Before an Invoice Can Be Submitted
An invoice is a document submitted to Columbia University by a vendor for payment of goods or services provided to a department. The vendor must be established in the vendor master file in Accounting and Reporting at Columbia (ARC) before an invoice can be paid.
Certain goods and services require a purchase order prior to doing business with the supplier, which must be initiated in the CU Marketplace.
Invoices are audited to ensure compliance with Columbia University policies and Accounts Payable procedures.
Key Details
The following basic information is required on the invoice:
- Supplier name
- Remit-to address
- Tax ID number or social security number
- Bill-to-party must be Columbia University
- Invoice Date
- Invoice Amount
- A description of services or goods provided
Columbia University only pays for current activity. If there is a previous balance, the department must obtain a new invoice for the current activity amount.
A legitimate business purpose that pertains to Columbia University business must be documented on the invoice.
Columbia University is tax-exempt in most states. Please be sure not to include sales tax charges. Contact the Finance Service Center below for a copy of our tax-exempt certificate.