Do I need a W-8BEN from a foreign contractor?

If you're a US payer, usually yes. Form W-8BEN lets a foreign individual certify their foreign status to the payer; a foreign company uses Form W-8BEN-E instead. The contractor gives it to you, not to the IRS, and it generally stays valid until the end of the third calendar year after they sign it.

From How to pay international contractors in USDC or by local bank transfer, by . Updated .

The wider picture

The key points from the guide this answer comes from:

  1. Pay each contractor in the form they can use at the lowest cost: usually a local transfer in their own currency, or USDC or USDT to a wallet when they ask for it.
  2. Send a small test before the first payment to a new wallet, because stablecoin transfers can't be reversed.
  3. Keep the contract, invoices and tax forms for every payment. A US payer usually needs a W-8BEN from a foreign contractor.
  4. Whether a contractor can receive stablecoins depends on their country: Brazil, for example, has barred its eFX providers from settling with stablecoins since 1 October 2026.

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The full guide

Pay each contractor the way they can use the money at the lowest cost: usually a local transfer in their own currency, or USDC or USDT to a wallet when they ask for it. Keep the contract, invoices and tax forms, and verify payout details with a test before the first payment.

Read How to pay international contractors in USDC or by local bank transfer, with its sources.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources in the guide and take advice on your own situation.

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