Be Careful Submitting your W-8BEN
Phishing emails that appear to be from the IRS
When applying for an ITIN, on receiving a Tax ID-number, people appear to be targeted with an IRS request to fill out a W-8BEN tax status form.
It looks very professional, but this is phishing. W-8BEN forms are legitimate documents, but the IRS will never ask you to complete and return this form.
As part of their ‘vendor onboarding process’ only your client(s) who will be paying your foreign entity money may ask you to complete a W8BEN document.
Various information fields have been created that should never be filled in. Do not return any information. It’s identity theft.