Finance - NumFOCUS

Welcome to the Finance and Contracts Page at NumFOCUS.
The Finance department at NumFOCUS provides invoicing, payment processing, grants management, finance tracking and reporting, and contract creation services for NumFOCUS projects, contractors, events, and internal staff requests.
All invoice requests for sponsorships and tickets can be submitted here.
All Contract, Subcontract and Contract Amendment Requests can be submitted here.
How do I request a contract?
Contract request, subcontract requests, and amendment requests should all be submitted through our online form: https://wkf.ms/4b22kij
I don’t have a contract, can I still get paid?
We will reject expenses submitted to us If the contractor does not have a contract. If an expense is rejected, you will need to re-submit that expense after your contract is complete.
Where is my contract? What is the status of my contract?
Contracts take between 1-3 weeks to fully execute (revised and signed), depending on:
PIs can review what the current backlog is on a weekly basis in our Project Updates to know how busy we are that week. Contract status is available to PIs and staff through our contract processing software portal, Outlaw.
We use a contracts management software platform called Outlaw to process our contracts. This includes updating or negotiating contract terms, amendments, updating Statements of Work, and collecting signatures from all three signatory parties. Outlaw instructions are HERE.
What happens when my contract expires?
If your contract is expiring soon and your project wants to renew your contract, please contact us as soon as possible BEFORE your contract expires so we can create an amendment. All you need to do is fill out our contract request form and choose Amendment.
If your contract has expired, we will need to create a new contract. If your contract has expired, we will not be able to pay your invoices until you have a new contract. We will reject expenses with expired contracts. To request a new contract, fill out the contract request form.
We try to contact all contractors whose contracts are expiring a month before the expiration date to see if they need or want to renew.
Why do I need a contract?
Contracts are required for non-employee work including development, maintenance, community maintenance, consulting, technical writing, and other forms of contractor work paid by NumFOCUS on behalf of our projects or for NumFOCUS itself. Contracts protect both NumFOCUS and the contractor by spelling out the general terms and conditions of the work to be done, what open source project the work is for, the project’s responsibility for funding the work, the agreed-upon rates of pay, what work will be completed, and what happens when people want to end the contract, among other things. Most universities, government groups, and many companies and individuals also require contracts for this type of work.
Do I need a contract for a reimbursement?
No. Reimbursements for travel, supplies, etc. are not taxable income and therefore do not require contracts or 1099s.
Who will we be contracting with?
Contractors and subcontractors do not contract with the projects directly, as our open source projects are not legal entities. Your contract will be with NumFOCUS, Inc.
What is the contract threshold dollar amount?
Our requirements are that you need to go through our contract process if you expect to receive more than $600 (cumulative, not individual payments) of taxable non-employee compensation in a single year. Below that we do not require a contract. The $600 threshold is determined by the IRS, who requires us to provide a 1099-NEC form annually to all contractors who have received more than $600 cumulatively in a single tax year.
Am I an employee of NumFOCUS?
Contractors and consultants are not employees, and so they do not receive a Form W-2 from NumFOCUS. Only employees receive a W-2. Read about the official legal difference between contractors and employees in the worker classification article on the IRS website. Contractors are not eligible for payroll withholding or benefits.
What kind of tax document will I receive? Do I get a 1099? Do I get a W-2?
NumFOCUS contractors receive Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation annually in January. Only employees receive Form W-2.
NumFOCUS is required to furnish all contractors who must file taxes with the IRS with a 1099-NEC. This group includes US citizens, residents, anyone else who must file a US and/or state income tax return. You will receive an email from us or from a registered tax service before January 31 for the prior year’s compensation. Keep an eye out for that email. If you do not receive an email and think you should have, please check your junk/spam folder. If you still do not see it, please email so that we can provide you with one.
Why do I need to provide a W-9 or W-8 form to you?
The US government requires us to verify the tax details of all contractors, whether or not they pay US taxes, through the W-9 or W-8 forms. The W-9 form is for people who pay US taxes including citizens and residents. The W-8 form is for people who do not pay US taxes. We cannot legally advise you as to which form to use or how to fill them out. Please read the instructions for each form provided by the IRS:
Form W-9 and Instructions
Form W-8 and instructions
Can we propose different terms for our contract?
You will have the opportunity to review your contract before signing it and propose alternate terms that are not part of our standard legal agreement. Although we make every effort to find common ground, we reserve the right to refuse to contract with individuals with whom we cannot reach agreement on terms.
Why does a PI have to acknowledge the contract?
Our project representatives (AKA PIs = Principal Investigators) bear financial responsibility for their projects, and this includes approving the terms of contracts and approving payments to contractors and reimbursements. PIs should be