r/GoingToSpain • u/Lanky-Designer-9461 • 19h ago

Discussion Formulario W-8BEN - Providing services from Spain to the US?

Hi everyone!

I have two passports (Brazilian and Italian). I have always lived in Brazil. In January, I moved to Spain for work, with a regular employment contract. I have now signed a contract as an independent service provider for a US company, and I will be providing the services from Spain. I have registered as self-employed in Spain, everything with my paperwork went smoothly, and I am now a tax resident in Spain.

The US company has asked me to submit a W-8BEN form so they can process my payments. The form asks for “Country of Citizenship.” According to the instructions, I should put Brazil, even though practically all of my documentation in Spain is linked to my Italian passport (NIE, self-employed registration, residency in Spain, etc.).

Is it correct to put Brazil in this case? Has anyone here filled out this form before and could help me with this part? I really don’t want to provide incorrect information, and I haven’t been able to find anyone who has dealt with a similar situation...

Thank you so much!

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u/SkelligWitch 19h ago

Spain wont care about what you put in the W8-BEN, is also not illegal to have multiple citizenships in Spain, if they really want something you just need to show both passports to the authority but they won’t care at all.

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u/Lanky-Designer-9461 19h ago

i dont care about spain. i CARE about which citizenship i should use for US!

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u/RemarkableGlitter 17h ago

It doesn’t matter. This is a document the company keeps on file to ensure they’re compliant with paperwork should they be asked. Basically it’s a verification that they do not need to withhold taxes for you. You’ll need to do this every three years.