What is the W-8BEN Form

In this blog post, I'll briefly explain to you what is the W-8BEN form. It is called the Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting.

Essentially, if you're earning any kind of US-based income as an foreign (non-US) individual or business entity, you may be required to complete the W-8BEN form.

By completing and submitting the W-8BEN form, you are confirming that you are: (1) a non-US resident; (2) the beneficial owner of the US-income; (3) Claiming a reduced US tax withholding rate (or an exemption from withholding) as a resident of a foreign country with which the US has an income tax treaty.

There are two main forms: (1) W-8BEN form is for individuals; and (2) the W-8BEN-E form is for Entities (or registered businesses like corporations, partnerships or other business entities).

The W-8BEN form is sent to the individual or company through whom you are earning US-based income. You do not need to send it to the IRS (Internal Revenue Services).

If you do not complete the form, your payment may be withheld or you will be charged the standard 30% US tax withholding rate on income that you earn from an individual or company in the United States.

By completing the W-8BEN form you may be able to reduce the US tax withholding rate to zero, depending on the US tax treaty and the article that applies to the type of US income you're earning.

You can download the W-8BEN and the W-8BEN-E forms from the IRS website along with detailed instructions on how to complete the forms. I've also created two video tutorials on how to complete the W-8BEN and W-8BEN-E forms.

HOW TO COMPLETE W-8BEN FORM?

In the video tutorial below, I walk you through the process of completing the W-8BEN form. This is that standard form for individuals like independent contractors and sole proprietors.

This is a one-pager form and fairly simple to complete. However, if you're a business entity, then you will need to complete the W-8BEN-E form, for which you will find another video tutorial further down below:

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HOW TO COMPLETE W-8BEN-E FORM?

In the video tutorial below, I walk you through the process of completing the W-8BEN-E form. This is a little more complex form to be completed by business entities like corporations and partnerships. This is an 8-page form with 30 parts.

However, depending on what type of organization you have, you will only have to complete a few parts of the form. There are many scenarios when completing the W-8BEN-E form. In this video below, I cover one of the more common scenarios which is for a corporation.

What you complete the section for claiming tax treaty benefits will depend on the type of US-income you're earning. Also, not all countries have a tax treaty with the United States, so if your country doesn't have a tax treaty with the US, then you would leave this section blank.

Hope this W-8BEN form help article and videos helped. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section and I will do my best to help you.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this video is for general information purposes only and is NOT intended as legal, accounting, financial or tax advice.

CREDITS: The W-8BEN Form is a legal tax form from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) of the United States government | Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries| Other company names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Cover Health Review Virtual Walk-in Clinic

Cover Health is a digital walk-in clinic for residents of Ontario, Canada. With the Covid-19 pandemic causing major disruptions to our normal lives, many of us have been looking to get things done virtually or online.

Recently, in June 2020, I had to book an appointment with the doctor, and due to the pandemic and having to stay at home, I wanted to avoid going to the local walk-in clinic.

So I called Telehealth Ontario, which is a free confidential service Ontarians can use to get health advice or information from a registered nurse. I was referred to Cover Health because my condition would probably need a prescription.

Cover Health is covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) and so I promptly checked their website and decided to register and book an appointment with the doctor. These appointments are held virtually over the phone and you can get same day appointments, if you wish, which is great.

HOW DOES COVER HEALTH WORK?

There are two options to book an appointment: (1) you can opt-in to join the same day waiting list (which is the fastest); (2) or select a one hour window for an appointment on the same day or another day.

I used the first option and opted to join the same day waiting list. I called around 8:15 in the morning and got a call back from a doctor at around 11:30 am. However, I never heard the phone ring and then received an email later during the day indicating that I had missed my appointment.

Apparently, my phone (landline) blocks calls from Private numbers and so I didn't even receive the call. However, I was able to promptly get another appointment in a couple of hours. And this time I used my cell phone and everything worked perfectly.

I needed a prescription which was sent to my pharmacy of choice as soon as my doctor's appointment concluded. And I was able to pickup the prescription later that same day.

Here is a brief Cover Health Review video in which I give you a summary of the benefits of using this digital walk-in clinic and why I recommend them based on my own experience using it a couple of times already.

WHAT HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE COVERED?

Through Cover Health, you can book a virtual doctor's appointment for medical conditions like: cold and flu symptoms; eye infections; sore throats; reproductive health; UTIs; prescription renewals and much more.

You should not use Cover Health for emergencies or urgent care. In such cases, you should call 911.

You can use Cover Health to consult with a General Practitioner, Pediatrician, Cardiologist, Dermatologist, Physiotherapist, and Fertility Specialist. There are other health services that will be coming soon.

HOW TO BOOK A VIRTUAL DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT?

Booking a virtual doctor's appointment is quite simple and easy on the Cover Health website. It takes just a few minutes and you will need your OHIP card to register and book the appointment.

In this tutorial video below, I walk you through the booking process step-by-step. In my case, I booked an appointment with a General Practitioner, but the overall process should be quite similar.

Like I mentioned earlier, based on my own experience using Cover Health, I would definitely recommend them. Rather than having to walk into your local walk-in clinic, especially during this pandemic. Hope this Cover Health review helped. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section. Stay home, stay healthy and stay safe!

CREDITS: Cover Health logo and screenshots are copyright protected, used with permission | Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries | Commercial Rights to use videos, images and animations used in this video production | Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.