Guide to the Folger Institute Payment Process

This page is currently a work in progress. Please check back later once we have updated it with the most accurate information.

If you have been awarded money for participation in a Folger Institute program, please consult this page for details about required paperwork, how to receive your award, the tax implications of the award, etc. Please note, if you are an employee or independent contractor for the Library, this information will not apply to you. Please get in touch with Human Resources, the Business Office, and/or your Folger point of contact for more information about your payment. If you are unsure if you are an employee or independent contractor, consult the IRS definitions below.

IRS Definitions:

Employee: Under common-law rules, anyone who performs services for the business is the business’s employee if the business can control what will be done and how it will be done. This is so even when the business gives the employee freedom of action. What matters is that the business has the right to control the details of how the services are performed.

Independent Contractor: The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax.

If you meet either of these definitions, this guide is not for you.

Before You Arrive

Based on your role here, there are several types of payments you might receive for your participation in Folger Institute programming. The payment process and subsequent tax implications will vary depending on the type of payment you are receiving. Generally speaking, your letter of invitation or acceptance will detail which type you are receiving, but if you are unsure, begin by consulting the glossary below.

Glossary of Payment Types:

Fellowship Award: A lump sum payment to residential long-term or short-term fellows in support of their individual research at the Library. With few exceptions, this is never a payment for participation in a scholarly program (such as seminars, conferences, workshops, etc.).

Grant-in-aid: A lump-sum advance payment to Institute scholarly program participants awarded/intended to offset the travel and lodging costs incurred with participation in the program. Only participants who applied to a scholarly program and have been awarded a grant based on their anticipated travel and lodging expenses receive this type of funding.  

Honorarium: Payment received for services provided to the Folger. For example, seminar directors, program organizers and speakers, and fellowship application selection committee members receive honoraria.

Stipend: (TBA)

Travel Reimbursement: Payment made on the basis of receipts for travel and/or lodging costs incurred to provide services to the Folger. Examples: program speakers and application selection committee members are reimbursed for their travel.

Payment Paperwork

If you are a U.S. tax resident…

…you will need to complete Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). You can request a copy from your Folger contact. Be sure to sign the form and return it to the Folger Business Office at accountspayable@folger.edu. Do not return the form to your contact. However, please let your contact know when you’ve sent the form to the Business Office so they can follow up and ensure it was received.Please note that you must complete a new W-9 every tax year for the Folger and that a completed form is required to complete the check requisition process; if you do not submit a form, the Folger cannot pay you.

All U.S. tax residents must complete a W-9 form regardless of the type of payment they are receiving.

If you are not a U.S. tax resident…

…please contact your Folger contact to discuss what paperwork is required for your payment as it varies depending on the type of payment and its purpose.

In most circumstances, you will need to fill out a Folger-specific form called a Foreign National Information Form (FNIF). This form will be used internally to determine if your payment will be subject to tax withholding and, if so, at what rate. To find out more about tax withholding and how to reclaim the withheld money, please see the After Your Program section.

Please submit your paperwork to the Folger Business Office no later than one month before your arrival at the Library in order to receive your payment upon arrival.

Payment Options: Check vs. Electronic Wire Transfer

If you have an individual U.S. bank account…

… we can only provide a paper check for you. Currently, the Folger Shakespeare Library is not set up to transfer money directly to individual U.S. bank accounts.

If you have an international/non-U.S. bank account…

… we can offer either:

  1. A paper check in the currency of your choosing. Please tell your Folger contact which currency you prefer; otherwise you will receive a check in U.S. dollars, which may incur currency conversion fees from your home bank. You can also cash checks in U.S. dollars at one of the local banks . 
  2. An electronic wire transfer to your international/non-U.S. bank account. If you select this option, you will need to send your Folger contact (and/or the Folger Business Office) the following information:
      • The Name of Your Bank
      • IBAN

Please note it takes approximately two weeks for the money to appear in your account, depending on your bank’s security measures. Also, the money will come from a third-party vendor, Western Union Business Solutions.