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Tell us your situation
Individual or entity, and your country. We pick the right form.
BASE CAMP01 / 03
W-8 Form
Get your W-8 form prepared
If you earn US income but are not a US person, a W-8 form tells your US payers who you are and how to treat your income. Done right, it can lower the tax withheld on what you earn. We prepare the correct form with the correct treaty position.
$150 done for you
4.7Featured in
- 15,000+
- Founders
- 24
- Years
- 193
- Countries
THE DELIVERABLE · W-8BEN-E
Department of the TreasuryInternal Revenue Service
W-8BEN-E
Prepared for
Beneficial owner
ACME LLC
COMPLETED
Ready to hand to the payerPDF ✓
What's in the kit
Handled start to finish.
The brief
What is a W-8 form?
In short
A W-8 is the IRS form a non-US person or company gives to whoever is paying them, certifying that they are foreign. W-8BEN is for individuals and W-8BEN-E for entities. It goes to the payer, never to the IRS, and it is what allows a treaty rate to be applied.
Why do you need a W-8 form?
Without a valid W-8 on file, the payer is required to withhold 30 percent of US-source income and send it to the IRS. That is money out of an invoice you have already earned, recovered only by filing a return and waiting.
With one, and where a treaty applies between your country and the US, that rate drops and can reach zero. The form is also why platforms and clients hold payouts: they cannot legally release them until it is signed.
Who needs a W-8 form?
- Foreign individuals and companies paid by US clients or platforms
- Non-US owners of a US company receiving distributions
- Anyone whose payout is being held pending tax documentation
- Foreign contractors invoicing a US business
On your own, or with Summit
- Which W-8. We complete the one your situation calls for.
- The treaty claim. Completed with your country's treaty article.
- If it is rejected. We correct it and reissue.
Which form
BEN for people, BEN-E for entities
W-8 BEN is for non-US individuals earning US income. It identifies you as a foreign person and claims any treaty benefits you are entitled to.
W-8 BEN-E is the entity version, for non-US companies earning US income. It is longer because it also captures how the entity is classified, but it does the same core job: identifying you as foreign and claiming the right treaty treatment.
We figure out which one fits your situation so you are not guessing between them.
Tax treaties
Paying the right amount, not more
The US has tax treaties with many countries that reduce or remove withholding on certain kinds of income. A W-8 is where you claim that benefit.
Applying the correct treaty position is the part worth getting right, because the wrong position means too much gets withheld or the form gets rejected. We match your country and income type to the position you actually qualify for, so you keep what you are entitled to keep.
Keeping it current
Valid for three years
A W-8 form is generally valid through the end of the third year after you sign it. Most people set a reminder and refresh it before it lapses.
You hand the completed form to each US payer that sends you income, and they keep it on file. If your details change before the three years are up, you provide an updated form. We will flag when yours is coming due so it never catches you off guard.
Your expedition kitW-8 Form
Review of your situation: individual or entity✓
The correct W-8 BEN or W-8 BEN-E prepared for you✓
Tax-treaty position applied where you qualify✓
A completed form ready to hand to your US payers✓
Guidance on the three-year validity and renewals✓
Exactly as listed. Where something is optional, the line says so.
Entity type Protected
LLC
Corporation
Personal assets shielded
Renewal On track
Filed on time, every year
The route
Three camps to the summit.
The same route every time. Open a tab to see what happens at each camp, and what we need from you at it.
02
We prepare it correctly
We complete the form with the right details and treaty position.
THE RIDGE02 / 03
03
You hand it off
Give the finished form to your US payers and your withholding stays correct.
THE SUMMIT03 / 03
Fellow climbers
“They responded to each concern with excellent human quality, they supported me throughout the process and additionally they provided me advice to open my business bank account. 100% recommended.”
IsabelQuito
4.7 on Google
Questions
Asked on the way up.
Do I use a W-8 BEN or a W-8 BEN-E?
Use W-8 BEN if you earn the income as an individual, and W-8 BEN-E if a non-US company earns it. We confirm which one fits and prepare it for you.
Who do I give the form to?
You give it to the US payer sending you income, not to the IRS. They keep it on file and use it to apply the right withholding.
Can a W-8 lower the tax withheld on my income?
Often, yes. If your country has a tax treaty with the US, the form lets you claim a reduced rate on certain income. We apply the treaty position you qualify for.
How long is it good for?
Generally through the end of the third year after you sign it. We will let you know when it is time to refresh so there is no gap.
Will you ask for my SSN or ITIN?
No. We never collect SSNs or ITINs. We gather only the information the W-8 itself requires to identify you and claim your treaty position.
What is the difference between a W-8 and a W-9?
A W-9 is for US persons and companies, a W-8 is for everyone else. Both go to the payer rather than the IRS, and both exist so the payer knows how much, if anything, to withhold. Using the wrong one triggers withholding at the higher rate.
Why is 30 percent being withheld from my payment?
Because the payer has no valid W-8 on file for you. Thirty percent is the default rate on US-source income paid to a foreign person, and it is withheld and sent to the IRS. A valid form, and a treaty where one applies, is what reduces it.
What is a tax treaty rate?
A reduced rate of withholding agreed between the US and your country, which can be lower than 30 percent and in some cases zero. It is claimed in Part II of the form by naming the country and the article, which is where most forms are filled in wrongly.
Do I need a US tax number to claim a treaty rate?
Often not. Many treaty claims can be made using your own country's tax identification number rather than a US one, which is why we can complete the form without asking you for an ITIN or an SSN.
Why is my payout on hold?
Usually a missing or expired W-8. Platforms and clients cannot legally release US-source payments to a foreign recipient without the documentation on file, so they hold the money rather than pay it and withhold later.
Do I file a W-8 with my tax return?
No. It is not a return and it is never sent to the IRS by you. It lives with the payer, who relies on it to decide what to withhold, and it is replaced when it expires or when anything on it changes.