Previously, I was hesitant to add US Manulife REIT into my stock portfolio given its average dividend yield. Taking opportunity of the stock market crash in March, I have added US Manulife REIT to my stock portfolio as the stock price has fallen to attractive levels.
US Manulife REIT is a pure-play United States (“U.S.”) office REIT. Since the REIT derives its income in the U.S., the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) requires certain documentation from the ultimate beneficial owner to ensure the appropriate level of withholding tax is deducted. The beneficial owner in this case refers to us, the unit holders of Manulife US REIT. Unit holders of Manulife REIT are subject to a maximum withholding tax rate of 30% on income they derive from U.S. investments. To be exempted from the certain withholding tax, we must submit certain documentation which is the W-8BEN Form.
For those who are not familiar with the W-8BEN form, it seem daunting to fill up the form. I must applaud US Manulife REIT for coming up with a comprehensive guide and sample on how to fill up the W-8BEN form and I am sharing the sample with you below.
