Who needs a W-8BEN
Any individual who isn’t a US citizen or resident and gets paid by a US business: freelancers with US clients, creators paid by US platforms, and people receiving US royalties or dividends. Companies and firms use Form W-8BEN-E instead, and US persons use Form W-9.
Line-by-line guide for India
| Line | What to enter |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your full name, as on your passport or PAN |
| 2 | India |
| 3 | Your home address in India. No P.O. box, no “care of” |
| 4 | Only if your post goes somewhere else |
| 5 | Leave blank unless you have a US SSN or ITIN |
| 6a | Your PAN |
| 6b | Leave unticked |
| 7 | Leave blank unless the payer gave you a reference |
| 8 | Date of birth. The form wants MM-DD-YYYY, and we convert it for you |
| 9–10 | Only if you claim a treaty rate (see the FAQ below) |
| Part III | Tick the capacity box, sign, date and print your name |
Common mistakes
- Writing the date the Indian way. 07-03-1994 means July 3 on a US form. The form wants month first.
- Leaving the capacity box unticked. Many payers reject the form without it.
- Using a company’s details. A private limited company or LLP uses W-8BEN-E, not this form.
- Sending it to the IRS. It goes to your payer only.
Paid from abroad? Count those receipts in your 44ADA tax estimate and in your GST registration limit. Exports count towards the ₹20 lakh.
Form W-8BEN is published by the US Internal Revenue Service. We fill the unmodified IRS PDF. This tool isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS. For the full rules, see the IRS instructions for Form W-8BEN.