The W-8BEN form is used by a foreign individual in order to establish his or her foreign status and beneficial ownership. Moreover, it enables the individual to claim benefits that involve income gained from a tax treaty aside from compensations for personal services.
The said form is also known as the Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding.Three sections of the form must be filled out: Identification of Beneficial Owner, Claim of Tax Treaty Benefits, and Certification.
Here are the Steps in Filling Out the W-8BEN Form for a Philippines Worker
1
Access the Form
The W-8ben form can be accessed through a soft copy. The PDF version can be downloaded by opening your browser and by typing in the search box the keywords “fw8ben.pdf”. Click Enter.
2
Download the Form
Upon being redirected on the search results page, click on the first link.
Once the PDF file is opened, click on the download button located at the upper right hand corner of the screen.
3
Fill out Part 1
After obtaining the PDF file of the form, begin filling out the information needed.
The first section asks for the information of the beneficial owner. This includes your name, country of citizenship, residential and mailing address and your TIN number issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on line number six (6) and your date of birth.
You may indicate the words “same as above” on the mailing address or you may leave it blank if both information are the same.
The first section of the form must look like this after filling it out:
4
Fill out Part 2
The second section asks for information for the claim of tax treaty benefits.
Here, you will be asked to place your country of residence in line number nine (9). The line that follows after it can be filled out by entering the following the details shown in the image below:
Make sure to state that the beneficial owner has a permanent establishment in the Philippines given that your employer is a resident of the United States and that all work is performed in the Philippines as per Article 5.
5
Fill out Part 3
The last section simply asks for your printed name, signature, and date. Make sure to read the listed items before placing your signature
Bear in mind that this form is used in order to declare your tax status and should be given to the person or company that provides your salary.
