Fill out the W-8BEN and W-8BEN-E tax form (for nonresident aliens)

Medium works with Tipalti to collect taxpayer information through the taxpayer information form. This article covers the W-8BEN and W-8BEN-E forms, which apply to nonresident aliens.

If you are a US taxpayer, you will need to submit a W-9 form instead. See Fill out the W-9 tax form for instructions.

Filling out the form

Section 1 — Address

Enter your details as they appear on your bank records.

1. Type — Select Individual or Company based on your bank account. The field defaults to Company — change it to Individual if you are filing as an individual.
2. Email address — Does not need to match the email address on your Medium account.
3. First / Middle / Last name — Must match the name on your income tax return. Does not need to match the name on your Medium account.
4. Address — Include the building number and street name (e.g., "42 Wallaby Way"). P.O. Boxes are not allowed.
5. Address 2 — Include the apartment, suite, unit, building, or floor number.

Section 2 — Select your tax form

If you are a US citizen or otherwise qualify under the IRS's W-9 instructions, select W-9 and refer to Fill out the W-9 tax form instead.

If you are a nonresident alien, click Start the tax form questionnaire to be guided to the correct W-8 form. You can also consult the IRS's W-8BEN instructions for guidance.

Section 3 — W-8BEN / W-8BEN-E

Identification of Beneficial Owner (Part I)

1. For W-8BEN — Name: Enter your legally given name as shown on your income tax return. Must match the name entered in Section 1.
2. For W-8BEN-E — Name of organization: Enter the full legal name of your organization. If you are a disregarded entity, enter the name of the entity that owns the disregarded entity.
3. Address — Include the building number and street name. Address 2 should include the apartment, suite, unit, building, or floor number. Does not need to match the address entered in Section 1.
4. US Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) — For individuals with a Social Security Number (SSN), the TIN is that SSN.
5. Foreign tax identifying number — Enter the tax identification number issued by your country of residence.

A valid TIN is required to complete enrollment. For more information, see TIN and tax treaty benefits for nonresident aliens.

Claim of Treaty Benefits (Part II)

If your country has a tax treaty with the US, you may be able to claim treaty benefits to reduce your withholding rate. Select your country of residence under Claim of Treaty Benefits (Part II). To check whether your country qualifies, see United States income tax treaties A to Z on the IRS website.

Certification (Part III)

1. Contact email — Does not need to match the email address on your Medium account, but must match the email entered in Section 1.

If you used autofill and encountered errors, try entering all fields manually.