Fill out a W-8BEN-E online
Answer questions about your company. Download the official IRS Form W-8BEN-E, filled in. Give it to the payer that asked for it.
Form W-8BEN-E, October 2021 revision. Source: IRS.
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Before you start
- What you get
- The official IRS Form W-8BEN-E, filled in as a PDF. The form is in English.
- What you do next
- Sign it here with Preview and sign, or print it and sign by hand. Give it to the payer that asked for it.
- What this tool does not do
- It does not send anything to the IRS. It does not give tax advice.
More to know
- The PDF is the official IRS form in English. Write in English, with Latin letters (A to Z).
- This tool fills the October 2021 revision. It covers the common cases: an active company, a passive holding company, a listed company, and a participating or reporting financial institution. For other statuses it stops and names the IRS instructions.
- The PDF is not signed. The payer decides which kind of signature it accepts.
- The withholding agent is the payer that must hold back U.S. tax from what it pays you.
Is the W-8BEN-E the right form?
Answer five short questions. The tool tells you if you need a different form.
People and companies on this device
Pick a profile to fill in the form for you. Or fill the form once and save nothing.
No saved profiles yet.
Forms made on this device
Nothing yet. The list keeps the date, the name and the requester. It does not keep the PDF or the tax numbers.
How to fill out a W-8BEN-E
- Answer the questions that check that the W-8BEN-E is the right form.
- Enter the name, the country and the address of the company.
- Pick the entity type. Then answer the short questions about its FATCA status.
- Enter the tax numbers. Add a treaty claim only if you need one.
- Check the summary. Download the PDF. Sign it here with Preview and sign, or print it and sign by hand. Give it to the payer.
Questions
What is a W-8BEN-E?
A W-8BEN-E is a form for a foreign entity, such as a company. It tells a U.S. payer that the entity is not a U.S. person. It also gives the FATCA status of the entity. The payer uses it to decide how much U.S. tax to withhold.
Who asks a company for a W-8BEN-E?
A U.S. client, a platform, a broker or a bank that pays the company or holds its account. The one who asks is the withholding agent or the payer.
Do I send the W-8BEN-E to the IRS?
No. Give the form to the payer. The payer keeps it.
Which parts of the form does a company fill in?
Most operating companies fill in Part I, one certification part for the FATCA status, and Part XXX for the signature. Part III is for a treaty claim. This tool picks the certification part from your answers.
How do I choose the FATCA status on line 5?
The tool asks short questions. It starts with one question: is the entity a financial institution? Then it finds an active NFFE, a passive NFFE, a listed company or a financial institution with a GIIN.
What if my status is not covered?
The tool stops and says so. It does not guess. Read the official instructions or ask the payer or a tax professional. Governments, non-profits, retirement plans and sponsored entities are not covered yet.
I am an individual, or a U.S. company. Can I use it?
No. An individual gives Form W-8BEN. A U.S. entity gives Form W-9. The tool sends you to the right form.
How long is a W-8BEN-E valid?
Until December 31 of the third year after the year you sign. For example, a form signed in 2026 is valid until December 31, 2029. A change in circumstances ends it sooner. Then you give a new form within 30 days.
Do I need a tax number?
Many payers need the tax number from the country of the entity. A U.S. EIN is optional unless the payer needs it, for example for a treaty claim. A financial institution needs a GIIN.
Does the tool choose the treaty rate?
No. You choose the limitation on benefits box. You type the article, the rate and the income type if line 15 applies. Read the treaty in the IRS tax treaty tables first.
How do I sign the form?
Preview and sign opens the PDF in the Sign editor. You can type, draw or upload a signature. The payer decides what it accepts. Typing a name alone is not an electronic signature, says the IRS.
Is my information uploaded?
No. The form is filled on your device. The tax numbers stay in the page. They are saved on your device only if you keep them in a profile. If you sign in and keep a profile, it syncs with your account. The tax numbers are encrypted there. Read the privacy page.
This tool does not give legal or tax advice. Ask a tax professional if you are not sure.