Fill out a W-8BEN online
Answer a few questions. Download the official IRS Form W-8BEN, filled in. Give it to the payer that asked for it.
- Free. No sign-up.
- Nothing is uploaded unless you sign in and keep a profile.
- You get the official PDF.
- Made on your own device.
- Give the finished form to the payer or the withholding agent that asked for it. Do not send it to the IRS.
- This tool fills the October 2021 revision of the form. Use another tool if the payer wants a different revision.
- The PDF is not signed. You must sign and date it by hand, or in the way the payer accepts.
Is the W-8BEN the right form?
Answer four short questions. The tool tells you if you need a different form.
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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.
Form: Form W-8BEN, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rev. October 2021. Last checked 2026-10-31. Official instructions.
How to fill out a W-8BEN
- Answer the questions that check that the W-8BEN is the right form.
- Enter your name, your country and your address.
- Enter your tax numbers. Add a treaty claim only if you want one.
- Check the summary. Each answer shows the line of the form it goes to.
- Download the PDF, sign it by hand and give it to the payer.
Questions
What is a W-8BEN?
A W-8BEN is a form for a foreign individual. It tells a U.S. payer that you are not a U.S. person. The payer uses it to decide how much U.S. tax to withhold.
Who asks me for a W-8BEN?
A U.S. client, a platform, a broker or a bank that pays you. The person who asks is the withholding agent or the payer.
Do I send the W-8BEN to the IRS?
No. Give the form to the payer. The payer keeps it.
I am a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. Can I use it?
No. A U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident gives Form W-9. The tool sends you to the W-9 if you say you are a U.S. person.
I have a company. Can I use it?
No. A company or another entity uses Form W-8BEN-E. This tool does not fill that form yet.
How long is a W-8BEN 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 your situation 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 your country. A U.S. tax number is optional unless the payer needs it for a treaty claim. If your country has no tax number, check line 6b.
Does the tool choose my treaty rate?
No. You type the article, the rate and the type of income. Read your country's treaty in the IRS tax treaty tables first.
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.