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I am French but here is my take: I think you need to tell that your country (UK) has an income tax treaty with the US about taxes. What it means is that you wi

I am French but here is my take: I think you need to tell that your country (UK) has an income tax treaty with the US about taxes. What it means is that you will pay your taxes in your own country (UK) instead of US. I also think those links are relevant, but really filling the W-8BEN-E form is quite simple, I did it several times and never had a problem: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/treaties/Documents/uktreaty.pdf https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/treaties... https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8bene.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8bene.pdf

JPLeRouzic 8y ago
To be clearer: You do not need any "foreign tax id" because you will pay your taxes in your own country. The US IRS is not involved at all. What makes it possible is the tax treaty.
- ColinWright 8y ago
  That's what I thought, but the organisation in question is insisting I provide a "foreign tax id" and I don't know what they could possibly mean by that. I'm flummoxed.
  - JPLeRouzic 8y ago
    You could get one, there is a form somewhere on Internet, but you should not. If you do this, it means the IRS will tax you, I am not sure I would like that idea for myself, taxes are enough complicated in our native country without having to deal with a foreign tax service that have their own complicated concepts and vocabularies.
    - ColinWright 8y ago
      Exactly. Additionally, I've filled in W8-BEN-E forms before for other organisations, and they've never demanded a "foreign tax ID". Very bizarre. (and thanks for your replies)
  - JPLeRouzic 8y ago
    May be this will help: https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-apply-for-an-individual-taxpayer-identification-number https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-apply-for-an-i...
    - ColinWright 8y ago
      I don't think that does help, because it is my company that is invoicing for work done, not me trying to get paid. I've bookmarked it anyway, as it might prove useful later. Thanks.

JPLeRouzic 8y ago

To be clearer: You do not need any "foreign tax id" because you will pay your taxes in your own country. The US IRS is not involved at all. What makes it possible is the tax treaty.

ColinWright 8y ago
That's what I thought, but the organisation in question is insisting I provide a "foreign tax id" and I don't know what they could possibly mean by that. I'm flummoxed.
- JPLeRouzic 8y ago
  You could get one, there is a form somewhere on Internet, but you should not. If you do this, it means the IRS will tax you, I am not sure I would like that idea for myself, taxes are enough complicated in our native country without having to deal with a foreign tax service that have their own complicated concepts and vocabularies.
  - ColinWright 8y ago
    Exactly. Additionally, I've filled in W8-BEN-E forms before for other organisations, and they've never demanded a "foreign tax ID". Very bizarre. (and thanks for your replies)
- JPLeRouzic 8y ago
  May be this will help: https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-apply-for-an-individual-taxpayer-identification-number https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-apply-for-an-i...
  - ColinWright 8y ago
    I don't think that does help, because it is my company that is invoicing for work done, not me trying to get paid. I've bookmarked it anyway, as it might prove useful later. Thanks.