As a US company processing payments, we're required by US law to collect taxpayer information from vendors who appear to have US-sourced income. This concept is particularly useful for Non-U.S. designers to obtain a better understanding of the reason we require filling out certain applicable tax forms.
Failure to provide the appropriate tax form certifying your tax residency status, make certain U.S. companies like Treatstock required to withhold 30% of your total U.S. sourced income.
The purpose of either Form W-9 or Form W-8 is to verify your country of residence and to confirm your tax status as a U.S. or non-U.S. person. Also, these forms indicate you are the beneficial owner of the revenue, and whether a lower rate of withholding may apply as the result of a treaty claim. If you are a Non-U.S. person, income received from sources within the United States may be subject to taxation in the U.S. Further information regarding tax treaties the U.S. has with certain foreign countries can be found on the IRS website.
If you do not provide the appropriate Form W-8 within 90 days, we are required to begin withholding and ALL of your sales will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%. For more information please visit: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p515.pdf