What is an Independent Contractor?
The specific and legal attributes of an Independent Contractor are fully disclosed in the Independent Contractor’s Agreement that is included in the shopper registration process. In order to register as a shopper, you must click “I agree” to the contents of the Agreement. It’s important that you read that Agreement in its entirety.
Many individuals claim to be operating as independent contractors, and some employers have classified certain employees as independent contractors. However, in some instances we have determined that these are misclassifications. We follow the federal guidelines as to determining “independent contractor” status.
An independent contractor is a self-employed person who operates a business through which he or she offers services to other persons or businesses. Many physicians, dentists, attorneys, and accountants are independent contractors. The IRS has several tests for who is an independent contractor and who is an employee, and in almost all instances, ministers and other church staff are found to be employees.
Anyone who performs work or provides services on a “contract” basis and is not an “Employee” is generally considered an “Independent Contractor”. The Internal Revenue Service has strict guidelines that differentiate an Employee from an Independent Contractor. For example, commonly accepted employee benefits such as provision of medical insurance and pensions and general work rules such as requiring 40 hours of work per week tend to qualify someone as an Employee. Independent Contractors, on the other hand, usually receive no benefits and have few work rules or requirements to follow. The typical real estate Agent is an Independent Contractor. This means that an Agent’s business expenses, medical insurance , and similar benefits enjoyed by most Employees are not provided by the Broker at all but are borne solely by the Agent himself. More importantly, an Independent Contractor conducts his business with a large degree of autonomy from the sponsoring franchise or company. Too much “contr
Services performed by an individual for remuneration is covered employment unless the following two conditions are met: The worker is free from control or direction of the performance of the contract for services, and The worker must be engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business.
