🍎 Setting Up My Apple Developer Account for App Store Payments: What I Learned
A practical guide to App Store Connect agreements, banking, tax information, and the W-8BEN form for developers in India.
Recently, while setting up my Apple Developer account for App Store publishing and payments, I realized that creating an app is only one part of the process.
Before you can properly receive payments from the App Store, there are several important things to configure in App Store Connect.
I decided to document my experience because other developers — especially those outside the U.S. — may find the process confusing.
1. Apple Developer Account
The first step is having an active Apple Developer Program membership.
Once your developer account is ready, App Store Connect becomes the central place to manage:
- Apps
- App submissions
- Users and access
- Agreements
- Banking
- Tax information
- Sales and trends
For developers coming from Android/Google Play, some parts of Apple’s workflow can feel quite different.
2. App Store Connect Agreements
One important section is:
App Store Connect → Business → Agreements
Before receiving payments, you may need to review and accept the applicable agreements.
This section is easy to overlook because you can already create and manage apps without having every business/tax step completed.
3. Banking Information
Apple also requires banking information for payments.
You’ll need to provide the relevant details for the bank account where your App Store proceeds should be deposited.
Make sure the account holder information matches your legal/tax information.
4. Tax Information
This was one of the more confusing parts for me.
As an Indian individual developer, Apple presented the U.S. Form W-8BEN.
The W-8BEN is used by non-U.S. individuals to certify their foreign status for U.S. tax withholding purposes.
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The form asks for information such as:
- Name of beneficial owner
- Country of citizenship
- Permanent residence
- Foreign tax identification information
- Date of birth
- Treaty benefits, where applicable
5. Claiming Tax Treaty Benefits
The most important part is understanding that you shouldn’t simply copy another developer’s tax settings.
The correct treaty treatment depends on your circumstances and the nature of the income.
For my setup, I had to review the U.S.–India tax treaty, particularly the business-profits provisions, and understand the permanent-establishment condition.
This is an area where developers should verify the applicable treatment rather than treating a Medium/Reddit post as tax advice.
6. Don’t Rush the Submit Button
One lesson I learned:
Read everything before submitting the tax form.
Apple clearly warns that after submitting the form, you may not be able to make changes directly.
So I went through each section carefully:
âś… Personal information
âś… Indian residency
âś… Tax identification information
âś… Treaty information
âś… Certification
Only after reviewing everything should you submit.
7. My Biggest Takeaway
Publishing an app isn’t just about writing code.
There is also:
Development → Testing → App Store submission → Agreements → Banking → Tax → Payments
Understanding these steps early can save a lot of confusion later.
For developers building apps as a side project or as a business, learning the business and financial side of app distribution is just as important as learning Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, or React Native.
Final Thought
If you’re an Indian developer planning to publish your first iOS app, don’t wait until your app starts generating revenue to understand App Store Connect’s business and tax sections.
Spend some time understanding them early.
It will make the journey much smoother.
Disclaimer: This is a personal experience/learning post, not tax or legal advice. Tax treatment can vary based on your individual circumstances, so consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation.
