W-8BEN Form

This form is for non-U.S. individuals — anyone who is not a U.S. citizen and not a U.S. resident for tax purposes (meaning you don't live in the U.S. long enough to be taxed like one). The IRS calls this a "nonresident alien individual".

If you're not American and you've been asked to fill this out — you're in the right place.

🌍 You'll Usually Need a W-8BEN If…

→ You're a foreign investor holding U.S. stocks, bonds, or mutual funds through a brokerage
→ You're a foreign freelancer or contractor being paid by a U.S. company
→ You're receiving dividends, interest, or royalties from U.S. sources
→ You're earning income from U.S. platforms like Upwork, Amazon KDP, YouTube, Stripe, etc.
→ You own a disregarded entity (a one-person business that the IRS treats as part of you personally) that receives U.S. income
→ You're a foreign student or researcher receiving certain scholarship or fellowship income

Basically, if someone in the U.S. is paying you, they'll probably ask for this.

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🚫 You Should NOT Use This Form If…

→ You are a U.S. citizen (even if living abroad) — use Form W-9 instead
→ You are a U.S. resident alien (green card holder or pass the "substantial presence test") — use Form W-9 instead
→ You are a business entity (corporation, partnership, trust) — use Form W-8BEN-E instead
→ You are receiving compensation for personal services performed in the U.S. (payment for work you physically do there) — use Form 8233 or W-4 instead
→ You are an intermediary (a middleman handling money for other people) — use Form W-8IMY instead
→ Your income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (directly tied to running a business inside the U.S.) — use Form W-8ECI instead

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✅ Quick check:

Your situation	You'll probably need...
Non-U.S. individual	✓ W-8BEN
U.S. citizen or U.S. resident	W-9
Foreign company, partnership, or trust	W-8BEN-E
Working in the U.S. (personal services)	Form 8233 or W-4