Filed W-9 instead of W-8BEN as a Non-Resident Alien - Did I mess up?

This is definitely something you want to correct. The W-9 is for US persons (citizens, residents, etc.) while the W-8BEN is specifically for foreign persons to claim treaty benefits and establish they're not subject to the standard 30% withholding. By submitting a W-9, you're essentially telling these companies that you're a US taxpayer, which could create complications with both the IRS and potentially your home country's tax authority. The companies are likely confused because you might have provided a US address or other information that made them think you qualify as a US person. I'd recommend contacting both Computershare and EQ Shareowner Services immediately to explain the situation. Request that they replace the W-9 with a properly completed W-8BEN. You'll need to provide clear documentation showing your foreign status.

Hey there, I went through something very similar with my foreign investments and it was a huge headache until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). They have this amazing document review tool that scans your tax forms and tells you exactly what you filed incorrectly. I was confused about whether I needed a W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (I have a small business), and uploaded both forms to their system. It immediately flagged issues with how I completed certain sections and gave me specific guidance on fixing them. Saved me from potentially years of incorrect withholding and possible IRS issues. The coolest part is they also explain the tax treaty implications specific to your country. For my situation as a UK resident, it showed me exactly which box to check for the reduced dividend withholding rate.

Just wanted to follow up - I actually tried taxr.ai after my skeptical comment. It immediately identified why my W-8BEN was getting rejected by my brokerage (I had the wrong country code format in Box 6). They actually showed me a side-by-side comparison of what I submitted versus what it should look like. They also caught that I was eligible for a 15% dividend withholding rate instead of 30% based on my country's treaty, which I had no idea about. Already submitted the corrected form to my broker and they accepted it without issues. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about these international tax forms.

If you need to talk directly with the IRS about this situation (which might be a good idea), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I wasted DAYS trying to get through to the IRS international tax department on my own with zero luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I was dealing with a similar W-8BEN issue. They basically hold your place in the phone queue so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was actually super helpful and confirmed that I needed to have my financial institutions correct my forms ASAP to avoid withholding issues. They also told me exactly what documentation I needed to provide to prove my non-US status.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. I broke down and tried Claimyr this morning after trying to call the IRS international tax department for the 15th time this month. Got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes, which is INSANE considering I'd literally never gotten through before. The agent confirmed exactly what others here are saying - using a US mailing address on investment accounts will automatically trigger W-9 requests instead of W-8BEN. They recommended sending a letter to both companies explaining the error, along with a properly completed W-8BEN and proof of foreign residence (utility bill, foreign tax ID, etc). The agent also said this mistake happens all the time and there won't be penalties as long as I correct it promptly. Such a relief to have actual confirmation from the IRS instead of stressing about it!

This might sound obvious but have you tried just calling Computershare and EQ directly? I've found their international support lines are actually pretty helpful with tax form issues. When I had a similar mix-up (I'm Canadian but lived in the US temporarily), the Computershare rep walked me through exactly what forms to submit and even sent me the correct forms by email.

Just to add one more thing that others haven't mentioned - check if any taxes have already been withheld at the US person rate (usually no withholding) instead of the non-resident rate. If dividends have been paid while your W-9 was on file, you might need to address this specifically.