Before we can pay you, the law in our operating regions requires a tax form on file. Which form depends on where you live.
The three forms
| Form | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|
| W-9 | US residents | We file an annual 1099-NEC summarising your earnings; the IRS reconciles it to your return. |
| W-8BEN | Individual non-US residents | Confirms you're a non-US person and qualifies you for the relevant tax-treaty rate (often 0% US withholding). |
| W-8BEN-E | Non-US entities (your studio is an LLC, etc.) | Same purpose for businesses. |
| VAT/GST registration | EU, UK, Australian businesses | If you invoice as a business, we need your VAT/GST number so we apply reverse-charge rules correctly. |
If none of those apply (you're a non-US resident with no business entity, no VAT registration), the W-8BEN is what you file as an individual.
What you need to fill out
For W-9 (US):
- Legal name (matches your ID)
- US tax classification (most individual models pick Individual / Sole Proprietor)
- Address
- US Social Security Number or EIN
- Signature (digital, in the form)
For W-8BEN (non-US individual):
- Legal name
- Country of citizenship and country of tax residence (often the same)
- Permanent residence address (no PO boxes)
- A foreign tax-ID number if your country issues one (UK NI number, German Steuer-ID, Brazilian CPF, etc.)
- Date of birth
- Signature
The form is digital, lives in Model Dashboard → Tax info, and takes 5 minutes. We pre-fill what we can from your application.
Why we ask now, before payout
US tax law requires us to collect a W-9 or W-8 before remitting any payment to a person. If we paid you before getting the form, we'd be required to withhold 24% US backup withholding — for everyone, including non-US models. Filing the form up-front means we don't withhold from your earnings.
For EU/UK/AU models, VAT registration determines whether you invoice us with VAT (you're responsible for remitting to your tax authority) or without (we apply reverse-charge / B2B). Doing it wrong means you owe VAT later out-of-pocket. We'd rather get it right at setup.
What we do with the data
We store the form encrypted at rest. The data is used to:
- File your annual 1099-NEC (US) summary with the IRS, with a copy to you in January.
- Apply the right withholding rate at payout (typically 0% for non-US under treaty).
- Respond to subpoenas where required.
We don't share your tax info with models, viewers, or other third parties. We don't use it for marketing.
I made a mistake on the form
You can refile the form any time from your dashboard. The latest one supersedes earlier versions. If a 1099 has already been issued for a prior year and was wrong, contact payouts@camila.live and we'll issue a corrected one (1099-NEC corrections are common; the IRS expects them).
I have multiple income sources from Camila
If you broadcast under multiple stage names but with one tax identity, file once — the form covers your whole tax person, not the stage name.
If you broadcast under a studio that pays you, the studio files its own forms; you file via the studio. Only single (independent) models file directly with us.
I'm not sure which form applies
Email payouts@camila.live describing your situation — country of tax residence, whether you're an individual or business, US or not — and we'll point you at the right form. We don't give tax advice; for that, talk to an accountant in your country. But we can answer "which of our forms is the one for me?" reliably.