Roku Developer Program

[igeotv]

Dear Roku friends,
We are a spanish company. We are in process to create our Roku channel. We have a Youtube channel named IGEOTV with geographical videos. We would like to enroll as a company in order to participate the Roku Billing Services Program. What information may I be asked to provide during the enrollment? We have not seen a clear information at the roku_billing_services_program_overview.pdf document.
We sent an email to partners@roku.com regarding this subject a week ago. For the moment we have not received any answer. Is there any document or something else where "NON USA developer companies" have an answer to this?

We have read in the document that NON U.S. persons can enroll the billing services program by providing, among other information, the W-8BEN form but for companies you are requiring “Full corporate name and state of incorporation”. Are you referring only to U.S. companies? What about european companies? So we would like to know how possible for an european company is to enroll the billing services program. A quick answer would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance

[EnTerr]

I am sure RokuCo wording was influenced by the terms used by IRS (the USA tax authority). If you look here, it defines

"Classification of Taxpayers for U.S. Tax Purposes" wrote:
Foreign Persons
A foreign person includes:

• Nonresident alien individual


• Foreign corporation


• Foreign partnership


• Foreign trust


• A foreign estate


• Any other person that is not a U.S. person

So yeah, in IRS lingo "person" is any(even non-human)thing that potentially can be subjected to taxing.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. I am a US person. I am not part of the US person Roku, Inc.

[igeotv]

Thank you very much Mr. Enterr. I have seen many forms from the IRS. There is one for foreign companies, the W-8BEN-E.
Why does not Roku mention that? Or why does Roku not mention any other else form? The W-8BEN can be used only by individuals.
Well, we can suppose that we have to fill some IRS form for non USA companies. But we have to imagine that, Roku is not listing that between the documents they are asking for non USA companies.
Roku lists the same requirements for both, individuals and companies (name, address, paypal email address, phone number) but asks W-8BEN only for foreign individuals, Roku says nothing about foreign companies.


I sent this question to partners@roku.com but I have not been answered yet.

[igeotv]

oK, everything is clear, non USA companies can use the W-8BEN Form.

[EnTerr]

"igeotv" wrote:
Why does not Roku mention that? Or why does Roku not mention any other else form?

Well, RokuCo is kinda like that - not quite there yet. There is the "take it or leave it" moment: if we don't like it, may opt not to deal with the company and player.

But start the enrollment process and see what the automated system asks you. Worse that may happen is you abandon the application, no harm. Some IRS forms are required, so that RokuCo will know if they are required to withhold NRA tax or some such. You will receive emails from a different address, reply to that - hopefully it is better manned.

[RokuJoel]

FYI we seem to have a bug in the latest service side release that may make it impossible to sign up for billing services if you are not in the USA as it requires you enter regional information that doesn't make any sense outside of the USA. If you encounter a problem like that, please email developer [at] roku [dot] com and we will get you sorted out manually.

- Joel