Invoicing & timesheets process
For detailed information on payment, credit and pay in advance facilities, please refer to our how to pay page
The contract terms
Invoicing process
After you and your chosen Seller have agreed the final terms of the contract, you – the Buyer – fill out these final details, including:
- the agreed hourly rate or fixed-price;
- permission for expenses and overtime;
- the duration of the contract;
- the frequency you want to receive timesheets (timesheets are optional for fixed-price contracts); and
- the agreed frequency for invoices (for hourly contracts) – subject to the cycle being no less frequently than monthly.
Contract for services
Once the contract details are completed, together with the terms and conditions, you now have a contract for services between you and us – 4FMV. At the same time a contract is executed between 4FMV and your Seller.
Invoicing and timesheets: Hourly contracts
We expect that the majority of Buyers will want to select monthly invoicing and weekly timesheets.
Monthly invoices are produced on the last Friday of the calendar month, to ensure that the weekly timesheet cycle coincides with the monthly invoice cycle. Invoices are generated when the end-of-month timesheet is approved.
Remember that you have 2 working days to approve this final timesheet and expenses claim – see invoicing process, below.
Invoicing: Fixed-Price Contracts
All Fixed-Price Contracts are pre-paid. An invoice will be issued once the contract is awarded. No work will begin until the invoice is paid. See the invoicing process below.
Expenses, if allowed, will be invoiced at the end of the contract.
Expenses & overtime
Expenses and overtime can only be claimed by your Seller when you have agreed to them, and have indicated this on the final contract details.
You can decide to allow overtime* or expenses after the contract has begun, but any change in the conditions of the contract must also be agreed to by your Seller.
* Overtime is not an option for a fixed-price contract.
Please note that expenses incur a small 5% processing and administration charge.
Sales Taxes: GST, HST and QST
Sales taxes (GST/HST and QST) are applied to the invoice based on where the work was done.
GST
GST will be applied for work done in the following provinces:
- Alberta
- Manitoba
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Quebec
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
HST
HST will be applied for work done in the following provinces:
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
Note: In a referendum decision, citizens of British Columbia voted to return GST/PST on 26-Aug-2011. Until this change is implemented by the province, HST will be applied.
QST
In addition to GST, QST is added when the work is done in the province of Quebec.
The invoicing process for Hourly Contracts
Timesheets
Your Sellers complete online timesheets and submit them to you, as you require, whether on a weekly or monthly basis.
Expenses and overtime can only be claimed by your Seller when you have agreed to them and indicated this on the final contract details.
If a timesheet has been updated – and you have not approved it – we will email you to remind you to approve it.
Final or monthly timesheet
At the end of the contract – or at the end of each month for an ongoing contract – your Seller completes the final timesheet and expenses claim (if you have agreed to expenses).
We will email you as soon as this final timesheet is submitted.
Approve final timesheet
You then have 2 working days to approve this final timesheet and expenses claim.
In order to make sure that you don’t miss this deadline, we suggest that you add the contact details of a colleague who can also authorise timesheets on your behalf.
You can do this from your homepage – select ‘My details’.
If you don’t approve it
If you reject the timesheet, or have a query on it, we will send it back to the Seller to resubmit.
When you do approve it
When you do approve the timesheet and expenses – or if 2 working days elapse and you have not queried the timesheet (or the revised timesheet if you queried the original) – we will generate the appropriate invoices.
Invoice 1: From 4FMV to you
We invoice you for the Seller’s total labour costs, plus our 12% management fee (which is included in the hourly rate that you see), together with any expenses.
Sales taxes, GST/HST (and QST if applicable) will be applied to all our invoices to our Buyers.
Payment of your invoice must reach us within 28 days of the invoice date.
Details of remittance are shown on your invoice.
Please note that expenses incur a small 5% processing and administration charge.
Invoice 2: From the Seller to 4FMV
We settle the Seller’s invoice.
The invoicing process for Fixed-Price Contracts
Invoice 1: From 4FMV to you
We invoice you for the Seller’s total fixed-price, plus our 15% management fee (which is included in the fixed-price rate that you see), together with any expenses.
Sales taxes, GST/HST (and QST if applicable) will be applied to all our invoices to our Buyers.
Payment of your invoice is due upon receipt. The Seller will not begin work until the invoice is confirmed as paid.
Details of remittance are shown on your invoice. For faster payment, a PayPal invoice will be issued. Alternative arrangement can be made at your request.
Seller completes the contracted work
The Seller will complete the tasks, work that you have contracted the Seller to do. The Seller will also submit any expenses if allowed at this time.
Approve the completed work
You then have 2 working days tto approve this completed work and expenses if allowed.
In order to make sure that you don’t miss this deadline, we suggest that you add the contact details of a colleague who can also authorise completion on your behalf.
You can do this from your homepage – select ‘My details’.
If you don’t approve it
If you reject the work, or have a query on it, we will send it back to the Seller to resubmit.
When you do approve it
When you do approve the completed work and expenses – or if 2 working days elapse and you have not queried the completed work (or the revised completed work if you queried the original) – we will generate the appropriate invoices.
Invoice 2: From 4FMV to you (if expenses are allowed)
We invoice you for the Seller’s expenses.
Sales taxes, GST/HST (and QST if applicable) will be applied to all our invoices to our Buyers.
Payment of your invoice must reach us within 28 days of the invoice date.
Details of remittance are shown on your invoice.
Please note that expenses incur a small 5% processing and administration charge.
Invoice 3: From the Seller to 4FMV
We settle the Seller’s invoice.
As part of both the Buyers’ and the Sellers’ terms and conditions – which are legally binding – you confirm that contacts made, services purchased, or contracts gained through any of the 4FMV websites will be invoiced only through 4FMV contracts and timesheets.
For more information
Please refer to the Buyers’ terms and conditions for more information on the invoicing process.
