Form W-9 (Rev. 8-2013)
Page 2
In the cases below, the following person must give Form W-9 to the partnership
for purposes of establishing its U.S. status and avoiding withholding on its
allocable share of net income from the partnership conducting a trade or business
in the United States:
• In the case of a disregarded entity with a U.S. owner, the U.S. owner of the
disregarded entity and not the entity,
• In the case of a grantor trust with a U.S. grantor or other U.S. owner, generally,
the U.S. grantor or other U.S. owner of the grantor trust and not the trust, and
• In the case of a U.S. trust (other than a grantor trust), the U.S. trust (other than a
grantor trust) and not the beneficiaries of the trust.
Foreign person. If you are a foreign person or the U.S. branch of a foreign bank
that has elected to be treated as a U.S. person, do not use Form W-9. Instead, use
the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233 (see Publication 515, Withholding of Tax
on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities).
Nonresident alien who becomes a resident alien. Generally, only a nonresident
alien individual may use the terms of a tax treaty to reduce or eliminate U.S. tax on
certain types of income. However, most tax treaties contain a provision known as
a “saving clause.” Exceptions specified in the saving clause may permit an
exemption from tax to continue for certain types of income even after the payee
has otherwise become a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes.
If you are a U.S. resident alien who is relying on an exception contained in the
saving clause of a tax treaty to claim an exemption from U.S. tax on certain types
of income, you must attach a statement to Form W-9 that specifies the following
five items:
1. The treaty country. Generally, this must be the same treaty under which you
claimed exemption from tax as a nonresident alien.
2. The treaty article addressing the income.
3. The article number (or location) in the tax treaty that contains the saving
clause and its exceptions.
4. The type and amount of income that qualifies for the exemption from tax.
5. Sufficient facts to justify the exemption from tax under the terms of the treaty
article.
Example. Article 20 of the U.S.-China income tax treaty allows an exemption
from tax for scholarship income received by a Chinese student temporarily present
in the United States. Under U.S. law, this student will become a resident alien for
tax purposes if his or her stay in the United States exceeds 5 calendar years.
However, paragraph 2 of the first Protocol to the U.S.-China treaty (dated April 30,
1984) allows the provisions of Article 20 to continue to apply even after the
Chinese student becomes a resident alien of the United States. A Chinese student
who qualifies for this exception (under paragraph 2 of the first protocol) and is
relying on this exception to claim an exemption from tax on his or her scholarship
or fellowship income would attach to Form W-9 a statement that includes the
information described above to support that exemption.
If you are a nonresident alien or a foreign entity, give the requester the
appropriate completed Form W-8 or Form 8233.
What is backup withholding? Persons making certain payments to you must
under certain conditions withhold and pay to the IRS a percentage of such
payments. This is called “backup withholding.” Payments that may be subject to
backup withholding include interest, tax-exempt interest, dividends, broker and
barter exchange transactions, rents, royalties, nonemployee pay, payments made
in settlement of payment card and third party network transactions, and certain
payments from fishing boat operators. Real estate transactions are not subject to
backup withholding.
You will not be subject to backup withholding on payments you receive if you
give the requester your correct TIN, make the proper certifications, and report all
your taxable interest and dividends on your tax return.
Payments you receive will be subject to backup
withholding if:
1. You do not furnish your TIN to the requester,
2. You do not certify your TIN when required (see the Part II instructions on page
3 for details),
3. The IRS tells the requester that you furnished an incorrect TIN,
4. The IRS tells you that you are subject to backup withholding because you did
not report all your interest and dividends on your tax return (for reportable interest
and dividends only), or
5. You do not certify to the requester that you are not subject to backup
withholding under 4 above (for reportable interest and dividend accounts opened
after 1983 only).
Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding. See Exempt
payee code on page 3 and the separate Instructions for the Requester of Form
W-9 for more information.
Also see Special rules for partnerships on page 1.
What is FATCA reporting? The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
requires a participating foreign financial institution to report all United States
account holders that are specified United States persons. Certain payees are
exempt from FATCA reporting. See Exemption from FATCA reporting code on
page 3 and the Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9 for more information.
Updating Your Information
You must provide updated information to any person to whom you claimed to be
an exempt payee if you are no longer an exempt payee and anticipate receiving
reportable payments in the future from this person. For example, you may need to
provide updated information if you are a C corporation that elects to be an S
corporation, or if you no longer are tax exempt. In addition, you must furnish a new
Form W-9 if the name or TIN changes for the account, for example, if the grantor
of a grantor trust dies.
Penalties
Failure to furnish TIN. If you fail to furnish your correct TIN to a requester, you are
subject to a penalty of $50 for each such failure unless your failure is due to
reasonable cause and not to willful neglect.
Civil penalty for false information with respect to withholding. If you make a
false statement with no reasonable basis that results in no backup withholding,
you are subject to a $500 penalty.
Criminal penalty for falsifying information. Willfully falsifying certifications or
affirmations may subject you to criminal penalties including fines and/or
imprisonment.
Misuse of TINs. If the requester discloses or uses TINs in violation of federal law,
the requester may be subject to civil and criminal penalties.
Specific Instructions
Name
If you are an individual, you must generally enter the name shown on your income
tax return. However, if you have changed your last name, for instance, due to
marriage without informing the Social Security Administration of the name change,
enter your first name, the last name shown on your social security card, and your
new last name.
If the account is in joint names, list first, and then circle, the name of the person
or entity whose number you entered in Part I of the form.
Sole proprietor. Enter your individual name as shown on your income tax return
on the “Name” line. You may enter your business, trade, or “doing business as
(DBA)” name on the “Business name/disregarded entity name” line.
Partnership, C Corporation, or S Corporation. Enter the entity's name on the
“Name” line and any business, trade, or “doing business as (DBA) name” on the
“Business name/disregarded entity name” line.
Disregarded entity. For U.S. federal tax purposes, an entity that is disregarded as
an entity separate from its owner is treated as a “disregarded entity.” See
Regulation section 301.7701-2(c)(2)(iii). Enter the owner's name on the “Name”
line. The name of the entity entered on the “Name” line should never be a
disregarded entity. The name on the “Name” line must be the name shown on the
income tax return on which the income should be reported. For example, if a
foreign LLC that is treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal tax purposes
has a single owner that is a U.S. person, the U.S. owner's name is required to be
provided on the “Name” line. If the direct owner of the entity is also a disregarded
entity, enter the first owner that is not disregarded for federal tax purposes. Enter
the disregarded entity's name on the “Business name/disregarded entity name”
line. If the owner of the disregarded entity is a foreign person, the owner must
complete an appropriate Form W-8 instead of a Form W-9. This is the case even if
the foreign person has a U.S. TIN.
Note. Check the appropriate box for the U.S. federal tax classification of the
person whose name is entered on the “Name” line (Individual/sole proprietor,
Partnership, C Corporation, S Corporation, Trust/estate).
Limited Liability Company (LLC). If the person identified on the “Name” line is an
LLC, check the “Limited liability company” box only and enter the appropriate
code for the U.S. federal tax classification in the space provided. If you are an LLC
that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal tax purposes, enter “P” for
partnership. If you are an LLC that has filed a Form 8832 or a Form 2553 to be
taxed as a corporation, enter “C” for C corporation or “S” for S corporation, as
appropriate. If you are an LLC that is disregarded as an entity separate from its
owner under Regulation section 301.7701-3 (except for employment and excise
tax), do not check the LLC box unless the owner of the LLC (required to be
identified on the “Name” line) is another LLC that is not disregarded for U.S.
federal tax purposes. If the LLC is disregarded as an entity separate from its
owner, enter the appropriate tax classification of the owner identified on the
“Name” line.
Other entities. Enter your business name as shown on required U.S. federal tax
documents on the “Name” line. This name should match the name shown on the
charter or other legal document creating the entity. You may enter any business,
trade, or DBA name on the “Business name/disregarded entity name” line.
Exemptions
If you are exempt from backup withholding and/or FATCA reporting, enter in the
Exemptions box, any code(s) that may apply to you. See Exempt payee code and
Exemption from FATCA reporting code on page 3.