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[jack_norton]

So the W8BEN form I've been using in the last years have been updated. Now is totally obscure. Before I had an EIN, and as invididual business I could just check the box "individual" and be one. Pfuit TOO EASY!
Now you have to read 150 pages of insane documentation, and at the end of it, not understand anything.

Anyone living in Europe (non-US) has any clue on how to fill the new form ?? I believe I still need to fill the W8BEN, since the new one for entities seems for bigger ones and is made of like 10 pages and is total MADNESS :D

This is the email I got from Humble this morning:

A new version of the W-8BEN for was recently released, which unfortantely reuqires us to request a new form from all of our partners. The new version of the form actually seperates the required form if we are paying an indivudal or a company entity.

For indivudals: https://www.hellosign.com/s/1e03e255 (Instructions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8ben.pdf)

For companies: https://www.hellosign.com/s/8618fb39 (Instructions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8bene.pdf)

Thank you for taking the time to fill out the new form.

This is one of those days I'm tempted to quit making games. Thanks to anyone who will be able to help.

[petertos]

I'm from Spain and have filled some W8BEN forms for different companies. I agree that if something is currently working well, why change it? The previous W8BEN was pretty straight forward and written in a plain English language that could be easily understood by anyone.

Besides this, I'm operating as an individual here in Spain, not a limited company or incorporated company, although I am able to make business in a model called in Spain (autonomous worker) wich is like a solo propietorship. Which one should I fill now?

 

[jack_norton]

That's the problem, here in Europe we have many form of those "individual business/companies" that with this new system seem impossible to understand.
In the first (the old W8BEN) the [ ] individual checkbox disappeared, and you can't put a EIN
In the second, there are like 8 pages of crazy incomprensible stuff

Great job... bah

[Ant]

looks like people are either putting their EIN in section 6/7 or leaving it off entirely

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,184111.msg2696920.html#msg2696920
http://www.thespirittalks.com/?p=96

you might want to go ask on some of the ebook/apple forums since they seem to have a lot of UK people there who have to deal with US tax laws

if you do figure it out i'd appreciate it if you posted the solution here since i'll probably have to deal with this myself once Steam wants their forms updating

[jack_norton]

Ahh thanks for the link!
I think the second one explains it well even if is for books. I was confused because the new form doesn't mention EIN, but apparently you can write it down (read the blog post is explained well). I really think I'm going to do that then

[knifeySpoonie]

http://blog.draknek.org/post/94112319182/form-w-8ben-e-for-uk-limited-companies

This blog is doing the rounds on twitter at the moment.

[WildFactor]

Same problem forme.
Thanks for the links.

[interrupting cow]

I happened to spend a lot of time digging through this just today, and my understanding is that "foreign source income" - that is, income earned by a nonresident alien, outside of the US - is generally not taxed, and not subject to withholding at all:

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Nonresident-Aliens---Source-of-Income
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Source-Income---Form-1042-S-Reporting-Not-Required

I suppose big companies just go for the W-8BEN/E because, to them, it's easier than certifying your non-residency.

[ColeyWoley]

The new forms are INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!  I had to get my accountant to fill them in, it was way over my head.