Forms · IRS

Fill out Form W-8BEN online, without uploading it

Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals). Certifies that you are not a U.S. person, and can claim a lower withholding rate under a tax treaty.

Open Form W-8BEN in PDFPane Free · opens in your browser · nothing is uploaded · or download the blank PDF

About Form W-8BEN

• Who fills it in: People outside the U.S. paid by a U.S. company or platform — freelancers, creators, investors.
• Where it goes: The company or platform that pays you — not the IRS.

How to fill it in with PDFPane

1. Click Open Form W-8BEN in PDFPane. The official blank opens with every fillable box highlighted.
2. Click the first box and press Tab to go through them in order. Tick boxes with a click.
3. Need a signature? Pick Sign, then draw it, type it or use a photo, and place it on the line. Date adds today's date.
4. Click Download. You get a new PDF with everything filled in. Free: 3 downloads a month with a Google sign-in.

Which edition this is

This is the October 2021 revision of Form W-8BEN, marked "Rev. October 2021". The W-8BEN carries a revision date, not a tax year, and the IRS's Form W-8BEN page lists this revision as the current one.

Who gives a W-8BEN, and to whom

• A nonresident alien individual who is the beneficial owner of income subject to U.S. withholding, or who holds an account at a foreign financial institution and documents themselves as a nonresident alien. The IRS says to submit it when the payer asks, whether or not you claim a lower rate.
• It goes to the withholding agent or payer: the company, platform or bank that pays you or holds your account. The form says "Do not send to the IRS." Generally, each payer needs its own W-8BEN, given before the payment is made.
• Foreign persons are taxed at 30% on U.S.-source income such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties and pay for services, usually collected by withholding. Without a W-8BEN, a payer may have to withhold 30%, or backup withholding.
• A resident of a country that has an income tax treaty with the U.S. can claim a lower rate, or an exemption, in Part II.

Not the right form if you are:

• a company or other entity — use Form W-8BEN-E;
• a U.S. citizen, even living abroad, or a resident alien — use Form W-9;
• receiving income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business — Form W-8ECI;
• claiming exemption for pay for personal services performed in the United States — Form 8233 or Form W-4;
• acting as an intermediary for someone else — Form W-8IMY.

What each part asks

1. Part I — Identification. Line 1, your name. Line 2, your country of citizenship. Line 3, your permanent residence address: where you are resident for that country's income tax, not a P.O. box or in-care-of address. Line 4, a mailing address if different.
2. Lines 5 and 6 — Tax numbers. Line 5, a U.S. SSN or ITIN, if required. Line 6a, the tax number from your country of residence (the foreign TIN); line 6b, a box for when you are not legally required to have one. To claim certain treaty benefits you need one of the two. An ITIN is applied for with Form W-7; the IRS says it usually takes 4–6 weeks.
3. Lines 7 and 8. Reference numbers, such as an account number, and your date of birth (MM-DD-YYYY), which is needed for some financial accounts.
4. Part II — Treaty claim. Line 9, the treaty country you are resident of. Line 10, only when the treaty benefit has extra conditions: the article and paragraph, the rate and the type of income, and an explanation. The instructions give examples: some royalties, students and researchers, and business profits not attributable to a permanent establishment.
5. Part III — Certification. Signature, date (MM-DD-YYYY) and your printed name. Someone signing for you under a power of attorney ticks the capacity box and attaches the power of attorney; Form 2848 can be used.

How long it lasts

• Generally, from the day you sign it until the last day of the third calendar year after that. The IRS's example: a form signed on September 30, 2015 is valid through December 31, 2018.
• If something on it becomes incorrect, you must tell the payer within 30 days and give a new form. Moving to a U.S. address is such a change; a move within one foreign country, or to another, generally is not — unless you claim treaty benefits.
• If you become a U.S. citizen or resident, including by the days you spend in the U.S., you must tell the payer within 30 days and may need to give a W-9.

Questions

Is this the current W-8BEN?

Yes. It is the IRS's own PDF, marked "Rev. October 2021", the revision its Form W-8BEN page lists as current.

Do I send the W-8BEN to the IRS?

No. It goes to the payer or platform that asked for it.

Can I fill out a W-8BEN online for free?

Yes. Open it in PDFPane, fill in Parts I to III and download it — 3 downloads a month are free with a Google sign-in. Or download the blank PDF (the IRS's, unchanged).

Can I sign a W-8BEN electronically?

The IRS says a payer may allow an electronic signature, and that simply typing your name into the signature line is not one. In PDFPane you can draw your signature or use a photo of it. Whether the payer accepts that is up to the payer; if it wants ink, download the filled form, print it and sign by hand.

Are my tax numbers and date of birth uploaded anywhere?

No. PDFPane fills in the PDF in Chrome on your computer. The form, your foreign TIN and your date of birth never reach PDFPane's server or anyone else's.

Should I fill in a W-8BEN or a W-9?

The W-8BEN is for individuals who are not U.S. persons. U.S. citizens and resident aliens use the W-9, even if they live abroad.

Open Form W-8BEN in PDFPane

This is the official PDF published by the IRS, see its page for the current edition and instructions. PDFPane is not affiliated with the IRS and does not give tax or legal advice.