Nuts and Bolts: Update International Artists

Nuts & Bolts – Update International Artists

Thank you to the artist community for the feedback regarding the ongoing issue of foreign tax withholding and taking advantage of tax treaties between your country and the United States.  Based on the information that artists provided from your own research, we went back to our team of advisors and found that GCU can accept your Foreign Tax Identifying Number in order for you to take advantage of the tax treaty rates.

As you know, every year you receive a form 1042-S from GCU as GCU is required to file that form with the Internal Revenue Service in the United States.  On this form, GCU reports artists earnings and any tax withheld, or if you are exempt from taxes because you are claiming tax treaty benefits.  Up until the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act went into effect, the instructions were clear that you had to have an ITIN in order to claim tax treaty benefits and GCU hadto report that ITIN if no taxes were withheld.  However, now the instructions have changed and we can report your Foreign Tax Identifying Number on the Form 1042-S if you are claiming tax treaty benefits and no tax is withheld.

HOWEVER, GCU STILL NEEDS ALL INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS TO COMPLETE THE NEW FORM W-8BEN as previously requested.  The old forms did not collect the Foreign Tax Identifying Number.  Also, beginning in calendar year 2017 GCU cannot file your 1042-S with the Internal Revenue Service without either your Foreign Tax Identifying Number or your birth date.

Please see original posting on New W-8BEN.