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Contract with Commission

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Employment Contract with Executive Receiving Commission Salary Plus Common Stock

With Right of Refusal to Purchase Shares of Other Shareholders in Close Corporation

Employment Agreement made (date), between

(Name of Employer), a Corporation organized and existing under the laws of (state), with its principal office located at

(street address, city, county, state, zip code),

hereinafter called Corporation, (Names and addresses of other shareholders), said shareholders and Corporation being hereinafter jointly called Employer, and

(Name of Employee) of

(street address, city, county, state, zip code), hereinafter called Employee;

For and in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1. Employment

Employer hereby employs Employee as President and Employee hereby accepts such employment with Employer, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

2. Term of Employment

This Agreement and the employment under this Agreement shall commence on the effective date stated above, and continue for a term of Fifteen (15) years [i.e., until ].

3. Duties of Employee

Employee will serve Employer faithfully and to the best of his ability under the direction of the Board of Directors of Employer. Employee will devote all of his time, energy, and skill during regular business hours to such employment. Employee shall perform such services and act in such executive capacity as the Board of Directors of Employer shall direct. In addition, Employee, along with the Chief Operating Officer, shall be solely responsible for the following:

A. Contracting with manufacturers and setting wholesale and manufacturer’s suggested retail prices, as well as volume discounting;

B. Appointment of distributors and setting up their protected territories;

C. Personnel needs in sales, assembly and administration;

D. Product development;

E. Contracting for additional manufacturing facilities as well as office space and demonstration products; and

F. All advertising and promotional shows and materials.

4. Compensation

A. Upon execution of this Agreement, Employee shall receive a signing bonus of common stock in the Employer equivalent to fifteen percent (15%) of the outstanding common stock of the Employer.

B. Employee's salary for each of the following fiscal years of the Employer shall be a sum equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the monthly gross sales of the Employer with said amount to be paid to Employee on or before the fifteenth day of the month following such sales,

C. In addition to the above, Employee will receive 15% of the outstanding common stock of the Corporation when gross sales have exceeded $500,000.00. Thereafter, Employee shall receive 5% of the outstanding common stock in the Corporation for every $500,000.00 of gross sales until Employee has received 25% of the outstanding common stock in the Corporation pursuant to this Subsection C. As used in this Subsection, the term gross sales refers to sales from the date of this Contract and not merely gross sales per year.

5. Sale of Employee’s Common Stock

A. Employee agrees that he will not sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the common stock of Employer delivered pursuant to Section 4 unless Employee shall have received an opinion of counsel, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for Employer (each party to bear the expense of its own counsel), to the effect that registration of the shares to be sold or disposed of is not required under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or unless there shall be in effect a registration statement under such Act with respect to such proposed sale or disposition of the shares to be sold or disposed of and Employee shall have complied with all applicable provisions of such Act and the rules and regulations under such Act.

B. All certificates issued to represent the common stock delivered to Employee shall bear the following legend: "The shares represented by this certificate are the subject of an Agreement, dated as of , a copy of which is on file at the principal office of (Name of Employer), and may not be transferred, sold, or otherwise disposed of except in accordance with the terms of such Agreement."

C. Employer is authorized to instruct its transfer agent to refuse to transfer such stock certificates except in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

6. Right of First Refusal to Purchase Stock of other Shareholders

In consideration of the Employee's promises made in this Agreement, the undersigned Shareholders agrees that, for as long as this Agreement is in force and the Employee is not in default of this Agreement, Employee shall have the first right of refusal to purchase up to 100% of the common stock of the Employer which Shareholders may, from time to time, decide to sell, at such price and on such terms as said Shareholders determines. Employee shall have (number) days to exercise such right by written notice to the selling Shareholder after Employee receives notice that such Shareholder desires to sell some or all of his stock. As used herein, right of first refusal means that Employee has the right to purchase such stock by matching terms of a proposed contract of purchase between selling shareholder and the party seeking to purchase such shares.

7. Reimbursement of Expenses

Employer shall reimburse Employee for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses that Employee shall incur in connection with his services for Employer contemplated by this Agreement, on presentation by Employee of appropriate vouchers and receipts for such expenses to Employer.

8. Employee's Service as Director

Employee consents to serve as a director of Corporation or any parent, subsidiary, or Corporation affiliated with Corporation, on condition that Employee receive the same compensation paid to other directors of any such company for their services as directors.

9. No Waiver

The failure of either party to this Agreement to insist upon the performance of any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, or the waiver of any breach of any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, shall not be construed as subsequently waiving any such terms and conditions, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and effect as if no such forbearance or waiver had occurred.

10. Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of .

11. Notices

Any notice provided for or concerning this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficiently given when sent by certified or registered mail if sent to the respective address of each party as set forth at the beginning of this Agreement.

12. Mandatory Arbitration

Any dispute under this Agreement shall be required to be resolved by binding arbitration of the parties hereto. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, each party shall select one arbitrator and both arbitrators shall then select a third. The third arbitrator so selected shall arbitrate said dispute. The arbitration shall be governed by the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in force and effect.

13. Entire Agreement

This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties and any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Agreement shall not be binding upon either party except to the extent incorporated in this Agreement.

14. Modification of Agreement

Any modification of this Agreement or additional obligation assumed by either party in connection with this Agreement shall be binding only if placed in writing and signed by each party or an authorized representative of each party.

15. Assignment of Rights

The rights of each party under this Agreement are personal to that party and may not be assigned or transferred to any other person, firm, Employer, or other entity without the prior, express, and written consent of the other party.

16. Counterparts

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

WITNESS our signatures as of the day and date first above stated.

Names and Signatures of Shareholders

Enter text✕

What a Contract with Commission Is and When It Applies

A Contract with Commission is a written agreement that sets the terms under which one party pays another a commission for sales, leads, referrals, or other results. It identifies parties, defines the commission formula (percentage, flat fee, tiered schedule), specifies payment timing and conditions, and allocates responsibilities such as reporting, refunds, and tax treatment. These contracts are used between employers and sales representatives, brokers and agents, referral partners, or service providers who earn performance-based compensation.

Why a Clear Commission Contract Matters

A precise commission agreement reduces disputes by documenting how commissions are earned, calculated, paid, and adjusted. It protects payors and payees by setting timelines, audit rights, and termination mechanics under an agreed governing law.

Why a Clear Commission Contract Matters

Who Typically Drafts or Signs a Commission Contract

Typical users include sales leaders, brokers, HR/payroll administrators, and independent agents managing commission arrangements.

  • Sales Managers and Directors handling compensation plans within sales organizations and aligning targets with pay schedules.
  • Independent Brokers and Agents needing written terms to document commission rates, referral fees, and payment triggers.
  • Finance and Payroll teams responsible for tax reporting, withholding, and reconciling commission payments.

Include legal or HR review for nonstandard formulas, clawback clauses, or cross-jurisdictional arrangements to reduce later disputes.

Essential Elements to Include in a Professional Contract with Commission

Cover these core sections to make the commission agreement enforceable and administrable across typical business contexts.

Parties

Full legal names and entity types for payer and payee, with contact details and roles to avoid identity ambiguity.

Commission Formula

Precise calculation method: percentage of gross/net sales, fixed fee, tiered rates, thresholds, and examples for clarity.

Payment Terms

Timing, currency, payment method, invoicing requirements, and whether taxes, deductions, or reimbursements apply.

Performance Conditions

Events that trigger payment (signed contract, accepted delivery, collected funds) and treatment of returns or cancellations.

Term & Termination

Agreement duration, renewal mechanics, notice periods, and post-termination obligations including final reconciliation.

Dispute Resolution

Governing law, venue, arbitration or mediation clauses, and audit or records-access rights for verification.

Step-by-Step: Completing a Contract with Commission

Follow these sequential steps to prepare and finalize the agreement with clarity and legal validity.

  • 01
    Draft: Describe parties, commission calculation, and payment triggers with examples.
  • 02
    Review: Have finance, HR, or legal verify tax treatment and clawback language.
  • 03
    Authorize: Collect signatures from authorized representatives and record signer details.
  • 04
    Archive: Store the executed agreement and audit trail in a secure records system.

How to Configure an Online Signing Workflow

Configure fields and routing so each signer receives the correct inputs in the proper order and with appropriate authentication.

Field Configuration
Upload Document Use PDF or DOCX; set required fields and example calculations.
Authentication Select email, SMS code, or advanced signer authentication per risk level.
Routing Order Set sequential or parallel signing; specify approvers and deadlines.
Notifications Enable reminders, completed copies, and audit trail delivery to stakeholders.

Digital Signing and Distribution Considerations

Choose integrations and security settings based on volume, compliance needs, and the systems that store contracts.

  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace integration options reduce manual entry.
  • Authentication: Email plus optional SMS or KBA improves signer attribution and auditability.
  • Document Formats: Accept PDF and Word; ensure final signed copy is PDF/A-compatible for archiving.

Use secure storage, consistent naming, and retention rules to streamline reconciliation and future audits.

Where to Send and Store the Executed Contract

Decide recipients and archival locations before sending so the signing workflow captures required approvals and preserves records.

  • Sales Ledger: Deliver signed copy to accounting for commission posting.
  • CRM: Attach the agreement to the customer or account record for reference.
  • Legal: Send a redacted copy if legal review or audit rights apply.
  • Records: Archive executed PDF and audit trail in secure long-term storage.

Time-Sensitive Dates and Reporting Obligations

Key dates affect payment, dispute resolution, and tax reporting; track them centrally to avoid penalties and confusion.

Payment Due Date:

Follow the contract's payment term (e.g., Net 30) to avoid late fees.

Dispute Notice Period:

Provide written notice within the contract's stated dispute window (commonly 30–60 days).

Final Reconciliation:

Complete post-termination reconciliation per the contract within the stated timeframe.

1099 Reporting:

Report qualifying nonemployee compensation by Jan 31 (Form 1099-NEC) per IRS rules.

Document Retention:

Retain records according to tax and industry retention legal obligations.

Key Contract Lifecycle Milestones

Track these sequential milestones from negotiation through reconciliation to ensure timely payments and recordkeeping.

01

Negotiation Complete

Final terms agreed and draft prepared for review and signature.

02

Execution

All authorized signers sign and dates are recorded with audit data.

03

Commission Payment

Payment triggered per the contract after verification of the trigger event.

04

Reconciliation and Audit

Periodic or post-termination audit to confirm calculations and correct any adjustments.

Common Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

  • Vague commission definitions that omit whether commissions apply to gross or net revenue, causing calculation disputes.
  • No trigger event specified; payments tied to 'sale' without defining completion, delivery, or collection milestones.
  • Missing authority to sign; agreements signed by unauthorized individuals can be challenged or voided.
  • Failure to include tax reporting responsibilities, leading to incorrect 1099 reporting or backup withholding obligations.

Primary Risks and Potential Consequences

Breach Disputes: Damages, interest, and litigation costs
Incorrect Payments: Overpayments and clawback administrative burden
Tax Misreporting: Backup withholding or IRS penalties
Unauthorized Signatures: Agreement voidability risk
Data Exposure: Confidentiality breaches and compliance fines
Late Reconciliation: Financial statement inaccuracies

Security and Compliance Considerations for Electronic Execution

Transport Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3
Data at Rest: AES-256 encryption
Audit Trail: Detailed signer and timestamp logs
HIPAA: BAA available for protected health data
21 CFR Part 11: Supports FDA-regulated signatures
ESIGN / UETA: Compliant with federal and state e-signature laws

Who Can Sign and What Authority Looks Like

Authorized Officer

A company officer with delegation or board resolution may bind the entity; ensure signers have documented authority and title to reduce challenges.

Independent Agent

An individual contractor signs in personal capacity; include tax classification language and confirm EIN/SSN for reporting purposes.

Real-World Examples of Commission Agreements in Use

These examples show practical adaptations and real customer experiences with digital execution for commission arrangements.

Martin Properties

Tim Martin needed remote execution for leasing commissions

  • Used mobile signing on-site
  • "I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security," enabling faster closings and remote processing.

Optica Ventures

Optica standardized referral agreements across partners

  • Centralized formulas and templates
  • "The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers," reducing negotiation time.

Pricing and Feature Comparison for eSignature Providers

Basic plan pricing, trial availability, bulk-send capability, audit trail, HIPAA compliance, and envelope caps vary between major eSignature providers.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial, no credit card Varies by offer Varies by offer Limited trial available Limited trial available
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Envelope Cap No cap 100 envelopes/user/year Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan

Frequently Asked Questions about Commission Contracts

Answers to common questions about execution, enforceability, and digital signing of commission agreements.


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