W-8BEN

[Jen27062019 22]

Hello, has anyone here filled out a W-8BEN form? I just need help on filling out the form. They returned it to me due to some errors. They are requiring my foreign tax number but the customer service rep from USAA that I talked to told to leave it blank. Kind of confused. Thanks in advance!

[Huckleberry&Koala 184]

43 minutes ago, Jen27062019 said:

Hello, has anyone here filled out a W-8BEN form? I just need help on filling out the form. They returned it to me due to some errors. They are requiring my foreign tax number but the customer service rep from USAA that I talked to told to leave it blank. Kind of confused. Thanks in advance!

Hi, to clarify in case you are not aware, you shouldn't fill out w-8ben form if you meet substantial presence and are considered as resident for tax purposes. To determine if you meet substantial presence, see below link. Some banks and financial companies insist to fill out this form if no green card is provided, but it should be clarified to them if that's the case.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/substantial-presence-test

 

 

If you don't meet, then I had used this form when i first arrived in US , and didn't fill out any foreign tax number. I also updated the information with bank once i was resident for tax purposes, and told them to eliminate this paper since it wasn't applicable anymore.

 

 

[JFH 12,190]

*~*~*moved from “K-1 fiancé visa progress reports” to “tax and finances”*~*~*

[Wuozopo 4,293]

13 hours ago, Jen27062019 said:

Hello, has anyone here filled out a W-8BEN form? I just need help on filling out the form. They returned it to me due to some errors. They are requiring my foreign tax number but the customer service rep from USAA that I talked to told to leave it blank. Kind of confused. Thanks in advance!

Do or have an identifying number that goes on your Australian tax return?

[JKLSemicolon 413]

20 hours ago, Jen27062019 said:

Hello, has anyone here filled out a W-8BEN form? I just need help on filling out the form. They returned it to me due to some errors. They are requiring my foreign tax number but the customer service rep from USAA that I talked to told to leave it blank. Kind of confused. Thanks in advance!

I went back and forth with the W-8BEN with USAA for two months last year. The final version that was accepted had this:

• Permanent residence address (box 3) = address in Ecuador
• Mailing address (box 4) = PO box in Ecuador (but if the permanent residence address also doubles as a mailing address, this wouldn't be needed)
• U.S. taxpayer identification number (box 5) = blank
• Foreign tax identifying number (box 6) = appropriate number from Ecuador
• Reference number (box 7) = wife's recently-assigned USAA number
• Part II = blank (due to no tax treaty between the US and Ecuador; this may be different for you)

Note that by the time I sent this final version, my wife was no longer in the US. My understanding is that they did want the foreign address in box 3 even when she was in the US adjusting status.

 

Things that caused problems with the various versions that I sent included:

• Putting a US-based address in box 3
• Not putting the foreign tax identifying number
• Listing a US-based mailing address with the foreign permanent residence address
• Using my wife's married name instead of the maiden name on her passport

 

A few times they sent back a form called the "Non-resident Alien Additional Information Worksheet" asking me to explain why I answered certain questions the way I did. For the last version that they accepted, I had to explain why the mailing address wasn't the same as the permanent residence address.

 

No one on the phone could give clear guidance, so instead I would submit the form (online) and then wait for a response by mail to see if it was accepted or not. If felt like a bizarre game of "Go Fish" at times. Frustratingly, even after I corrected some of the issues they pointed out, later correspondence would continue to reference the now-corrected issues as if they were still looking at the first W8-BEN that I sent.

 

Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by JKLSemicolon

[Jen27062019 22]

On 3/22/2021 at 12:31 PM, JKLSemicolon said:

I went back and forth with the W-8BEN with USAA for two months last year. The final version that was accepted had this:

• Permanent residence address (box 3) = address in Ecuador
• Mailing address (box 4) = PO box in Ecuador (but if the permanent residence address also doubles as a mailing address, this wouldn't be needed)
• U.S. taxpayer identification number (box 5) = blank
• Foreign tax identifying number (box 6) = appropriate number from Ecuador
• Reference number (box 7) = wife's recently-assigned USAA number
• Part II = blank (due to no tax treaty between the US and Ecuador; this may be different for you)

Note that by the time I sent this final version, my wife was no longer in the US. My understanding is that they did want the foreign address in box 3 even when she was in the US adjusting status.

 

Things that caused problems with the various versions that I sent included:

• Putting a US-based address in box 3
• Not putting the foreign tax identifying number
• Listing a US-based mailing address with the foreign permanent residence address
• Using my wife's married name instead of the maiden name on her passport

 

A few times they sent back a form called the "Non-resident Alien Additional Information Worksheet" asking me to explain why I answered certain questions the way I did. For the last version that they accepted, I had to explain why the mailing address wasn't the same as the permanent residence address.

 

No one on the phone could give clear guidance, so instead I would submit the form (online) and then wait for a response by mail to see if it was accepted or not. If felt like a bizarre game of "Go Fish" at times. Frustratingly, even after I corrected some of the issues they pointed out, later correspondence would continue to reference the now-corrected issues as if they were still looking at the first W8-BEN that I sent.

 

Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

Thank you so much! I followed the information you have provided above and still waiting if they approve it or not. Really appreciate your help!  

[Jen27062019 22]

On 3/21/2021 at 4:54 PM, Huckleberry&Koala said:

Hi, to clarify in case you are not aware, you shouldn't fill out w-8ben form if you meet substantial presence and are considered as resident for tax purposes. To determine if you meet substantial presence, see below link. Some banks and financial companies insist to fill out this form if no green card is provided, but it should be clarified to them if that's the case.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/substantial-presence-test

 

 

If you don't meet, then I had used this form when i first arrived in US , and didn't fill out any foreign tax number. I also updated the information with bank once i was resident for tax purposes, and told them to eliminate this paper since it wasn't applicable anymore.

 

 

Thank you! I have submitted the form again. Still waiting if they approve it or not. Told them about my situation and still required the W 8-BEN form.