# Form W-8 and Affidavit of Unchanged Status collected by Stripe

A Form W-8 is generally used by non-U.S. individuals and businesses to confirm they aren’t a U.S. Person and thus not subject to U.S. taxation. There are different variations of the form based on the filer and purpose.
To simplify the process, Stripe has created a substitute Form W-8 for users to confirm their tax residency. Follow the prompts in the Stripe Dashboard to complete your submission.
You can learn more about the various W-8 forms on the IRS website:
* [Form W-8BEN](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf) for individuals ([instructions](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8ben.pdf))
* [Form W-8BEN-E](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8bene.pdf) for entities ([instructions)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8bene.pdf)
* [Form W-8ECI](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8eci.pdf) for earned income that is effectively connected to the U.S. ([instructions](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8eci.pdf))
### **Why am I being asked for additional documentation?**
When you change certain account details, we may need to collect a new W-8 and additional documentation to complete verification. See our list of acceptable documents by country to confirm what documentation you need to provide.
### **Why are you requesting a W-8 now?**
Stripe may request a Form W-8 to confirm your tax residency information per IRS requirements. We may request a new form if there’s a change in information on your account since you last submitted a W-8. Form W-8s generally have a lifecycle of three years so we may also request a new W-8 if we identify that your W-8 will soon expire.
### **I am not a US citizen or US tax resident—why do I need to complete this form?**
A W-8 form allows you to self-certify that you aren’t a U.S. citizen or U.S. tax resident and do not have a distinct U.S. legal entity for your business. See this [IRS webpage](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/classification-of-taxpayers-for-us-tax-purposes) for more details.
We strongly recommend confirming your choice with your tax or legal advisor before finalizing your decision.
### **Why are my payouts paused?**
Payouts may be paused if we are missing required information about your tax status or you have other outstanding requirements due for your account. Your account may continue to receive payments while payouts are paused, but you will not be able to transfer the funds to your bank account, debit card, or any other external source.
To resume payouts, submit your W-8 tax form and complete any other outstanding requirements on your account.
### **Why can't I fill out the information for my single-member LLC?**
If your company is a single-member limited liability company that has not elected to be treated as a corporation, the [IRS requires](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/single-member-limited-liability-companies) you to enter the information of the single owner of the single member LLC.
### **Form W-8 Example**
You can find an example of the Form W-8 collection fields in the screenshot below.
Screen shot shoiing thge collection fields for Form W-8 submission in the Stripe dashboard.
Once completed, a pdf version of the form is available for download via the Stripe dashboard.
Pdf of a completed Form W8 submission.
Submission of an Affidavit of Unchanged status is not required in all instances. Most Stripe account holders will only be required to complete the Form W8 section.**
### Affidavit of Unchanged Status collected by Stripe
An Affidavit of Unchanged Status is a non-standardized document that confirms the information provided on the Form W-8 was accurate for a time period before the signature date on the Form W-8 and certifies that the content of the form is current and correct at the time it was signed. A Form W-8 is used on a go forward basis from the time of the signature, so for some older Stripe accounts we may require an Affidavit of Unchanged Status to be completed along with your Form W-8 submission.
Follow the prompts in the submission flow in the Stripe Dashboard to complete and sign the Affidavit of Unchanged Status.
### **Affidavit of Unchanged Status Example**
Below you can see the Affidavit of Unchanged Status collection fields.
Affidavit portion of Form W-8 collection fields in the Stripe dashboard.
The Affidavit of Unchanged Status will also be included in the pdf version that you can download from the Stripe Dashboard. Check out the screenshot below to see an example of how the completed submission will appear.
PDF version of a completed Affidavit of Unchanged Status
_This article is neither legal advice nor tax advice. We recommend that you speak to your lawyer or accounting firm with any questions or concerns around tax reporting._