A free, printable checklist for freelancers, contractors and creators who are paid by US clients or US platforms while living outside the US, and for US citizens abroad who are asked for “a W-9 or W-8BEN”.
Download the free checklist (PDF)
4 pages · PDF · free, no sign-up or email needed · last checked 10 November 2026.
What you get
- A “stop first” check for work done while you are physically in the US, where the IRS points to Form 8233 or Form W-4 instead of a W-8BEN.
- A table of common starting points: W-9, W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E and W-8ECI, with the conditions that change the answer.
- Readiness checklists for a W-8BEN (including a treaty claim) and for a W-9, so you have the facts ready before you open the form.
- What to do after you submit: keeping a copy, a review date and checking the first payment for withholding.
- Five common traps, such as US citizens abroad being asked for a W-8BEN.
- Direct links to the official IRS forms and instructions, checked on 10 November 2026.
What this is not
- It is not tax, legal or immigration advice, and it does not decide residency, treaty eligibility or entity classification for you.
- It is not a filled-in form or a filing service. Always use the current IRS forms and instructions and your payer’s current request.
- It does not replace the IRS instructions. Do not certify a form based only on the checklist.
If your situation is complex, pause and check the current IRS instructions or speak to a qualified adviser.
Planned next
We are working on a deeper, line-by-line walkthrough of the W-8BEN and W-9. It is not available yet. This checklist is complete on its own.
Related guides
- W-9 or W-8BEN? Which form to send a US client when you live abroad
- W-8BEN for freelancers living abroad: how to fill it in for one client invoice
- Tax residence vs where your client is
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