Understand the essentials that prevent costly mistakes: how treaties reduce withholding, when to use W-8BEN/W-8BEN-E, and what 1042-S reports each year. Overviews only—verify against official sources and your jurisdiction.
Your US Dividend Slip, Demystified If you’re a non-US investor, the Form 1042-S is your annual “dividend slip” from US sources. It looks bureaucratic, but it’s just a standardized way for your broker (the withholding agent) to tell you—and the IRS—what you earned, what code it belongs to, and how much tax was withheld. Below […]
If you sell services to U.S. clients through your own company—not as a private individual—your counterpart will likely ask for Form W-8BEN-E. It’s longer than the W-8BEN and sprinkled with acronyms (FATCA, NFFE, GIIN), but most one-person companies only need three things: the right entity classification, a clean treaty claim (if any), and a short
How Travel Calendars Change Your Tax Picture “I never hit 183 days anywhere, so I’m safe.” That sentence has cost digital nomads real money in back taxes, penalties, and lost treaty benefits. Day-counting isn’t paranoia—it’s evidence. Treat your travel calendar like a legal document, and you’ll avoid accidental tax residence, dual-residence disputes, and painful audits.
Switching SIMs is easy. Switching tax residence is not. If you confuse where you live with where you’re taxed, you can trigger audits, back taxes, penalties, double taxation—or lose treaty benefits you were entitled to. This guide separates immigration residence from tax residence, demolishes the most expensive myths, and gives you a practical way to
Residence vs Tax Residence Leer más »
If you invest on the move, your dividends shouldn’t get stuck at the border. This guide explains—plainly and precisely—how U.S. tax treaties interact with the default 30% withholding, how to claim treaty rates correctly with a W-8BEN, and what to do if you were over-withheld. We’ll also tackle the “perpetual traveler” dilemma: how tie-breaker rules
Treaty Benefits for Nomads Leer más »
This is the calm, practical guide to the W-8BEN for people who live out of a backpack. You’ll learn why the form exists, how to fill it out correctly, what to do when you switch countries, and how to avoid the 30% dividend haircut that hits anyone who forgets this step. Introduction: What is the
W-8BEN for Drifters Leer más »
Educational only. This guide explains concepts and workflows for non-US investors—not tax or legal advice. Rules differ by country, may change without notice, and your facts matter. Verify with official sources and a qualified professional. A US tax treaty is a coordination mechanism, not a loophole. If you reside in Spain (or another treaty country),
US–Spain Tax Treaty Basics Leer más »
