American with single member foreign LLC W-9 vs W-8BEN-E

[mae7282]

I'm the sole owner of the Japanese version of a LLC (GK) and American citizen, and a large American client knows I'm American and sent me a W-8BEN-E to fill out.
Is the W-8BEN-E correct since it is a Japanese LLC or since it is single owner and American, should I be submitting a W-9 instead?

It's a disregarded entity on the US side but not a disregarded entity for Japan.

 

[sevenz]

@mae7282 I am US international tax advisor.

Are you sure the GK is disregarded for US tax purposes?

I have a feeling the default classification of the GK will be a C-Corp and as it is Foreign it will be considered a CFC.

I have worked with KKs before and these are per se corporations meaning you can’t make positive elections to reclassify their entity status.

If you have elected the GK to be transparent, I’d agree W-9 is appropriate.