At Free State, many clients question which will meet their staffing need:  a 1099 adjuster or a temporary employee.  As a temporary employee through Free State Staffing, all candidates are on our payroll.  We adhere to all guidelines as from the Department of Labor as it applies in the state concerned.  A temporary employee may cost a little more per hour but rest assured, as an employee of Free State, we cover workers comp insurance, liability and employee theft coverage, all employer taxes including Social Security and Medicare, Healthcare reporting requirements, and even the unemployment cost.

Some companies have taken the risk to hire candidates in a 1099 capacity only to find when there is an injury or misrepresentation or theft – there is no individual insurance coverage and the client is on the line for these costs.

It can seem more cost effective to hire a 1099, but if audited, a company can face serious fines if the person is deemed to be working in a capacity that should be an Employer/Employee role.  Read the rules below from the Internal Revenue Service.  If the job and person don’t qualify as a 1099 –

Don’t take a chance – call Free State to put them on our payroll for you!!

We take away the Employer headaches!

Taken from IRS.gov:

Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?

It is critical that business owners correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors.

Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors.

Select the Scenario that Applies to You:

• I am an independent contractor or in business for myself
  If you are a business owner or contractor who provides services to other businesses, then you are generally considered self-employed. For more information on your tax obligations if you are self-employed (an independent contractor), see our Self-Employed Tax Center.
• I hire or contract with individuals to provide services to my business
  If you are a business owner hiring or contracting with other individuals to provide services, you must determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors. Follow the rest of this page to find out more about this topic and what your responsibilities are.

Determining Whether the Individuals Providing Services are Employees or Independent Contractors

Before you can determine how to treat payments you make for services, you must first know the business relationship that exists between you and the person performing the services. The person performing the services may be –

• An independent contractor
• An employee (common-law employee)
• A statutory employee
• A statutory nonemployee
• A government worker

In determining whether the person providing service is an employee or an independent contractor, all information that provides evidence of the degree of control and independence must be considered.

Common Law Rules

Facts that provide evidence of the degree of control and independence fall into three categories:

1. Behavioral: Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job?
2. Financial: Are the business aspects of the worker’s job controlled by the payer? (these include things like how worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, who provides tools/supplies, etc.)
3. Type of Relationship: Are there written contracts or employee type benefits (i.e. pension plan, insurance, vacation pay, etc.)? Will the relationship continue and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?

Businesses must weigh all these factors when determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor. Some factors may indicate that the worker is an employee, while other factors indicate that the worker is an independent contractor. There is no “magic” or set number of factors that “makes” the worker an employee or an independent contractor, and no one factor stands alone in making this determination. Also, factors which are relevant in one situation may not be relevant in another.

The keys are to look at the entire relationship, consider the degree or extent of the right to direct and control, and finally, to document each of the factors used in coming up with the determination.

Form SS-8

If, after reviewing the three categories of evidence, it is still unclear whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding (PDF) can be filed with the IRS. The form may be filed by either the business or the worker. The IRS will review the facts and circumstances and officially determine the worker’s status.

Be aware that it can take at least six months to get a determination, but a business that continually hires the same types of workers to perform particular services may want to consider filing the Form SS-8 (PDF).