What is a W-8 Form?

If you’re a US citizen wondering why you’ve never heard of form W-8, it’s really no wonder at all. Form W-8 is filled out by foreign entities (citizens and corporations) to claim exempt status from certain tax withholdings. The form is used to declare an entity’s status as a non-resident alien or foreign national who works outside of the United States. The benefit is that these individuals receive a certain tax treaty status that affords them certain rights, such as lower withholdings from dividends paid by US corporations.

• W-8BEN Tax Form
• W-8ECI Tax Form
• W-8EXP Tax Form
• W-8IMY Tax Form
• W-8CE Tax Form

There are many different types of W-8 forms. These forms are typically requested by withholding agents, usually firms or brokers, and not the IRS. For example, brokers typically request Form W-8BEN from foreign nationals. This form is used to lower withholdings from dividends and other types of income. Form W-8ECI is used by a foreign person to certify income associated with trade or business within the United States. (This is slightly different from Form W-8BEN, which certifies allocated funds, such as dividends from stocks and mutual funds.) Form W-8EXP is filled out by foreign governments, international organizations, banks of issue, tax-exempt organizations, private foundations, and governments of US possessions. Form W-8IMY is for a person or a business who received payments on behalf of a foreigner. In other words, nothing the typical tax-payer needs to be concerned about.

A withholding agent will typically request Form W-8BEN from any foreign client. If you are a foreign investor, filling out this form may significantly lower your tax withholdings. A withholding agent must generally withhold 30% of the income distributed to a foreign national unless the national can be associated with tax treaty status via a Form W-8.

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Form W-BEN requires some pretty typical information: name, taxpayer identification, country of origin, etc. You’ll also need to provide a statement describing the national principal contracts the income is associated with. Writing and updating this statement can get complicated. When in doubt, discuss any questions with a certified tax professional.

Form W-8ECI is another form that will help you lower your withholding if you are a foreign national in a partnership that conducts trade or business within the United States. Like Form W-8BEN, this form will require typical identification information, along with a description of the nature of the expected income.

The last W-8 that a typical, non-corporate taxpayer might need to know about is Form W-8CE. This form is used to certify that a taxpayer is a covered expatriate, and subject to special tax rules. If you are a recently expatriated citizen waiting on differed compensation after your date of expatriation, you’ll want to fill out Form W-8CE within 30 days after you expatriate. The form must be filed for each tax-deferred account, item of deferred compensation, or interest in a non-grantor trust.

One thing is certain: W-8 forms are not the sort of simple tax form the average payer can easily navigate. If you’re one of the few taxpayers required by the IRS to fill out Forms W-8, you would be well-served to consult a professional. If you need help filing your taxes this year, you may want to consider both Turbo Tax and H&R Block. Their free online tax software can make your tax nightmares disappear.

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