Help with UK company with W8-BEN-E form

MediaGuy

Hi Everyone,

Two questions in two minutes, I am on a roll

My LTD company is doing work with US based companies and the US bean counters dont really understand that the W9 form is not the correct one for people based in the UK

I realise that the UK has a tax agreement with the US so that the tax happens in the UK. Sole traders can just use W8-BEN, as I used to.

However after much reading and researching I can't find the answer to a perhaps simple question:

Do I need a EIN (US tax number) or am I barking up the wrong tree and just need to fill in some other part ?

MG

Colin2511

hiya


(excuse any dodgy typing I have chopped my finger today and have a big plaster on)


When we filled this form in (retailer) we were told it depends on a few things (I phoned them in US as they are quite helpful ).. we have NO assets in US, we do not STORE anything in US, we do not have any employees in US - we list on US Sites, and don't want the 3rd party sites to take the tax from us at source as we will pay here... we simply post from UK to US - then we filled these boxes in



Part 1 is your info (if you are ltd company you are a corperation) - for box 6 I put was informed by IRS that EIN was not required ) Box 7 was my uk Vat no,


Nothing in Part 3


Part 4 signed


and sent in -


That applied to us, but in case your situation is slightly different then you might want to give their tax dept a call,


hope it helps


Part 2 I ticked a, b , c only

Savvy_Sue

Obviously this isn't advice you can rely on, because it comes from DS1, but take a look at this which may helpand indicates that you do need an EIN but that it is relatively quick and easy to get one.

Context: ltd co doing cooperative indie computer game development, and making some sales in the UK. Not VAT registered.

MediaGuy

Thank you both for that. Very helpful. I have seen the blog entry before. I will ring the US tax people tomorrow (Already tried it once and got cut off)

I wonder why people don't like the tax man