If the bank asks you to fill out Form W-9, and you are not claiming foreign tax filing status, you should fill out the W-9 and submit it to the bank.
Form W-9 is given to the person/company/bank that will be paying you. In your case, a bank that will be paying you interest. It has to do with the required tax withholding that needs to be done (if any) by the Payer (bank). W-9 is used by individuals with a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Form W-8BEN is also used to determine tax withholding, but is used by individuals that are not considered resident aliens for tax purposes.
Form W-8BEN has a section for a mailing address , but also a section for a foreign address. A foreign address would be required since Form W-8BEN is reporting that the person is NOT a resident for US filing purposes, so they would have a foreign residency.
The form the bank requires would depend on your residency status for tax filing.
Since you are H-1B status, if you meet the Substantial Presence Test you would file Form 1040 as a resident for tax filing purposes.
If you were physically in the United States 183 days in 2024, you would file Form 1040 as a resident for tax filing purposes.
You don't need help filling out W8BEN since we think you'll be submitting a W-9 to the bank instead of a W8BEN. You probably don't need help filling out Form W-9 by yourself, but if you do need help from a local professional, TurboTax may be able to recommend a Tax Pro in your area.
[Edited 01/31/2025 I 2:00 pm PST]
@lewisvo20
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