What kind of documentation is required to pay a consultant?
If the total amount to be paid to the consultant/professional services provider will exceed $5,000 please refer to the Boston College Bid Policy and contact Procurement Services regarding bidding, sole source documentation and agreement negotiation. If the total amount to be paid to the consultant/professional services provider will be less than $5,000 please use the Boston College Service Agreement. No alterations to the terms of this agreement are allowed. Once the Service Agreement has been completed and signed by the consultant/service provider, Principal Investigator and OSP, invoices may be processed. For guidance regarding employee vs. consultant status, please contact Human Resources.
Before attempting to pay someone for work performed, it must be decided whether the individual is indeed a consultant or if he/she should be paid as an employee. The most important criterion is that the nature of the work performed is unique – that it is not offered at Boston College and not performed for a sustained period of time. Detailed IRS guidelines can be obtained from OSP.
