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SECTION 5. DOCUMENTATION
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2000-4 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States
REQUIREMENTS
Sec. 5.01. Documentation Require- ments. QI shall apply the presumption rules to any account holder that receives a reportable amount or reportable payment unless QI can reliably associate the payment with valid documentation from the account holder. QI agrees to use its best efforts to obtain documentation from account holders. If QI is obtaining documentary evidence, QI also agrees to adhere to the know-your-customer rules that apply to QI with respect to the account holder from whom the documentary evidence is obtained. As set forth in section 11.04(F) of this Agreement, failure to obtain documentation from a significant number of direct account holders constitutes an event of default. QI agrees to review and maintain documentation in accordance with this section 5 and, in the case of documentary evidence obtained from direct account holders, in accordance with the know-your-customer rules set forth in the Attachments to this Agreement. QI also agrees to make documentation (together with any associated withholding statements and other documents or information) available upon request for inspection by QI’s external auditor. QI represents that none of the laws to which it is subject prohibits disclosure of the identity of any account holder (including account holders subject to the provisions of section 6.04 of this Agreement) or account information to QI’s external auditor. QI may rely on the documentation it obtains
under this section 5 as the basis for the information it provides another withholding agent under section 6 of this Agreement, as well as to determine its own withholding and reporting obligations. Sec. 5.02. Documentation For Foreign Account Holders . Except as otherwise provided in section 5 of this Agreement, QI may treat an account holder (including an account holder that is a collective investment vehicle) as a foreign beneficial owner of an amount if the account holder provides a valid Form W-8 (other than Form W8IMY) or valid documentary evidence, as described in section 2.12 of this Agreement, that supports the account holder’s status as a foreign person. QI may treat a documented foreign beneficial owner account holder as entitled to a reduced rate of NRA withholding if all the requirements to a reduced rate are met and the documentation provided by the account holder supports entitlement to a reduced rate. QI may not, however, reduce the rate of NRA withholding or backup withholding required under the presumption rules of section 5.13(C) of this Agreement if QI knows that the account holder (including a collective investment vehicle) is not the beneficial owner of a reportable amount or reportable payment. In addition, QI may not treat an account holder that provides documentation indicating that it is a bank, broker, intermediary, or agent (such as an attorney) as a beneficial owner unless QI receives a statement, in writing and signed by a person with authority to sign such a statement, stating that such account holder is the beneficial owner of the income. Further, QI may not reduce the rate of withholding that applies under the presumption rules of section 5.13(C) of this Agreement on the basis of a collective or global certification that is made by any person (such as an intermediary or flow-through entity) on behalf of others unless the certification is a valid Form W-8IMY, and then, only to the extent that QI can reliably associate the payment with valid documentation that establishes the account holder’s entitlement to a reduced rate of withholding. See section 5.13(B) of this Agreement for rules regarding reliable association with documentation. Sec. 5.03. In General. QI may not reduce the rate of withholding based on a beneficial owner’s claim of treaty benefits unless QI obtains the documentation required by section 5.03(A) of this Agreement. In addition, QI agrees to establish procedures to
inform account holders of the terms of limitation on benefits provisions of a treaty (whether or not those provisions are contained in a separate article entitled Limitation on Benefits) under which the account holder is claiming benefits. (A) Treaty Documentation. The documentation required by this section 5.03(A) is as follows: (1) The account holder has provided a properly completed Form W-8BEN with part II of the form completed, including the appropriate limitation on benefits and section 894 certifications. A TIN shall not be required, however, if the beneficial owner is a direct account holder. An indirect account holder is required to have a TIN to claim treaty benefits unless it is claiming treaty benefits on income from a marketable security; (2) The account holder has provided documentary evidence that has been obtained pursuant to the know-your-customer rules that apply to the account holder and the account holder has made the treaty statement required by section 5.03(B) of this Agreement, if applicable; or (3) The account holder provides the type of documentary evidence required under Treas. Reg. §1.1441-6 to establish entitlement to a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty and the account holder has made the treaty statement required by section 5.03(B) of this Agreement, if applicable. (B) Treaty Statement. The treaty statement required by this section 5.03(B) is as follows:
[Name of account holder] meets all provisions of the treaty that are necessary to claim a reduced rate of withholding, including any limitation on benefits provisions, and derives the income within the meaning of section 894 of the Code, and the regulations thereunder, as the beneficial owner. QI shall not be required to obtain a treaty statement required by this section 5.03(B) from an individual who is a resident of an applicable treaty country or from the government, or its political subdivisions, of a treaty country. (C) Transition Rule for Treaty Certifi- cation. QI may reduce the rate of withholding on a payment made to a beneficial owner account holder that is otherwise entitled to a reduced rate of withholding under an income tax treaty without obtaining the treaty statement re
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quired in sections 5.03(B) of this Agreement provided that the account to which the payment is made was established before January 1, 2001, and the payment to which a reduced rate of withholding under the income tax treaty is applied is received on or before December 31, 2002. Sec. 5.04. Documentation for Interna- tional Organizations. QI may not treat an account holder as an international organization entitled to an exemption from withholding under section 892 of the Code unless the name provided on the documentation (including a Form W8EXP) is the name of an entity designated as an international organization by executive order pursuant to 22 United States Code 288 through 288(f) and the documentation is valid under section 5.10 of this Agreement. If an international organization is not claiming benefits under section 892 of the Code but under another Code exception, the provisions of sections 5.02 of this Agreement apply rather than the provisions of this section 5.04. Sec. 5.05. Documentation for Foreign Governments and Foreign Central Banks of Issue. (A) Documentation From a Foreign Government or Foreign Central Bank of Issue Claiming an Exemption From Withholding Under Section 892 or Sec- tion 895. QI may not treat an account holder as a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue exempt from withholding under section 892 or 895 of the Code unless– (1) QI receives from the account holder a Form W-8EXP or documentary evidence establishing that the account holder is a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue; (2) The income paid to the account holder is the type of income that qualifies for an exemption from withholding under section 892 or 895; and (3) QI does not know, or have reason to know, that the account holder is a controlled commercial entity, that the income owned by the foreign government or foreign central bank of issue is being received from a controlled commercial entity, or that the income is from the disposition of an interest in a controlled commercial entity. (B) Treaty Exemption. QI may treat an account holder as a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue entitled to a
reduced rate of withholding under an income tax treaty if it has valid documentation that, under section 5.03 of this Agreement, is sufficient to obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty. (C) Other Code Exception. If a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue is not claiming benefits under section 892 of the Code but under another Code exception (e.g., the portfolio interest exception under sections 871(h) or 881(c) of the Code), the provisions of sections 5.02 of this Agreement apply rather than the provisions of this section 5.05. Sec. 5.06. Documentation for Foreign Tax-Exempt Organizations. (A) Reduced Rate of Withholding Under Section 501. QI may not treat an account holder as a foreign organization described under section 501(c) of the Code, and therefore exempt from withholding (or, if the account holder is a foreign private foundation, subject to withholding at a 4-percent rate under section 1443(b) of the Code) unless QI obtains a valid Form W-8EXP on which Part III of the form is completed. (B) Reduced Rate of Withholding Under Treaty. QI may not treat an account holder as a foreign organization that is tax-exempt on an item of income pursuant to a treaty unless QI obtains valid documentation as described under section 5.03 of this Agreement that is sufficient for obtaining a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty and the documentation establishes that the account holder is an organization exempt from tax under the treaty on that item of income. (C) Other Exceptions. If a tax-exempt entity is not claiming a reduced rate of withholding because it is an organization described under section 501(c) of the Code or under a treaty article that applies to exempt certain organizations from tax, but is claiming a reduced rate of withholding under another Code or treaty exception, the provisions of section 5.02 of this Agreement shall apply rather than the provisions of this section 5.06. Sec. 5.07. Documentation From Inter- mediaries or Flow-Through Entities. QI shall apply the presumption rules of section 5.13 of this Agreement to a reportable amount or reportable payment made to a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity except to the extent QI follows the documentation procedures
set forth below. (A) Nonqualified Intermediaries and Flow-Through Entities. QI shall not apply the presumption rules on a payment made to a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity to the extent– (1) QI receives a valid Form W-8IMY provided by the nonqualified intermediary or the flow- through entity; and (2) QI can reliably associate the payment, within the meaning of section 5.13(B) of this Agreement, with valid documentation described in this section 5 provided by account holders that are not themselves nonqualified intermediaries or flow through entities. (B) Qualified Intermediaries and With- holding Foreign Partnerships. QI shall not apply the presumption rules to a payment made to a qualified intermediary or withholding foreign partnership to the extent QI can reliably associate the payment with a valid Form W-8IMY provided by the qualified intermediary or withholding foreign partnership and, for those payments for which a qualified intermediary has not assumed primary NRA withholding responsibility or primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, QI can reliably associate the payment with a withholding rate pool, as described in section 6.03 of this Agreement. (C) Private Arrangement Intermedi- aries. QI shall not apply the presumption rules of section 5.13 of this Agreement if QI has an agreement with a PAI, QI obtains from the PAI a Form W-8IMY completed as if the PAI were a qualified intermediary (with the exception that the PAI must not provide a QI-EIN on the Form W-8IMY) and QI can reliably associate the payment with reporting pools as described under section 8 of this Agreement, or with withholding rate pool information relating to U.S. non-exempt recipients and indirect foreign account holders. Sec. 5.08. Documentation For U.S. Ex- empt Recipients. QI shall not treat an account holder as a U.S. exempt recipient unless QI obtains from the account holder– (A) A valid Form W-9 on which the account holder writes “Exempt” in Part II of the Form; (B) Documentary evidence that is sufficient to establish both the account holder’s U.S. and exempt recipient status; or (C) Documentary evidence that is suffi
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cient to establish the account holder’s status as a U.S. person and QI can treat the person as an exempt recipient under the rules of Treas. Reg. §§1.6041–3(q), 5f.6045–1(c)(3)(i)(B), 1.6045–2(b)(2)(i), or 1.6049–4(c)(1)(ii), as appropriate, without obtaining documentation. Sec. 5.09. Documentation for U.S. Non- Exempt Recipients . QI shall not treat an account holder as a U.S. non-exempt recipient unless QI obtains a valid Form W9 from the account holder, QI knows an account holder is a U.S. non-exempt recipient, or QI must presume a person is a U.S. non-exempt recipient under sections 5.13(C)(2) or (4) of this Agreement. See section 6.04 of this Agreement for rules that apply if the identity of a U.S. non-exempt recipient is prohibited by law from being disclosed. Sec. 5.10. Documentation Validity. (A) In General. QI may not rely on documentation if QI has actual knowledge, or reason to know as described in section 5.10(B) and (C) of this Agreement, that the information or statements contained in the documentation are unreliable or incorrect. Once QI knows, or has reason to know, that documentation provided by an account holder is unreliable or incorrect, it can no longer reliably associate a payment with valid documentation and, therefore, shall treat the account holder as an undocumented account holder and shall apply the presumption rules of section 5.13 of this Agreement until it obtains valid documentation. In addition, if QI discovers that information contained in documentation is unreliable or incorrect, QI agrees that it will promptly provide a withholding agent with corrected information (e.g., corrected withholding rate pools, corrected Forms W-9, or correct TINs), if necessary for the withholding agent to perform its obligations, within 30 days after QI discovers that the documentation upon which it has relied is unreliable or incorrect. If QI receives notification from the IRS that documentation provided by an account holder is unreliable or incorrect (e.g., that the TIN provided by an account holder is incorrect) QI shall follow the procedures set forth in Treas. Reg. §31.3406(d)–5. (B) Reason to Know–Direct Account Holders. QI shall be considered to have reason to know that documentation provided by a direct account holder is unreli
able or incorrect only if one or more of the circumstances described in this section 5.10(B) apply. If an account holder has provided documentation that is not reliable under the rules of this section 5.10(B), QI may require new documentation. Alternatively, QI may rely on the documentation originally provided if the rules of this section 5.10(B) permit such reliance based on additional statements and documentation. (1) General Rules. (i) To the extent QI has primary Form 1099 and backup withholding responsibility, QI shall not rely on a Form W-9 if it is not permitted to do so under the rules of Treas. Reg. §31.3406(h)–3(e). (ii) QI shall not treat documentary evidence provided by an account holder as valid if the documentary evidence does not reasonably establish the identity of the person presenting the documentary evidence. For example, documentary evidence is not valid if it is provided in person by an account holder that is a natural person and the photograph on the documentary evidence, if any, does not match the appearance of the person presenting the document. (iii) QI may not rely on documentation to reduce the withholding rate that would otherwise apply under the presumption rules if the account holder’s documentation is incomplete, contains information that is inconsistent with the account holder’s claim, QI has other account information that is inconsistent with the account holder’s claim, or the documentation lacks information necessary to establish entitlement to a reduced rate of withholding. For example, if an account holder provides documentary evidence to claim treaty benefits and the documentary evidence establishes the account holder’s status as a foreign person and a resident of a treaty country, but fails to provide the treaty statement in section 5.03 of this Agreement, if required, the documentary evidence does not establish the account holder’s entitlement to a reduced rate of withholding. However, for purposes of establishing an account holder’s status as a foreign person or residency under an income tax treaty, documentation shall be considered inconsistent only if it is not reliable under the rules of section 5.10(B)(2) and (3) of this Agreement. (2) Rules Regarding Establishment of
Foreign Status. (i) QI shall not treat documentary evidence provided by an account holder after December 31, 2000, as valid for purposes of establishing the account holder’s foreign status if the only mailing or residence address that is available to QI is an address at a financial institution (unless the financial institution is a beneficial owner), an in-care-of address, or a P.O. Box. In this case, QI must obtain additional documentation that is sufficient to establish the account holder’s identity as a foreign person. QI shall not treat documentary evidence provided by an account holder before January 1, 2001, as valid for purposes of establishing an account holder’s status as a foreign person if it has actual knowledge that a person is a U.S. person or if it has a mailing or residence address for the account holder in the United States. If QI has an address for the account holder in the United States, QI may treat the account holder as a foreign person if it can so treat the account holder under the rules of section 5.10(B)(2)(ii) of this Agreement. (ii) QI shall not treat documentation as valid for purposes of establishing an account holder’s status as a foreign person if QI has a mailing or residence address (whether or not on the documentation) for the account holder in the United States or if the account holder notifies QI of a new address in the United States. If the account holder is a natural person, QI may nevertheless treat the account holder as a foreign person if QI– (a) Has in its possession or obtains additional documentary evidence (which does not contain a U.S. address) supporting the claim of foreign status and a reasonable explanation in writing supporting the account holder’s foreign status; (b) Has in its possession or obtains a valid Form W-8, if the initial documentation provided was not a Form W-8, and the Form W-8 contains a permanent residence address outside the United States and a mailing address outside the United States (or if a mailing address is inside the United States the account holder provides a reasonable explanation in writing supporting the account holder’s foreign status); or (c) Is required to report annually a payment to the account holder on a tax information statement in the country in which
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QI, or a branch of QI, is located; QI is required to file a copy of that statement with the tax authority of that country; and that country has an income tax treaty in effect with the United States. If the documentation is provided by an entity (other than a flow-through entity), QI may nevertheless treat the account holder as a foreign person if QI– (d) Has in its possession, or obtains, documentation that substantiates that the entity is actually organized or created under the laws of a foreign country; (e) Obtains a valid Form W-8, if the initial documentation provided was not a Form W-8, and the Form W-8 contains a permanent residence outside the United States and a mailing address outside the United States (or if a mailing address is inside the United States the account holder provides additional documentary evidence sufficient to establish the account holder’s foreign status); or (f) Is required to report annually a payment to the account holder on a tax information statement in the country in which QI, or a branch of QI, is located; QI is required to file a copy of that statement with the tax authority of that country; and that country has an income tax treaty in effect with the United States. (iii) QI shall not treat documentation as valid for purposes of establishing an account holder’s status as a foreign person if the account holder has standing instructions directing QI to pay amounts from its account to an address or an account maintained in the United States. QI may treat documentation as valid for establishing foreign status even though the account holder has such standing instructions if the account holder provides a reasonable explanation in writing that supports its foreign status. (3) Rules for Establishing Residency Under An Income Tax Treaty.
(i) QI shall not treat an account holder as a resident under an income tax treaty if the permanent residence address on a Form W-8 is not in the applicable treaty country. QI may, however, rely on the Form W-8 if the account holder provides a reasonable explanation for the permanent residence address outside the treaty (e.g., the address is the address of a branch located outside the treaty country in which the entity is a resident) or QI has in its possession, or obtains, documentary
evidence that establishes residency in a treaty country.
(ii) QI shall not treat an account holder as a resident under an income tax treaty if the permanent residence address on a Form W-8 is in the applicable treaty country but QI has a mailing or residence address for the account holder (whether or not contained on the Form W-8) outside the applicable treaty country. A mailing address that is a P.O. Box, in-care-of address, or address at a financial institution (if the financial institution is not a beneficial owner) shall not preclude QI from treating the account holder as a resident of an applicable treaty country if such address is in the applicable treaty country. If QI has a mailing or residence address for the account holder outside the applicable treaty country, QI may nevertheless rely on the form if–
(a) QI has in its possession, or obtains, additional documentation supporting the account holder’s claim of residence in the applicable treaty country (and the additional documentation does not contain an address outside the treaty country);
(b) QI has in its possession, or obtains, documentation that establishes that the account holder is an entity organized in a treaty country (or an entity managed and controlled in a treaty country, if the applicable treaty so requires);
(c) QI knows that the address outside the applicable treaty country (other than a P.O. Box, or in-care-of address) is a branch of a bank or insurance company; or
(d) QI obtains a written statement from the account holder that reasonably establishes entitlement to treaty benefits.
(iii) QI shall not treat documentary evidence as valid for purposes of establishing residency in a treaty country if QI has a mailing or residence address for the account holder (whether or not on the documentary evidence) that is outside the applicable treaty country, or the only address that QI has (whether in or outside of the applicable treaty country) is a P.O. Box, an in-care-of address, or the address of a financial institution (if the financial institution is not the beneficial owner). QI may nevertheless rely on the documentary evidence if–
(a) QI has in its possession, or obtains, additional documentary evidence supporting the account holder’s claim of residence in the applicable treaty country
(and the documentary evidence does not contain an address outside the applicable treaty country, a P.O. Box, an in-care-of address, or the address of a financial institution);
(b) QI has in its possession, or obtains, documentary evidence that establishes that the account holder is an entity organized in a treaty country (or an entity managed and controlled in a treaty country, if the applicable treaty so requires); or
(c) QI obtains a valid Form W-8 that contains a permanent residence address and a mailing address in the applicable treaty country.
(iv) QI shall not treat documentation as valid for purposes of establishing an account holder’s residence in an applicable treaty country if the account holder has standing instructions for QI to pay amounts from its account to an address or an account outside the treaty country unless the account holder provides a reasonable explanation, in writing, establishing the account holder’s residence in the applicable treaty country.
(C) Reason to know–Indirect Ac- count Holders. QI shall be considered to have reason to know that relevant information or statements contained in documentation provided by an indirect account holder are unreliable or incorrect if a reasonably prudent person in the position of a qualified intermediary would question the claims made. QI shall have reason to know that indirect account holder documentary evidence provided by a nonqualified intermediary or a flow-through entity is unreliable or incorrect if a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity does not provide QI with the names of the indirect account holders, their addresses, allocation information allocating payments to each indirect account holder, and sufficient information for QI to report payments on Forms 1042-S and Forms 1099. In addition, QI shall have reason to believe that an indirect account holder is not entitled to a reduced rate of withholding under an income tax treaty if the nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity has not provided sufficient information so that QI can verify that the indirect account holder has provided a TIN, if required, and made the necessary statements regarding limitations on benefits provisions and deriving the income under section 894 of the Code and the regulations there
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under. Sec. 5.11. Documentation Validity Pe- riod. (A) Documentation Other than Form W-9. QI may rely on valid documentary evidence obtained from account holders in accordance with applicable know-yourcustomer rules as long as the documentary evidence remains valid under those rules or until QI knows, or has reason to know, that the information contained in the documentary evidence is incorrect. QI may rely on the representations described in section 5.03 of this Agreement obtained in connection with such documentation for the same period of time as the documentation. QI may rely on a Form W-8 until its validity expires under Treas. Reg. §1.1441–1(e)(4)(ii) and may rely on documentary evidence (other than documentary evidence obtained pursuant to applicable know-your-customer rules) until its validity expires under Treas. Reg. §1.6049–5(c)(2). (B) Form W-9. QI may rely on a valid Form W-9 as long as it has not been informed by the IRS or another withholding agent that the form is unreliable. If QI has primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, it may rely on a Form W-9 unless one of the conditions of Treas. Reg. §31.3406(h)–3(e)(2)(i) through (v) apply. Sec. 5.12. Maintenance and Retention of Documentation. (A) Maintaining Documentation. QI shall maintain documentation by retaining the original documentation, a certified copy, a photocopy, a microfiche, or by electronic storage or similar means of record retention. For accounts opened prior to January 1, 2001, if QI was not required under its know-your-customer rules to maintain originals or copies of documentation, QI may rely on its account information if it has complied with all other aspects of its know-your-customer rules regarding establishment of an account holder’s identity, it has a record that the documentation required under the know-your-customer rules was actually examined by an employee of QI in accordance with the know-your-customer rules, and it has no information in its possession that would require QI to treat the documentation as invalid under the rules of section 5.10(B) of this Agreement. (B) Retention Period . QI shall retain an
account holder’s documentation obtained under this section 5 for as long as documentation is required to be retained under know-your-customer rules identified in the relevant Attachment(s) to this Agreement, whether or not the documentation was obtained pursuant to those rules. Sec. 5.13. Application of Presumption Rules. (A) In General. QI shall apply the presumption rules of section 5.13(C) of this Agreement if QI cannot reliably associate a payment with valid documentation from an account holder other than a nonqualified intermediary or a flow-through entity. The presumption rules cannot be used to grant a reduced rate of withholding. For example, the portfolio interest exception of sections 871(h) and 881(c) of the Code shall not apply to a person that is presumed to be foreign. Further, QI must apply the presumption rules when required and may not rely on its actual knowledge regarding an account holder’s status as a U.S. or foreign person. For example, if the account holder is presumed to be a U.S. non-exempt recipient, QI must treat the account holder as subject to 31% backup withholding on a reportable payment even though QI actually knows that the account holder is a foreign person. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, QI must rely on its actual knowledge regarding an account holder rather than what is presumed under section 5.13(C) of this Agreement if, based on such knowledge, it should withhold an amount greater than the withholding rate under the presumption rules or it should report on Form 1042-S or Form 1099 an amount that would otherwise not be reported. Thus, if an account holder is presumed to be a foreign person with respect to an amount subject to withholding, QI must treat the account holder as subject to 30 percent withholding and report the payment on Form 1042-S unless QI has actual knowledge that the account holder is a U.S. non-exempt recipient, in which case it must withhold 31 percent from the gross amount of the payment and report the payment on Form 1099. Failure to follow the presumption rules may result in liability for underwithholding, penalties, and interest. (B) Reliably Associating a Payment With Documentation . A payment can be reliably associated with documentation if
it is considered reliably associated with documentation under the rules of Treas. Reg. §1.1441–1(b)(2)(vii). Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with documentation if, for that payment, it holds valid documentation, as described in section 5 of the Agreement, from an account holder other than a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity; it can reliably determine how much of the payment relates to the valid documentation provided by such an account holder; and it has no actual knowledge or reason to know that any of the information or statements in the documentation are incorrect. Sections 5.13(B)(1)–(5) of this Agreement describe whether a payment is reliably associated with documentation if the payment is made to an intermediary or flow-through entity. (1) Reliably Associating a Payment With Documentation Provided by a Nonqualified Intermediary or a Flow- Through Entity. Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with documentation provided by a nonqualified intermediary or a flow-through entity only to the extent it can reliably associate the payment with a valid Form W-8IMY; it can determine the portion of the payment that relates to valid documentation, associated with the Form W-8IMY, from an account holder other than a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity; and the nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity provides sufficient information for QI to report the payments on Form 1042-S or Form 1099, if reporting is required. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, to the extent a payment is not subject to reporting on Form 1042S or Form 1099, QI can reliably associate the payment with valid documentation provided it can determine the portion of the payment allocable to a group of documented account holders (other than nonqualified intermediaries or flow-through entities) for whom withholding and reporting is not required. For example, a QI can treat a payment of deposit interest allocable to a group of documented foreign account holders and documented U.S. exempt recipients as reliably associated with valid documentation. If the documentation attached to a nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity’s Form W8IMY is documentation from another nonqualified intermediary or flow
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through entity, then the qualified intermediary must apply the rules of this paragraph to that other nonqualified intermediary or flow-through entity. (2) Reliably Associating a Payment With a Withholding Certificate Pro- vided By a Qualified Intermediary. Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with documentation provided by another qualified intermediary that does not assume either primary NRA withholding responsibility or primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility to the extent the other qualified intermediary provides a valid Form W8IMY and a withholding statement that allocates the payment among withholding rate pools for foreign account holders and withholding rate pools attributable to each U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder for which the other qualified intermediary has provided a valid Form W-9. The presumption rules shall not apply, however, even if a payment cannot be allocated to each U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder to the extent the alternative procedures of section 6.03(B) of this Agreement apply. (3) Reliably Associating a Payment with Documentation Provided by a Qualified Intermediary That Assumes Primary NRA Withholding Responsi- bility . Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with valid documentation provided by another qualified intermediary that assumes primary NRA withholding responsibility, but not primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, to the extent it can associate the payment with a valid Form W8IMY and the withholding statement associated with the Form W-8IMY allocates the payment between a single withholding rate pool attributable to all foreign persons for which the qualified intermediary assumes primary NRA withholding responsibility and to withholding rate pools attributable to each U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder for which the other qualified intermediary has provided a valid Form W-9. The presumption rules shall not apply, however, even if a payment cannot be allocated to each U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder to the extent the alternative procedures of section 6.03(B) of this Agreement apply. (4) Reliably Associating a Payment With Documentation Provided by a
Qualified Intermediary that Assumes Primary Form 1099 Reporting and Backup Withholding Responsibility. Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with valid documentation provided by another qualified intermediary that assumes primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, but not primary NRA withholding responsibility, to the extent it can associate the payment with a valid Form W-8IMY and a withholding statement that allocates the payment among withholding rate pools for foreign account holders. (5) Reliably Associating a Payment With Documentation Provided by a Qualified Intermediary that Assumes Both Primary NRA Withholding Re- sponsibility and Primary Form 1099 Reporting and Backup Withholding Responsibility. Generally, QI can reliably associate a payment with valid documentation provided by another qualified intermediary that assumes both primary NRA withholding responsibility and primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility if QI can associate the payment with a valid Form W8IMY and a withholding statement that designates the accounts for which the other qualified intermediary is acting as a qualified intermediary and is assuming primary NRA withholding and primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility. (C) Presumption Rules. The presumption rules are as follows: (1) Payments Made Outside the United States to an Offshore Account of Amounts Subject to NRA Withholding. An amount that is subject to NRA withholding that is paid outside the United States to an account that is maintained outside the United States is presumed made to an undocumented foreign account holder. Therefore, QI must treat the amount as subject to withholding at a rate of 30 percent on the gross amount paid and report the payment to an unknown account holder on Form 1042-S. (2) Payments of Deposit Interest and OID on Short-Term Obligations. An amount of U.S. source deposit interest (other than an amount that is part of the purchase price of a certificate of deposit sold in a transaction other than a redemption) or an amount of U.S. source interest or original issue discount on the redemp
tion of a short-term obligation that is paid outside the United States to an offshore account is presumed made to an undocumented U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder. QI must backup withhold at 31 percent and report such amounts on Form 1099 unless it has provided sufficient information for another payor from which it receives such amounts to backup withhold and report the payments and QI does not know that the other payor has failed to backup withhold or report. (3) Foreign Source Income, Broker Proceeds, and Certain Other Amounts. QI shall presume that the following payments are made to an exempt recipient provided that such amounts are paid outside the United States to an account maintained outside the United States: (i) Foreign source income; (ii) Broker proceeds; (iii) Original issue discount paid in a sale other than a redemption; (iv) Interest paid as part of the purchase price of an obligation when the instrument is sold between interest payment dates; (v) Amounts held on deposit with banks or other financial institutions for two weeks or less; (vi) Amounts of original issue discount arising from a sale and repurchase transaction that is completed within two weeks or less; or (vii) Amounts described in Treas. Reg. §§1.6049-5(b)(7), (10), and (11). Such amounts are not subject to withholding or reporting. (4) Other Payments. Any payment not covered in sections 5.13(C)(1), (2) or (3) of this Agreement shall be presumed made to a U.S. non-exempt recipient and therefore shall be subject to Form 1099 reporting and to backup withholding. Backup withholding shall not be required, however, if the exception provided in Treas. Reg. §31.3406(g)–1(e) applies. For example, any reportable payment paid inside the United States or paid to a U.S. account is presumed made to a U.S. non-exempt recipient and shall be subject to backup withholding and reporting on Form 1099 as paid to an unknown owner.
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