The IRS form a foreign individual gives a US payer to show they are not a US person and, where a tax treaty applies, to claim a lower rate of US tax withholding. The payer keeps it and does not send it to the IRS.
For the United States.
The official form comes from Internal Revenue Service.
The rules for an official government form depend on where it is signed. Laws change, so check the sources before anyone signs.
Form W-8BEN establishes that a person paid from the United States is a foreign individual and lets them claim a reduced rate of withholding under a tax treaty. The foreign individual fills it in and signs it, and the US payer or withholding agent keeps it.
It can be signed electronically.
Checked October 25, 2026 against these sources.
Answers from the signing rules on this page.
Yes. An electronic signature is accepted for it in the United States. The IRS allows a W-8BEN to be signed electronically when the withholding agent's system meets its rules.
None. No witness is needed in the United States.
No. No notary is needed.
No. It is not registered.
No stamp duty is due.
No.
For individuals who are not US citizens or US residents and are paid from the United States. Not for US persons, who give a Form W-9, and not for foreign entities, which use Form W-8BEN-E. Sign does not rewrite it: you upload the official form and send it for e-signature.
Original Centilio wording, not legal advice. An entry for the official IRS Form W-8BEN (Rev. The IRS instructions explain when a payer may accept an electronic signature, under Regulations section 1.1441-1(e)(4)(i)(B). The form generally stays in effect until the last day of the third calendar year after the year it is signed, unless a change in circumstances makes it incorrect. It does not cover entities (Form W-8BEN-E), effectively connected income (Form W-8ECI), treaty eligibility or the payer's withholding and reporting duties. Ask a US tax adviser about treaty claims.
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