Question 19: Can the guideline rate (30%) be reduced? Answer 19: If the foreign seller resides in a country that has a tax treaty with the United States, the rate may be reduced. Each contract contains specific provisions that set the reduced rate of withholding tax. These provisions reduce the withholding tax rate depending on the type of income and the status of the beneficiary. If you do not withhold tax on payments to the foreign entrepreneur, but are obliged to withhold them, you, as the payer (i.e. the “withholding tax taxpayer”) may be held liable for the tax you did not withhold. Treas. Reg. §1.1441-1(b)(7). So, if you`re not sure whether you should hold back, it`s usually best to hold yourself back. If the foreign entrepreneur is not liable for U.S. tax, they can file a U.S. tax return and claim a refund of the withholding tax. Question 33: Can a detention officer collect W-8 forms electronically? Answer 33: Yes.

Edited by § 1.1441-1 (e) (4) (iv) provides that a withholding taxpayer may establish a system allowing a beneficial owner to electronically provide a Form W-8 or an acceptable alternative form W-8. In addition, a taxpayer who withholds source deductions may voluntarily choose to participate in the IRS`s W-8 Electronic Memorandum of Understanding (“EW-8 MOU”) program. In addition, interest on the withholding is estimated. The above discussion is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the rules surrounding U.S. withholding tax. If you have made one or more payments to foreign individuals or plan to do so in the future, please contact your GBQ advisor to discuss the pitfalls and opportunities associated with withholding tax in the United States. 5. Written observations. Once the IRS has achieved a sufficient level of comfort with the withholding taxpayer`s EW-8 system, the detention officer is asked to prepare a written statement. This written submission should describe in detail the taxpayer`s online system as retained at source as it will be attached and incorporated into the EW-8 MOU. The written submission must include: (a) the name and address of the detaining agent, (b) the detention officer`s EIN, (c) an overview of the holding agent`s activities, including a description of the types of services provided or products sold and the types of payments made, (d) a list of forms and types of users (e.g. (e) A detailed description of the authentication and security procedures, including how passwords are issued, f) Screenshots of the interview questions presented to a system user, g) A description of the specific information pre-filled by the system, h) A description of the certification and signature procedures, i) A detailed description of the Validation Procedures, including: 1) information on how the system validates the internal consistency of each form, 2) information to identify the account holder information (p.B.

Account Master File) to be used to validate the data collected during the EW-8 interview process, and 3) A list of all validated EW-8 data fields and an explanation of the fields that are validated against which information account holder specific. j) A description of the processes (including manual processes) used to further assist the user in completing a form if the initial validation of the system fails. Please categorize the processes according to the cause of the error. Specify what records are kept of these processes and final outcomes, and (k) any other issues raised by the IRS in the early stages of the MOU process. If the foreign contractor is not a U.S. person and the services are provided entirely outside the U.S., no declaration is required and no restrictions are required. If the foreign contractor is not a U.S. person and the services are provided in the U.S., payments to the foreign contractor are generally subject to withholding and reporting. These forms are used to prove that a person (or entity) is not actually a U.S. citizen. The hiring company is entitled to rely on the claims made on these forms to determine the obligations relating to the tax return and the withholding tax. If the information on the form differs from the facts and the employee is not qualified as a foreign entrepreneur, the company is exempt from liability for non-compliance with tax requirements.

As long as the foreign contractor is not a U.S. person and the services are provided entirely outside the U.S., no Form 1099 is required and no holdback is required. Since personal service is provided in the United States, the income that the shooter earns is income withheld in the United States that must be retained for tax purposes. The United States and Colombia do not have a tax treaty that allows for a reduction in the NRA`s withholding tax. Therefore, the company should withhold $30 (30% of the $100) after confirming the contractor`s foreign tax status by obtaining a valid W-8-BEN. .