MYTH: Affiliates for U.S. Companies Must Complete W-9

Every year, just before tax time, the U.S.-based affiliate programs that I work with frantically email me to let me know that I need to fill out a W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (PDF).

Each time, I let them know that I am not a U.S. taxpayer and that form doesn’t apply to me. I also say that I should likely be completing the W-8BEN Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Witholding (PDF).

Then they tell me that they’ll get back to me. I wait and then they email saying that I should complete the form. Then, after all that back and forth, I fill out the form and all is well.

But please, U.S. affiliate program owners, do your foreign affiliates a favor:

- Sort your affiliates to U.S. and non-U.S before emailing them and provide them the correct form.

- Or at the very least, please send out two forms to all your affiliates and tell them which one to complete.

I know I’m just Canadian (hee hee) and I’m asking a lot, but it’ll save a bit of time and we can all get our paperwork done.

For Non-US affiliates to save youself some time:

- Open the W-8BEN (PDF) on your computer.

- You can fill in most of your details and save the form to your computer, so you can use it over and over again.

- The only thing you can’t fill in on the computer is the date, your signature and your title. That you have to do in writing. You’ll also have to edit the date each time you send it out.