Submitting and updating tax forms

Our community members provide services to Gengo as independent contractors. It is the responsibility of each member to determine the tax requirements in their relevant country or jurisdiction, as well as other requirements (such as whether they need to register as self-employed/freelancer). 

 

Gengo does not withhold taxes from fees paid to you. However, to request a payout from us, you must fill in and submit electronically a tax form declaring your taxpayer status. We require this to fulfill our obligations with the U.S. government, and we use the form solely for record-keeping purposes.

 

Please note that you don't need to sign a tax form until you have accumulated enough rewards and you are ready to request a payout. So, you can start earning first and worry about this later on :)

 

1. Which tax form should I request?

2. How do I submit my tax form?

3. What sections of the form should I fill?

4. Can I email you the printed/scanned form?

5. What do I do if I requested the wrong tax form?

6. When should I update my tax form?

 

Which tax form should I request?

 

Depending on your situation, you must request either the W-9 form or the W-8BEN form:

 

• If you are a U.S. citizen, you must submit a W-9 form
• If you live in the U.S. (resident alien) and are legally allowed to work in the U.S., you must submit a W-9 form
• If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, and you live outside the U.S. (i.e. you live in any country except the U.S.), you must submit a W-8BEN form
• If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, and you live inside the US without permission to work, you cannot work for Gengo

 

When you try to request your first payout, you will be redirected to the Taxpayer Status page where you can get your tax form. You will need to submit your tax form before your payout request is acknowledged, so be sure to go back and request your payout again after submitting your tax form.

 

Once you're on the Taxpayer Status page, select the appropriate option depending on your situation, and you will receive an email from Zoho Sign with a link to fill in either the W-9 form (if you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien), or the W-8BEN form (if you are NOT a U.S. citizen).

 

 

 

How do I submit my tax form?

 

Open the email you should have received from Zoho Sign. It should look like this:

 

 

After clicking on the "Start Signing" button, you will be directed to Zoho Sign. Here you can fill in the required fields (marked with a red asterisk) and complete it with an e-signature.

 

The link to the form will expire in 15 days, so please be sure to complete it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will have to request a new tax form to be emailed to you. 

 

 

What sections of the form should I fill?

 

• If you are filling out the W-9 form (for U.S. citizens or U.S. resident aliens), please read the W-9 instructions from the IRS website. In most cases, your completed form should look like in this example:

 

 

• If you are filling out the W-8BEN form (for everyone else), please read the W-8BEN instructions from the IRS website. In most cases, your completed form should look like in this example:

 

 

Once you click "Finish" to submit your form, you can go back to the Taxpayer Status page and it will show the date and time we received your signed tax document.

 

 

Note: it may take a few hours for your taxpayer status to update on Gengo's side. Please do not request or submit a new form. If you are unsure if we received your tax form correctly, please contact support and we'll check that for you.

 

 

Can I email you the printed/scanned form?

 

No, you must fill and sign the form digitally on Zoho Sign. We can't accept printed, scanned or downloaded forms. You can, however, download your form in PDF format for your own records.

 

 

What do I do if I requested the wrong tax form?

 

If you have accidentally requested the wrong form and you haven't signed it yet, you can click Cancel request to have the correct one emailed to you instead.

 

 

If you already completed the form and you need to make changes, click on Request a new form. The page will reload and you will need to select the appropriate option depending on your situation, to receive an email from Zoho Sign with a link to a new tax form to sign.

 

 

Keep in mind that, once you click Request a new form, even if by accident, your previous form will become void, and you will need to complete the new form to be able to request a payout.

 

 

When should I update my tax form?

 

If your personal circumstances change (i.e. your name if you get married, your address if you move, etc.), you should submit an updated tax form as soon as possible. To update your tax form, please click Request a new form on the Taxpayer Status page of your translator dashboard.

 

You should also update your address on your Account Settings page. If you qualify to receive a 1099-NEC form, our Accounting team may capture your address from either side, so it's important that they both match.

 

And that's all there is to know about how to sign your tax form! Be sure to check this other article to learn how to get paid once you have completed your tax form, and if there’s anything else on your mind, feel free to contact support.