No, the country of "no taxation without representation" doesn’t take a 30% tax on payments to foreigners

A slightly abstruse tax issue affecting non-US contractors for US organizations is that sometimes such organizations ask for a W-8BEN form, but that form asks you to claim tax treaty benefits. What should you do if you live in a country which doesn’t have such a tax treaty, or are digital nomad, and are not a US citizen? What is the original purpose of form W8-BEN? What are the laws pertaining…