The W8-BEN form is a U.S. tax form required for non-U.S. contractors working with U.S. entities. This form helps establish your foreign status and claim tax treaty benefits if applicable.
Prerequisites
Before you can generate a W8-BEN form, ensure you meet the following requirements:
Employment Type: You must be registered as a Contractor (not an employee) in Asanify
Entity Location: Your employer entity must be located in the United States
Your Location: You must be based outside the United States
Profile Information: Your profile must have complete nationality and address information
Note: If you don't meet these requirements, the system will display an eligibility error message when you attempt to generate the form.
Step 1 - Access Your Profile
Navigate to your profile to access the W8-BEN form generation feature.
From the Dashboard, click on your name in the top right corner
Click on Profile to go to your profile page
Navigate to the Documents tab
Step 2 - Initiate Form Generation
Start the W8-BEN form generation process.
In the Documents tab, locate the Generate Tax Form button on the right side panel
Click the Generate Tax Form button to open the form wizard
A navigation drawer will open on the right side of your screen with a 5-step process to complete the W8-BEN form.
Step 3 - Complete Personal Details (Step 1 of 5)
Review and verify your personal information.
The form automatically pre-fills the following information from your profile:
Name of individual who is the beneficial owner (your full name)
Country of Citizenship
Date of Birth
Important: If any of this information is incorrect, you'll need to update your profile settings before proceeding. Click on the Profile Settings link in the warning message to make changes.
After verifying your information:
Click Next to proceed to the address section
Step 4 - Enter Address Information (Step 2 of 5)
Provide your residence and mailing address details.
Residence Address
Enter your current residence address:
Address Line 1 (required)
Address Line 2 (optional)
City (required)
State (required)
Country (required)
Zip / Postal Code (required)
Mailing Address
Choose one of the following options:
Same as residence address - Select this radio button if your mailing address is the same as your residence address
Use different mailing address - Select this option if you want mail sent to a different address
If you select "Use different mailing address," fill in the following fields:
Mailing Address Line 1 (required)
Mailing Address Line 2 (optional)
City (required)
Country (required)
Zip / Postal Code (required)
After completing the address information:
Click Next to proceed to tax details
Step 5 - Provide Tax Identification (Step 3 of 5)
Enter your tax identification information.
Tax Identification Number
You need to complete at least one of the following options:
Option 1: U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number
Select the radio button "I have a U.S. Taxpayer identification number"
Enter your SSN (Social Security Number) or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) in the U.S. Tax ID field
Option 2: Foreign Tax Identification Number
Select the radio button "I have a taxpayer identification from my country"
Enter your country's tax identification number in the Foreign tax identifying number field
If you don't have a tax ID, enter your government-issued ID instead
Optionally, check the box "Check if FTIN is not legally required" if applicable
Reference Information (Optional)
If you want to include any reference information for the withholding agent:
Enter any reference numbers, account numbers, or special instructions in the Reference number(s) field
After completing the tax details:
Click Next to proceed to tax treaty information
Step 6 - Claim Tax Treaty Benefits (Step 4 of 5)
Decide whether to claim tax treaty benefits between the U.S. and your country.
Understanding Tax Treaties
Tax treaties help prevent double taxation - being taxed by both the U.S. government and your home country government on the same income.
Important Information:
Tax requirements vary by location. Asanify Support cannot provide specific tax or legal advice. For accurate guidance on your tax obligations, contact your local tax authority or a tax professional. View the U.S. Income Tax Treaties list for more information.
Choose Your Option
Select one of the following:
"No, I do not want to claim tax treaty benefits" - Select this if you don't want to claim tax treaty benefits
"Yes, I want to claim tax treaty benefits" - Select this if you want to claim tax treaty benefits
If You Choose "Yes" to Claim Treaty Benefits
Complete the following fields:
1. Country of Tax Residence
Enter your country of tax residence
2. Certification
Check the box "I certify that the account holder is a resident of this country within the meaning of the income tax treaty between the U.S. and that country" (required)
3. Tax Treaty Article and Paragraph (optional)
Enter the specific article and paragraph of the tax treaty that applies to your situation
4. Withholding Rate (%) (optional)
Enter the withholding rate percentage as specified in the tax treaty
5. Specify Type of Income (optional)
Enter the type of income (e.g., Interest, Dividends, Royalties, Rent, Premiums, Annuities)
6. Additional Conditions (optional)
Use the text area to explain any additional conditions from the treaty article that make you eligible for the reduced withholding rate
After completing the tax treaty section:
Click Next to proceed to the review and sign step
Step 7 - Review, Sign, and Confirm via Email (Step 5 of 5)
Review all the information you've entered before submitting.
The summary page displays all the information you provided across the previous steps:
Personal Details: Legal full name, date of birth, country of citizenship
Residence Address: Complete address information
Mailing Address: Complete mailing address (if different from residence)
Tax ID Information: Which option you selected and the ID number provided
FTIN Status: Whether you indicated FTIN is not required
Reference Number: Any reference information provided
Tax Treaty Information: Whether you're claiming treaty benefits and all related details
Review Carefully:
Scroll through the entire summary to verify all information is correct
If you need to make changes, click Previous to go back to any step and edit the information
When you're satisfied with all the information:
Click Submit to generate the W8-BEN form
After submitting your information, the system will generate your W-8BEN form and send it to your registered email address for digital signature.
What happens next:
A PDF copy of the completed W-8BEN form is sent to your email
The email includes a secure link to digitally sign the document
Open the email and click the signing link to review the form
Review and Sign:
Verify all details in the PDF before signing
Add your digital signature in the designated area
Submit the signed document to complete the signing process
Once the document is successfully signed:
A confirmation message will indicate that the form has been signed and submitted
The signed W-8BEN will be securely stored in the system
Step 8 - Download Your Form
After successful submission, the system will automatically process and download your completed W8-BEN form.
The form will download as a PDF file to your device
A success message will confirm "Tax form submitted successfully"
The form generation drawer will automatically close
Accessing Your Form History
All generated forms are saved in your documents history:
Go to your Profile > Documents tab
You'll see a table with all your previously generated tax forms
Each row shows:
Form Type (e.g., w8ben)
Created On (date the form was generated)
Details (eye icon to view form details)
Click the eye icon in the Details column to view the form information
To download a previously generated form again, click on the form in the history
Troubleshooting
"This form is only available for contractors based outside the U.S. and engaged by a U.S. entity"
This error appears when you don't meet the eligibility requirements. Check the following:
Verify you're registered as a Contractor (not an employee)
Confirm your employer entity is located in the United States
Ensure your profile shows you're based outside the United States
Contact your admin if your employment type or entity information needs to be corrected
"Nationality is missing"
This error appears when your profile doesn't have nationality information:
Update your profile to include your country of citizenship
Contact your admin if you cannot update this field yourself
Fields Are Grayed Out and Cannot Be Edited
Some fields in Step 1 are pre-filled from your profile and cannot be edited directly in the form:
These fields include: Full Name, Country of Citizenship, and Date of Birth
To change these fields, you must update them in your profile settings first
Click on the Profile Settings link shown in the warning message at the top of Step 1
Form Not Downloading
If the form doesn't download automatically after submission:
Check your browser's download settings and allow downloads from Asanify
Check your browser's downloads folder
Try using a different browser
Contact your admin for assistance if the issue persists
Additional Information
What is a W8-BEN Form?
The W-8BEN (Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting) is an IRS form used by non-U.S. individuals to:
Certify their foreign status
Claim exemption from or reduction of U.S. tax withholding
Claim benefits under a tax treaty between the U.S. and their home country
How Often Should I Generate This Form?
The W8-BEN form typically needs to be updated:
Every 3 years
Whenever your circumstances change (address, name, citizenship, etc.)
When requested by your U.S. employer/client
Data Security
All information you enter in the W8-BEN form is:
Securely stored in Asanify's database
Encrypted during transmission
Accessible only to you and authorized administrators in your organization
Saved for your records and can be accessed from your Documents tab at any time
Need More Help?
For technical issues with the form generation process, contact your organization's Asanify administrator. For tax-related questions or legal advice, please consult with a qualified tax professional in your country.