Re: Form W8-ben

Here's a response from Salter Scharstein, our Accounting & Library Materials Manager at the College of Charleston, who deals with these forms regularly:

Our institution requires us to submit a W8-BEN form for every international vendor with whom we do business. We have to submit the original document, not a copy. This has slowed down business with vendors from other countries, and in some cases prevented successful transactions. The remittance office keeps the forms on file for a number of years, and then they have me request updated forms. Often international vendors are confused by this requirement, and sometimes they choose not to do business with us as a result. That said, there are directions on how to fill the form out at the IRS website, and in my estimation it's just a W-9 with extra hassle. I was told by our remittance office that they require us to solicit the form because without it our campus could be fined.

Lindsay Barnett
Metadata Librarian
College of Charleston Libraries
66 George St.
Charleston, SC 29424
843-953-8024

-----Original Message-----
From: ACQNET-L [mailto:acqnet-l-bounces_at_lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 11:36 AM
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [ACQNET-L] Form W8-ben

>>>Our accounting department requires us to have a W8ben or W9 on file for all of our vendors.  However, we regularly encounter foreign vendors who do not understand or want to fill out the W8.  We recently had a vendor from France who said that they sell to lots of other public universities in the US, yet they have never been asked to fill one out.  It made me start wondering if other universities are actually required to do this?
Any information would be welcome!<<<

Thanks,
Christine

I have one question; does this W8-ben need to be filled out only the *first* time by the foreign vendor, or *each* time you make a purchase from said vendor? Thanks. 
-jen


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