Employee or independent contractor: Whats the difference? Resources

Accountant for independent contractor

While that does complicate your personal income taxes, it’s also an opportunity to take advantage of deductions and credits designed to ease the tax burden of small businesses. If you are concerned about worker classification and have in the past or intend to classify future workers as independent contractors, it is best to consult a business or employment attorney. Our team will file your tax return based on your books, records and any additional information you provide.

Some workers may prefer to be classified as independent contractors because employees are not permitted to deduct unreimbursed employment expenses on their personal tax returns. However, worker preference is not a factor in the classification determination. Meanwhile in relevance to the financial aspect, when it comes to employees, the company is obligated to withhold the income tax, social security and Medicare taxes from the wages being paid. On the other hand, the company doesn’t withhold these taxes for independent contractors. These expenses that would normally be covered by an employer are passed to the independent contractor. An independent contractor agreement for accountant and bookkeeper is an important document to determine, for tax purposes, that the worker is not an employee of the company.

The biggest downside to Bench is that if you need the Premium plan, you’ll have to sign an annual contract, so if you’re not happy with the plan, you’re on the hook for an entire year. Both of the packages offer a free demo so you can check them out to see if the service is right for your business. Several customers on third-party review sites report problems reaching customer service or receiving a response to their problems. Although customer service reviews are mostly positive, some FreshBooks users report that they’ve been double charged, and customer support is not always responsive to these issues. Third-party customer reviews point to significant problems reaching customer service and getting resolutions to their problems. Financial reports can prepare your business for the future by looking at your past and present to prepare you for future decisions.

If there are independent contractors working for your business, it’s best to be absolutely certain that “independent contrator” is an appropriate classification. The U.S. Department of Labor website explains why the government takes this so seriously. Both federal and state governments seek out business owners who might be misclassifying workers. S Corporations do have additional organizational requirements including bookkeeping and payroll, and the tax preparation is more complex and slightly more costly. Though payroll can generally simplify the payment process for the business owner. We typically recommend the S Corporation strategy if a contractor generates more than $80K in annual net revenue.

Best for Combined Bookkeeping and Tax Prep

Classifying a worker as an employee subjects the hiring business to more rules and laws and requires the employer to pay additional taxes. Therefore, a business won’t be penalized for classifying a worker as an employee since that is the government preference. An independent contractor is someone who is self-employed and operates their business independently of the business who has hired them. Businesses hire independent contractors to do a specific task or a set of tasks for a period of time.

As if the classification topic wasn’t complex enough, another very big aspect for CPAs to consider involves the ethics of advising clients about classifying workers. Keep in mind that the potential for unauthorized practice of law (UPL) if you are advising clients on worker classification and have not been licensed or admitted to practice law in a given jurisdiction. Check your state rules to find out where all these lie and what you can or cannot do regarding giving any advice.

If you have more than five clients, you’ll need the Plus version, but all of the plan tiers are reasonably priced. Thorn, CPA, PLLC know what it takes to keep area businesses profitable. Our team is ready to help you manage your bookkeeping and other business accounting needs. Independent contractors need to be thinking of bank account reconciliation. The practice of reconciliation will help you ensure that every transaction matches your accounts. However, it is highly beneficial to create your Employer ID Number.

What is an independent contractor?

But an accounting software is highly recommended if you are an independent contractor. It’s important to plan for this and set the money aside ahead of time so that the money is available before the tax deadline. InDinero is a full-service accounting software with accounting and tax preparation service in one. Like Bench, there is a human element to the service, but you’ll have to reach out to inDinero to get a specific quote for pricing and services. Zoho made our pick as best accounting software for part-time contractors because its basic, free version provides everything most contractors will need–all at no cost.

Accountant for independent contractor

You and the person paying you [your agency, referral service, or customers] have a contract. The contract is a legal agreement which should be discussed with a lawyer, not your tax preparer or friends. Both the state and the federal government offer classes regarding the details of running your own business. Classes or workshops may also be available at your library, local high school, or college.

The gig economy is expanding rapidly as internet platforms are used more to connect service providers to customers. The gig economy generally includes industries in which workers complete tasks on an on-demand or client-by-client basis, such as Uber and Lyft drivers or restaurant Accountant for independent contractor home-delivery services. The emerging gig economy has raised questions about how to classify workers for tax purposes. Behavioral control It does not matter whether the business exercises control over the worker, it matters if they have the ability to exercise control.

How Does the AB5 Affect: Accountants

If you did more than $600 of work for a particular client, they’re required to file Form 1099-MISC and send you a copy of it. 1099-MISC is an “information filing form” used to report non-salary income to the IRS. You don’t need to do anything to your copy of 1099-MISC, but if you don’t receive one, you should follow up with your client. They tend to get paid for projects, they worry about their own taxes, and work when and where they want.

Employers generally provide benefits to employees, which can be expensive. Moreover, employers must pay a share of Medicare, Social Security, and state unemployment taxes. Wisconsin has a Nine requirements test to determine if a worker can be appropriately classified as an independent contractor. These factors include showing the independent contractor maintains a separate office space, receives payment for each contract, job or bid and has ongoing expenses such as rent, payroll and insurance.

If you run your sole proprietorship out of a home office, you may be able to deduct a portion of your housing expenses against business income, provided it’s your principal place of business and you use it regularly. Remember that as an independent contractor, you’ll have to set aside all of your self-employment taxes, Social Security, and Medicare contributions yourself. Schedule SE is one of many schedules of Form 1040, the form you use to file your individual income tax return.

RelationshipThe relationship between the business and the worker are reflected by written contracts, presence of employee benefits, permanency of the relationship and type of services. Independent contractors usually perform services that are not related to the key operations of the business, they work on a specific project or for a specific period of time and usually do not receive benefits. Financial Control Consider how much right the worker has to control the economic aspects of their job.

Tax Organizers & Spreadsheets

Independent contractors can be an asset to your company if used effectively. Quite a few business owners run into problems when they treat contractors as employees. Knowing the guidelines and maintaining the rules of independence are the keys to ensuring mutual understanding.

Take Advantage of These Tax Tips Before 2018 (and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) Begin

Preparing for the future is the smartest decision any business owner can make and as an independent contractor, you should think ahead too. No matter how successful you are right now, things can always change. That doesn’t mean the quality of your work is bad, it just means that anything can happen. You might get sick or a natural disaster occurs and you are not be able to complete the work assigned. Even a change in the demand for your service can be impacted by changing trends.

IRS Postpones Tax Deadline to May 17

They will better understand how to charge for their services by understanding their expenses. As an independent contractor, the law classifies you as a business. As a business, you will need to pay taxes and keep up with your bookkeeping as well. You likely became an independent contractor to get away from the typical workday or have a particular skill that businesses desire. However, you may not have realized how important it is to make sure you keep up on bookkeeping and accounting as an independent contractor.