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The IRS, Independent Contractors and You!

The IRS,
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
and You!

A Guide to Help You Determine and Defend
the Status of Your Workers

By Tax Attorney
James R. Urquhart III

Copyright | Library of Congress Information


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SHORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS


 

Chapter Title

Detailed Chapter
Table of Contents

COMPLETE CHAPTER
IN PDF FORMAT

Inside Cover Inside cover, copyright page, foreword, etc. N/A Go to inside cover
Chapter One The Basics Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Two What Tax is the Auditor After? Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Three  How to Analyze the IC Issue Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Four Treatment of the Worker as an IC Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Five The Usual Common Law Rules Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Six The Statutory Rules Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Seven Your Rights After the Audit Begins Chapter Detail Go to Chapter
Chapter Eight Parting Pointers Chapter Detail Go to Chapter

DETAILED
TABLE OF CONTENTS


Chapter One

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The Basics
  • Chapter summary          1 / 1

  • Expectations: Reasonable and unreasonable          1 / 1

  • Business forms and the independent contractor          1 / 8

  • Who has the greatest chance of audit?          1 / 15

  • Non-wage payments to officer/shareholders          1 / 16

  • Tax consequences for the payee worker as an IC          1 / 18

  • Specific issue: Workers' compensation          1 / 20

Chapter Two

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What Kind of Tax is the State or IRS Auditor After?
  • Chapter summary           2 / 1

  • Trust fund employment tax          2 / 2

  • Non-trust fund employment tax          2 / 5

  • Additions to tax          2 / 7

  • The IRS audit compared to the state audit          2 / 8

Chapter Three

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How to Analyze the Independent Contractor Issue
  • Chapter summary          3 / 1

  • Step 1. Treatment          3 / 1

  • Step 2. Common law rules          3 / 2

  • Step 3. Statutory rules          3 / 2

  • More here than meets the eye          3 / 2

Chapter Four

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Treatment of the Worker as an Independent Contractor
  • Chapter summary          4 / 1

  • Treatment is within the control of the payer entity          4 / 2

  • Treatment in the independent contractor agreement          4 / 2

  • Treatment as an employee by supplying fringe benefits          4 / 3

  • IRS Form 1099-MISC          4 / 5

Chapter Five

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Worker Status Determination Under
the Usual Common Law Rules
  • Chapter summary          5 / 1

  • Usual common law rules          5 / 2

  • Matters of fact -- expanded list -- 51 criteria          5 / 5

  •  1) Control of means or details          5 / 5

  • 2) Control of ends or results only          5 / 6

  • 3) Orders          5 / 6

  • 4) Right to terminate or fire at-will          5 / 6

  • 5) Distinct trade, occupation, profession,
    or business, engaged in by worker          5 / 7

  • 6) Holding services out to general public by worker          5 / 7

  • 7) Worker has needed licenses, permits,
    certificates, etc.          5 / 8

  • 8) Doing business as a corporation          5 / 9

  • 9) Fictitious or assumed business name (d/b/a)          5 / 10

  • 10) Use of FEIN by worker          5 / 11

  • 11) Work done under worker's name          5 / 12

  • 12) Free training for worker          5 / 13

  • 13) Detailed work instructions or procedures          5 / 14

  • 14) High skill work or occupation          5 / 15

  • 15) Routine or schedule established by firm          5 / 16

  • 16) Regular reporting by worker          5 / 17

  • 17) Invoices from worker          5 / 18

  • 18) Work must be done personally          5 / 19

  • 19) Worker hiring help          5 / 20

  • 20) Worker supplied tools and other
    instrumentalities          5 / 20

  • 21) Work clothes provided by firm          5 / 21

  • 22) Significant investment in business by worker          5 / 22

  • 23) Ability to list and/or to sell the enterprise          5 / 23

  • 24) Worker held out as employee to clients
    or customers of firm          5 / 24

  • 25) Worker advertising          5 / 25

  • 26) Office away from home          5 / 26

  • 27) Lengthy job or continuous relationship          5 / 27

  • 28) Payment by unit of time          5 / 28

  • 29) Bonuses          5 / 29

  • 30) Insurance bought by firm          5 / 30

  • 31) Deductions from compensation          5 / 31

  • 32) Regular guaranteed amount          5 / 32

  • 33) Bond obtained by firm to cover worker          5 / 33

  • 34) Custom that work is done by non-employees          5 / 34

  • 35) Full time work or long hours          5 / 35

  • 36) Drawing accounts or advances provided
    to worker          5 / 36

  • 37) Fringe benefits provided to worker          5 / 37

  • 38) Anti-competition clauses          5 / 38

  • 39) Secrecy clauses          5 / 39

  • 40) Payer not in business          5 / 39

  • 41) Many sources of income from the
    relevant activity          5 / 40

  • 42) Significant risk of loss          5 / 41

  • 43) Integration          5 / 42

  • 44) Free sales leads          5 / 42

  • 45) Fixed product prices          5 / 43

  • 46) Mandatory sales meetings          5 / 44

  • 47) Direct collection by worker of fee from
    customer or client          5 / 45

  • 48) IRS Form 1099-MISC given to worker          5 / 46

  • 49) INS Form I-9, Employment Eligibility
    Verification Form, for worker          5 / 47

  • 50) Belief of parties that IC relationship exists          5 / 48

  • 51) Payment of expenses          5 / 49

  •  Specific state examples          5 / 50

Chapter
Six

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Worker Status Determination Under the Statutory Rules
  • Chapter summary          6 / 1

  • Statutory independent contractor          6 / 2

  • Section 530 safe-haven          6 / 2

  • No Section 530 for certain technical service firms          6 / 13

  • Proposed changes to Section 530 safe-haven          6 / 15

  • Direct sellers and real estate salespeople as
    statutory independent contractors: IRC 3508          6 / 19

  • Corporate officers are statutory
    employees: IRC 3121(d)(1)          6 / 22

  • Four special types of statutory
    employees: IRC 3121(d)(3)          6 / 24

  • Defenses to IRC 3121(d)(3) statutory employee status          6 / 27

  • The statutory employee under IRC 3121(d)(3)
    and federal income tax withholding          6 / 29

  • The "ABC" statutory test          6 / 32

  • Specific issue: Are unlicensed construction contractors
    statutory employees?          6 / 37

  • Specific issue: Casual labor exceptions          6 / 39

Chapter Seven

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Your Rights, Liabilities, and Procedures,
After the Employment Tax Audit Begins
  • Chapter summary          7 / 1

  • Worst case reclassification assessment          7 / 2

  • Criminal prosecution for willful misclassification          7 / 2

  • Statute of limitations concerning IRS assessment
    of employment tax          7 / 4

  • Liability where good faith misclassification:
    IRC 3509 relief          7 / 6

  • Liability where bad faith misclassification:
    IRC 3402(d) income tax withholding offset          7 / 13

  • Liability where bad faith misclassification:
    IRC 6521 employee FICA tax adjustment          7 / 18

  • Interest-free adjustments of FICA and FITW taxes:
    IRC 6205(a)          7 / 19

  • Employee liable for FICA taxes even if not withheld          7 / 21

  • The Trust Fund Recovery Penalty: IRC 6672          7 / 25

  • Specific issue: Can IRC 3509 and IRC 6672 apply
    at the same time?          7 / 31

Chapter Eight

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Parting Pointers: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
  • 1) Can I switch my workers from ICs to employees?          8 / 1

  • 2) What are the risks if I switch my workers from ICs
    to employees?          8 / 1

  • 3) How do I switch from IC to employee?          8 / 2

  • 4) When do I switch my workers from ICs to employees?       8 / 2

  • 5) If I switch my workers from ICs to employees, is that
    an admission that they were always employees?          8 / 3

  • 6) Will switching my workers from ICs to employees
    trigger an audit?          8 / 3

  • 7) Will incorporating, and then switching my workers
    from ICs to employees, help?          8 / 3

  • 8) Is employee leasing a safe, long term solution to
    my IC problem?          8 / 4

  • 9) Can I switch workers from employees to ICs? 8 / 4

  • 10) What are the risks if I switch my workers from employees to ICs? 8 / 5