Plane enables contractors to complete and submit W-8 forms directly on the platform. Non-US citizens and non-US organizations performing services for US-based entities are required to complete W-8 forms and submit them to their payers. The forms should be submitted to the payer and not to the IRS.
If you are a US citizen or other US person, such as a resident alien individual, please complete a W-9 Form.
🤔 W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E?
There are two versions of the W-8 form. The shorter one (W-8BEN) is for individuals, and the longer one (W-8BEN-E) is for organizations (e.g. corporations, limited liability companies, etc.).
If you work as a sole proprietorship, you are still considered an individual and should complete a W-8BEN form.
📝 Completing the form
To complete your W-8 form:
Go to the Compliance tab and select "A recent W-8 or W-9 form confirming your U.S. tax status."
To complete the form on the platform, enter your information in the "Your tax information" section. Please see below for more detailed instructions. Sign the form with your full name, and click "Sign and submit."
After you submit your form, your company administrators and assigned manager will receive a notification by email that the form was submitted. If you would like to view your form, go to Your profile. In the Documents section, you can click your completed form to view it.
💡 Please note: The form is valid for three years (until the end of the year) after you submit it. However, we’ll be asking you to complete it once a year to make sure it has up-to-date information.
📄 W-8BEN — detailed instructions
Name of individual who is the beneficial owner
Enter your legal name.
Country of citizenship
Enter the name of the country of which you are a citizen.
If you are a citizen of more than one country, enter the one where you are currently located.
Address
Enter your residential address in the country where you pay your income tax.
PO boxes are not allowed.
Foreign tax identifying number
Enter your tax identifying number.
This is likely the number you use to file your taxes.
Here you can find an overview of domestic rules in the jurisdictions for each country and its respective Tax Identification Numbers (TIN).
Date of birth
Enter your date of birth.
Your full name
Type in your full name. Your signature will appear to the right.
📄 W-8BEN-E — detailed instructions
Name of organization that is the beneficial owner
Enter the full legal name of your entity.
Remember to include all suffixes, such as Ltd., d.o.o., or S.A.
Name of disregarded entity receiving the payment
Leave this blank if your organization is receiving the payment directly.
Country of incorporation or organization
The country where the organization is registered.
Address
Enter the address where the company is registered.
PO boxes are not allowed.
Status
The most common choice here will be a Corporation (if you’re the only owner of the company) or a Partnership (if the company is owned by you in partnership with other people).
FATCA status
Active NFFE stands for Non-Financial Foreign Entity. This is the most common tax classification on Plane and will apply to most contractors and vendors.
Your full name
Type in your full name. Your signature will appear to the right.
ℹ️ Disclaimer
You can find the most up-to-date instructions about W-8 forms on the IRS website. We update this guide regularly, but if there are any discrepancies between our guide and the IRS instructions, always follow the IRS website.
Please note that we can’t advise you on how or when you should file your taxes. If you are unsure, please contact a tax professional in your country.
This article was written to help non-US contractors performing services for US entities and is based on the most common situations that we see for our users. Your case may be different and may require you to complete the form differently. Please contact support@plane.com if you have questions. We're happy to guide you through the process!