Contest or Prize Winners

Contest prize winnings are tax reportable to the IRS. In order for Accounts Payable to distribute prize money, the following guidelines are being provided.

Payment Request

  • A Payment request, direct pay form, must be completed for each winner
  • For CSULB Student winners, the Student ID # must be noted
  • Supporting documents such as a copy of a web posting/flyer or other announcement
  • Payment approval follows the campus signature authority guidelines 

Tax Documents

Each payee, including students, must have a completed vendor 204 form with a US TAX ID #.

All prizes are tax reportable to the IRS and additionally will be reported to financial aid if a CSULB student.  

  • For foreign individuals that cannot complete a 204, all the following other items are required:
    • Foreign National Information Form:  FNIF (DocuSign) or FNIF (PDF)  
    • A copy of passport (1st page with their personal information)
    • Copy of visa; I-94 and I-94 travel history      
    • Copy of I-20 (if payee is F-1 student)   
  • For foreign entities, not an individual, a W-8BEN-E is required in lieu of a vendor 204
  • If the payee is foreign, please contact TAX@csulb.edu for assistance

Submission to Accounts Payable

In order for Accounts Payable to distribute prize money, each winner/payees’ documents are to be submitted to Accounts Payable in a separate email (one email per winner) to FISINVOICEAPPROVAL@csulb.edu or FND-Invoices@csulb.edu

  • The business unit funding the payments are identified in the first 5 letters of the email subject.
    • Example - Subject Line: LBCMP_Doe, Jane_ Sunstone contest winner
    • Example b - Subject Line: LB49R_Doe, Sally_Sunstone contest winner
    • Example c – Subject Line: LBFDN-Doe, Sam_Sunstone contest winner

  • Each PDF for the payee should be a separate file.

    (One PDF for the pay request and one for the Vendor 204 form, etc.)

  • Payment will be completed by Check
    • EFT forms are not required

For any questions contact Ronald.Soth@csulb.edu for LBCMP or Annette.Harris@csulb.edu for Research Foundation