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Version: 1.7.3

Overview

Form W-8BEN is an IRS form used to collect foreign status and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) information from non-U.S. individuals. This form helps payers comply with IRS regulations regarding withholding and reporting of income paid to foreign individuals.

Form W-8BEN is applicable only to non-U.S. residents. For U.S. residents, you must collect Form W-9. Use the WhCertificate endpoint if you want to collect W-8BEN E (Foreign entities) or W-8ECI (Foreign individuals or entities claiming income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business)

Methods to automate W-8BEN collection​

You can automate W-8BEN form collection using any of the following endpoints.

  • RequestByUrl: Generates a unique, secure URL for each payee. You can embed this URL into your software, allowing each payee to complete their W-8BEN forms individually.
  • RequestByEmail: In this method, you can use the API to send email requests directly to the payees for the completion of the W-8BEN form.
  • RequestByText: In this method, you can use the API to send requests via text message directly to the payees for the completion of the W-8BEN form.
  • Drop-In UI: As an alternative to the above endpoints, TaxBandits API offers a readymade Form W-8BEN interface that can be tailored to align with your brand and integrated easily into your existing systems. Learn more

Customization options​​

Before you automate the W-8BEN collection using the TaxBandits API, you can customize the secure URL (form completion page) and the email sent to recipients (when using RequestByEmail) with your own branding. See How

Other W-8BEN endpoints​​​

  • Get - Used to get the information submitted by the payee along with the link to download the completed W-8BEN as a PDF.
  • Delete - Used to delete the W-8BEN forms of particular recipients.

Status Retrieval​

You have two different options.

  • Status - You can use this endpoint to get the status of form submission.
  • Webhooks - Configure webhooks for the event type 'Form W-8BEN Status Change' webhook to trigger automated notifications whenever the recipients submit their W-8BEN forms.