS forms that exist to fulfill various tax-related obligations. The specific forms required for an individual or business depend on their unique circumstances, income sources, and deductions. It's advisable to consult the official website of the Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov) or seek professional tax advice to obtain accurate and up-to-date information regarding the specific IRS forms relevant to your tax situation.

FEATURES

PDF Filler

The easiest way to fill Form W-8 BEN online

  • Quickly fill out Form W-8 BEN
    Looking for a way to quickly fill Form W-8 BEN online? With our online free PDF form filler, you’ll know how to how to edit and fill this pdf document in less than a minute.
  • Easy to use online PDF editor
    Fed up with printing out PDF files so you can edit them, before rescanning and sending them back? Edit PDF documents for free online. Use our online pdf editor to save time and paper.
  • Great tools, all platforms
    Wondering how to fill in Form W-8 BEN on a Mac, or maybe how to use a PDF filler free? Our online PDF tools work on all platforms.
  • Secure file storage
    Completed "Form W-8 BEN" files are stored in a secured database managed by Amazon Cloud hosting. You can delete your files from our system anytime. In any case, these files are automatically deleted after 24 hours.
  • Chat with Form W-8 BEN
    Chat with "Form W-8 BEN" on Chatize that is a free PDF reader assistant. Ask questions and get answers from "Form W-8 BEN". Just click on Chat With Document button above.

Delete filling session

Delete the selected filling session? In this case, your progress in completing the form will be lost.

Delete editing session

Delete the selected editing session? In this case, your progress in creating and editing the form will be lost.