How do I fill out the W-8BEN form correctly as an Australian selling apps on iTunes Connect?

You're on the right track! As an Australian completing a W-8BEN for iTunes Connect, here's what you need to know: For the "U.S. taxpayer identifier number" - leave this blank unless you actually have a U.S. tax ID (which most Australians don't). For "Foreign tax identifying number" - this is your Australian Tax File Number (TFN). If you're 19, you probably have one already for work or university. The "Reference number" field can be left blank - this is only used in specific situations where the withholding agent (Apple in this case) has assigned you a reference number. For line 9, yes, you should check that box since you're certifying you're an Australian resident under the tax treaty. For line 10, you can generally leave this blank unless you're claiming specific treaty benefits beyond the standard withholding rate reduction. For most app developers, the standard treaty provisions apply automatically when you check line 9.

After struggling with international tax forms for my freelance work, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed the game for me with these confusing foreign forms like the W-8BEN. I uploaded my form and it walked me through each field with specific instructions for Australians. The tool actually explained that as an Australian, I should leave the US taxpayer field blank, and it showed me exactly where to find my TFN number for the foreign tax ID field. It even clarified which treaty benefits apply specifically to digital goods sold from Australia, which was super helpful because the Apple instructions don't cover country-specific details.

I just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that someone mentioned earlier. I tried it for my W-8BEN issues (I'm from NZ, not Australia, but similar situation) and it was actually really helpful. The site extracted all the text from my form and gave me field-by-field instructions. It explained which fields I could leave blank and which needed specific information from my country. It even pointed out that I was making a common mistake with the treaty benefits section that could have caused problems. What I found most useful was how it explained WHY certain fields needed specific information - made it much less intimidating. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about these international tax forms.

If you're having trouble getting answers about your W-8BEN form directly from Apple, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck in the same situation last year with my app submission and couldn't get through to anyone at Apple who could answer my tax questions. The service got me connected to an actual IRS representative within 20 minutes who walked me through the form requirements for Australian developers. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that I didn't need a US taxpayer ID and explained exactly how the tax treaty benefits applied to my situation. This saved me weeks of back-and-forth with Apple support who kept giving me generic answers.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr that I questioned earlier. After struggling with my W-8BEN form for weeks and getting nowhere with Apple support, I decided to try it out of desperation. To my genuine surprise, I got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS international tax specialist on the line. She walked me through the specific sections of the W-8BEN that apply to Australian residents and confirmed that I was correct to leave the US taxpayer ID field blank. She also explained that for line 10, I didn't need to enter anything as a simple app developer since the basic treaty benefits are covered by checking box 9. The whole call took about 15 minutes and solved issues I'd been struggling with for almost a month. Never thought I'd say this about dealing with tax matters, but it was actually worth it.

For the "Foreign tax identifying number" field, make sure you're using your actual TFN and not your ABN if you have one. I made that mistake and had to resubmit. Also, when you sign the form, Apple requires a digital signature, but make sure the date format is in MM-DD-YYYY format (US style) not the DD-MM-YYYY format we use in Australia. I had my form rejected because of that small detail.

Just a quick tip - make sure to use the most recent version of the W-8BEN form! Apple might not update their documentation, but the IRS updates these forms. I submitted with an outdated version and had to redo everything.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process last year. The W-8BEN form can definitely be intimidating at first, but it's actually quite straightforward once you understand what each section is asking for. One thing that helped me was keeping in mind that this form is basically just telling Apple (and by extension, the IRS) that you're an Australian resident who should benefit from the tax treaty between Australia and the US. This means instead of the default 30% withholding tax, you'll only have 15% withheld from your app sales revenue. A few additional tips from my experience: - Make sure your name on the form matches exactly how it appears on your Australian tax records - For Part II (claim of tax treaty benefits), you'll typically want to specify "Royalties" as the type of income since app sales are generally classified as royalty income - Keep a copy of your completed form for your own records - you'll need to reference it when filing your Australian tax return The good news is that once you get this sorted with Apple, you shouldn't need to resubmit unless your circumstances change significantly. Best of luck with your app launch!