Tax Center

Overview

We are looking forward to helping you determine which tax forms are appropriate and required by the IRS and/or by Storyblocks. While Storyblocks cannot give tax and/or legal advice, we will do our best to provide you with the information you need to make your own decision about how to comply with applicable U.S. tax laws. If you still have questions after reviewing the information in the Tax Center, please contact your legal and/or tax adviser.

Please follow the steps below to get started:

  1. Check your contact information:

    Please begin by reviewing all of your payment/contact information on Your Account page. Your mailing address, email address, and phone number should all be updated if necessary.

  2. Determine your tax group

    Answer the questions below to identify the tax forms that are appropriate for you. Detailed instructions are available in the sidebar of the relevant sections listed below.

  3. Check your Tax Identification Number

    The IRS requires an identification number to qualify for tax treaty benefits. This number can be issued by either the U.S. government (ITIN/SSN) or your country of residency (FTIN). Failure to provide this tax identification on your submitted tax forms will result in the default 30% tax withholding.

Individual - US Citizen / Resident

If you are submitting to Storyblocks as an individual and are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, then no matter where you are worldwide you can submit Form W-9 to us to satisfy your filing requirement. You should complete it digitally in your payment information, which can be found on Your Account page. Typically there will be no withholding of taxes on any of your Storyblocks income.

Individual - Non US Citizen / Resident

If you are submitting to Storyblocks as an individual and are a resident of a country that has a tax treaty with the U.S., then please submit Form W-8BEN through Storyblock's website to benefit from the reduced or zero withholding rate that is specified in your country's tax treaty.

Note that the IRS requires an identification number to qualify for tax treaty benefits. A U.S. Tax ID # (TIN) OR a Foreign Tax ID # (FTIN) can be provided in this situation. If you do not provide this tax identification information, your payouts will be subject to the default rate of a 30% Tax Withholding.

If you are a resident of a country that has a tax treaty with the U.S., but have not been issued a Tax ID number or are unsure of your Tax ID number, you may either apply for a U.S. Tax ID by filing Form W-7 or consult your local tax advisor to confirm what identification information is correct for you.

Corporations, Partnerships, and LLCs

If you are submitting to Storyblocks as an LLC, partnership, or corporation and the entity is organized under U.S. law, then you can submit Form W-9 through your account page to satisfy your filing requirement. You should complete it digitally in your payment information, which can be found on Your Account page Typically there will be no withholding of taxes on any of your Storyblocks income.

If you are submitting to Storyblocks as an LLC, partnership, corporation, or association and the entity is not organized under U.S. law, use Form SS-4 to apply for a TIN. Once you have obtained a TIN, please consult with your tax adviser to determine which type of Form W-8 is correct for you. Once you select the correct W-8 form, please fill it out digitally on our website (links on the right).

Not sure?

If you are not an individual, LLC, partnership, or corporation, then please consult your tax adviser to determine which IRS forms are correct for you. Once you have determined which forms are appropriate, please contact us at partner@storyblocks.com.