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Paul LabergeDeveloper Evangelist
Frédéric HarperDeveloper Evangelist
Ok, I’ll admit it. As a Canadian app publisher, getting paid on the Windows Phone Marketplace hasn’t exactly been an easy or straightforward process. Apps that generated revenue via Microsoft’s Ad Centre product were initially restricted to US publishers only, but that restriction was lifted a little while ago. Those of you who are offering paid apps on the Marketplace still have to submit paper-based US W-8 forms to the Marketplace in order to get access to the funds you earned from users paying for your apps. That is, until now.
Effective immediately, international developers (including Canadian publishers) can submit your W-8 forms to the Marketplace in digital format by emailing it to the Marketplace team! There are some specifics that you’ll need to make note of, however, and I’ve listed these notes below:
Once you have filled out the form’s digital fields (as discussed in the bullet points above), you actually need to print out the form and physically sign and date it yourself. The IRS unfortunately does not accept digital signatures for this form so Microsoft requires you to scan the form you’ve filled out (with your physical signature and date). You then email your filled-out form to mplcomm@microsoft.com.
If you have any questions about how to submit your W-8 form to the Marketplace, you can also email mplcomm@microsoft.com.
Happy coding, publishing and prospering!
To say that getting paid as a Canadian "hasn’t exactly been an easy or straightforward process" is a pretty big understatement! :)
It took me 1 trip to the US consulate, 2 trips to an IRS office across the border, emails to Brandon Watson and Joe Belfiore, many countless hours of wasted time and money to get my first payment. The whole process took over 10 months.
I'm glad that that the ITIN requirement was finally lifted a couple months ago and now the requirement to snail mail the W-8 form is gone too. Thanks for making it easier for non-US devs to sell Windows Phone apps... please continue to make this as level a playing field as possible!
Thanks for this info.
Additionally to the above notes, I received feedback that the ISV ID is also required for validation.
1.) Log-in to your App Hub account
2.) Navigate to users.create.msdn.com/.../profile
3.) Click on the "Account Info" link
4.) Locate the ISV ID located on the right