u/Fabulous_Status_9940

I went to open a bank account at one of Australia’s big four and got asked to sign a W-8BEN Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Ownership for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting.

I am an Aussie currently living in the South Pacific and I do not hold and US assets.

Neither the customer service person or the manager could provide an explanation of why they needed a US IRS filled in for a bank account. They just claimed it was part of the process.