Fill Out Form W-8 BEN
Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United
States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals)
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What is Form W-8BEN?
Form W-8BEN is an IRS document completed by non-U.S. individuals who receive income from U.S. sources. Its main purpose is to certify that you are a foreign person and to establish your right to claim a reduced withholding rate if your home country has a tax treaty with the United States. Without this form on file, the payer is required to withhold 30% of your payment. Submitting a correctly completed W-8BEN can significantly reduce or eliminate that withholding, depending on the applicable treaty terms.
What is Form W-8BEN used for?
Form W-8BEN covers several related tax functions for foreign individuals receiving U.S.-source income:
- Foreign status certification: Confirms that the individual is not a U.S. person for tax purposes.
- Beneficial ownership: States that the individual is the actual owner of the income, not an intermediary.
- Treaty benefits: Requests a reduced withholding rate available under a tax treaty between the U.S. and the individual's country of residence.
- Backup withholding prevention: Prevents the payer from applying backup withholding when the form is on file.
- Tax reporting: Supports accurate income reporting by the payer to the IRS.
Who needs to complete Form W-8BEN?
Non-U.S. individuals who receive income from U.S. sources — such as royalties, dividends, interest, or payments for services — are required to complete this form. Employers hiring non-U.S. workers must collect a W-8BEN during onboarding.
Withholding agents, financial institutions, and payers use the completed form to verify the recipient's foreign status and apply the correct withholding rate.
Frequently asked questions
When is Form W-8BEN not required?
W-8BEN is not the right form in every situation. If you are a nonresident alien claiming an exemption for compensation related to independent or dependent personal services, use Form 8233 or Form W-4. If you are the trustee of a foreign trust, Form W-8BEN-E or W-8IMY applies. If your income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, Form W-8ECI should be used instead.
When must Form W-8BEN be submitted?
The form must be submitted to the withholding agent or payer before the first payment is made. If you do not provide it in time, the payer is required to apply the standard 30% withholding rate — or the backup withholding rate under Section 3406 — to your payment.
How to get a blank Form W-8BEN
The form is available pre-loaded in our editor — no need to find it elsewhere. Open it, fill in your details, and download the completed version. Note that Form Assistant Pro supports filling out and downloading the form, but does not handle submission to a withholding agent or the IRS.
Where is Form W-8BEN submitted?
Form W-8BEN is submitted directly to your withholding agent or payer — not to the IRS. Do not mail it to the IRS.
Note that W-8BEN applies to individuals only. Foreign entities must use Form W-8BEN-E. For updated instructions, refer to the IRS website.
