Independent contractors can be described as independent consultants, independent contractors, free agents or simply independent workers. Despite the label, all of them are basically the same in everyday practice, including a freelance designation when it comes to U.S. taxes. There are benefits and disadvantages of being an independent contractor. These are discussed below.
One of the main advantages of being an independent contractor is that you don’t have to pay payroll taxes or benefits. This works especially well for business owners because most owners don’t want to hire additional employees to take care of the business during tax season. Business owners can save money this way. However, they have to make sure that their employees are working according to the terms set by their contracts. It’s important for them to report any amounts that go over their estimated income because this is where deductions are taken from the employees’ pay.
Another one of the pros of using independent contractors for your payroll is that you don’t have to file state income taxes using your personal tax return. The downside of this is that sometimes workers overpay the state because they did not itemize their income. You have to read your contract carefully to find out what your state requires and how you’ll be charged for this service.
Although independent contractors do not have to pay Social Security or Medicare taxes, they do have to pay federal income taxes. You must pay these taxes on your own by following the process outlined by your particular tax return. Some business expenses are exempt, while some are not. This is another reason why it’s important to read through your tax return so that you know which expenses are deductible and which are not.
As you can see, there are many advantages and disadvantages to hiring contractors to help you run your business. Although some contractors do offer services for free, there are always other costs that you must pay. These costs can include insurance premiums, taxes and additional benefits that you may want to purchase to help you manage your time better.
One advantage that independent contractors offer is that they do not have to pay an hourly wage. They are paid by the hour, or on a project-by-project basis. This can take some time to adjust to but there are many independent contractors who work for weeks and months at a time and never get paid the same way again. If you find that you need more time or that your employee doesn’t get paid the way you feel he should, then you might want to hire a professional worker.
One of the main disadvantages of having independent contractors hire employees for your payroll is the amount of paperwork that they must fill out. You have to allow them to work in a certain area, use a uniform dress code and they must be fingerprinted before being hired. This paperwork takes a lot of time to accomplish and it makes it difficult for you to keep everything organized. There is also the chance that you will miss some deadlines because of paperwork that has already been accomplished. Since independent contractors often work out of their own homes, this can be very challenging for you if you don’t know where to start when it comes to maintaining your company’s records. Many independent contractors have already been in business for several years, so they understand how to deal with these kinds of issues.
The other disadvantage of hiring an independent contractor to handle the payroll is that you won’t have any control over how they perform their duties. You will need to allow them to accept compensation from clients, provide training and supervision and ensure that all of their workers are following their employment agreements. Without a written agreement, there is no way for an employer to determine how much they are owed or how they should compensate their employees. For these reasons, many employees to hire outside help to ensure that they always receive fair treatment while working for their employers.