However, the IRS doesn't require a company to withhold taxes or report any income from an international contractor if the contractor is not a U.S. citizen and the services provided are outside the U.S. filing forms 1099 is required if: The contractor is located internationally but is a U.S. citizen.
Foreign independent contractors must submit IRS Form W-8BEN (for individuals) or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (for entities) to the US company they work for. This form certifies the contractor's foreign status and can help reduce or eliminate withholding tax on payments. Purpose: Certifies foreign status.
Without this form, you must withhold 30% of your payments to foreign contractors for taxes. IRS Form W-8BEN-E is similar but is for foreign businesses rather than individuals. For example, if you work with a foreign contractor who has formed a business entity, they may need to file W-8BEN-E instead of W-8BEN.
How to Report Foreign Income. If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien, you report your foreign income on your tax return where you report your U.S. income. That is, on line 1 of IRS Form 1040.
Choosing a credit or a deduction To choose the deduction, you must deduct foreign income taxes on Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions. To choose the foreign tax credit, you generally must complete Form 1116 and attach it to your Form 1040, Form 1040-SR or Form 1040-NR.
Form 1099 is used to report payments made to an independent contractor. Expat business owners may need to file Form 1099 when working with contractors abroad. Failing to file Form 1099 as required could result in penalties.