W-8BEN form: fill out and sign online, free to start
Form W-8BEN is the Internal Revenue Service's “Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals).” In its words: “Give Form W-8 BEN to the withholding agent or payer if you are a foreign person and you are the beneficial owner of an amount subject to withholding.” (IRS, About Form W-8 BEN)
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Also searched as: W8BEN, W-8BEN, Form W-8BEN, W8 BEN form, W-8 BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner.
W-8BEN at a glance
| Agency | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) |
|---|---|
| What it is for | Give Form W-8 BEN to the withholding agent or payer if you are a foreign person and you are the beneficial owner of an amount subject to withholding. |
| Who fills it | The beneficial owner (an individual), as the IRS describes it. The form says entities must use Form W-8BEN-E. |
| Who it goes to | “Give Form W-8 BEN to the withholding agent or payer,” as the IRS puts it. Do not send it to the IRS unless the instructions say so. |
| Signature | The form has a Sign Here line, with a certification under penalties of perjury. |
| Revision | Rev. October 2021 |
| Last checked | |
| Official form and instructions | Official form (PDF) · Official instructions |
For what to enter on each line, read the agency's instructions.
How to fill out the W-8BEN with PDFinish
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Type in the boxes. Click a box and type, or tick a checkbox. Add your signature in the Sign step and press Lock to put your entries into the page.
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Questions about the W-8BEN form
Is the W-8BEN form free to fill out here?
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Is my information uploaded?
No. The form is filled in your browser and never uploaded, so what you type, including any Social Security number or other tax ID, stays on your device. We do not record what you type.
Is this the latest version of Form W-8BEN?
It is the version the agency listed as current when we last checked on 2026-10-26: Rev. October 2021. We compare our copy with the agency's every week. If the agency updates the form, this page says so and points to the official link until we update ours.
Can I sign the W-8BEN electronically?
Whether an electronic signature is accepted is up to whoever asked you for the form, unless the agency says otherwise. Check the agency's instructions at https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben. PDFinish places a picture of your signature on the page; it is not a certificate-based digital signature.
Where do I send the W-8BEN?
In the agency's words: “Give Form W-8 BEN to the withholding agent or payer,” as the IRS puts it. Do not send it to the IRS unless the instructions say so. Read the agency's instructions at https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben.
What do I put in each box of the W-8BEN?
We do not tell you what to enter. The agency's own instructions explain each line: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben.
Related forms
- W-9 form: Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
- W-4P form: Withholding Certificate for Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments
- W-7 form: Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
- W-8BEN-E form: Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)
- All forms
- Our own fillable templates
Sources
- IRS, About Form W-8 BEN: irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8ben (checked October 26, 2026)
- Official form (PDF): irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf (checked October 26, 2026)
- Official instructions: irs.gov/instructions/iw8ben (checked October 26, 2026)
PDFinish is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. The forms are the agency's own, unchanged.
General information, not tax, legal or immigration advice.