Course Outline
Join PRO

How do you determine whether a person is an independent contractor or an employee?

Author:
Harold Averkamp, CPA, MBA

To assist you in determining whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee, you should refer to the Internal Revenue Service Publication 15-A, Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide. (It is a supplement to Circular E.)

Part 1 of the guide is entitled Who Are Employees? and it provides this general rule: “…an individual is an independent contractor if you, the person for whom the services are performed, have the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result.”

Part 2 of the guide is entitled Employee or Independent Contractor? It addresses your question in detail. In Part 2 you will find a thorough discussion of the rules and many examples to help you distinguish between independent contractors and employees.

You can find a copy of Publication 15-A at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15a.pdf.

Join PRO to Track Progress
Must-Watch Video

Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and Bookkeeping Career

  • Perform better at your current job
  • Refresh your skills to re-enter the workforce
  • Pass your accounting class
  • Understand your small business finances
Watch the Video

Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials

Read all 2,645 reviews

Features

PRO

PRO Plus

Features
Lifetime Access (One-Time Fee)
Explanations
Quizzes
Q&A
Word Scrambles
Crosswords
Bookkeeping Video Training
Financial Statements Video Training
Flashcards
Visual Tutorials
Quick Tests
Quick Tests with Coaching
Cheat Sheets
Business Forms
All PDF Files
Progress Tracking
Earn Badges and Points
Certificate - Debits and Credits
Certificate - Adjusting Entries
Certificate - Financial Statements
Certificate - Balance Sheet
Certificate - Income Statement
Certificate - Cash Flow Statement
Certificate - Working Capital
Certificate - Financial Ratios
Certificate - Bank Reconciliation
Certificate - Payroll Accounting

About the Author

Harold Averkamp

For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has worked as an accounting supervisor, manager, consultant, university instructor, and innovator in teaching accounting online. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com.

Learn More About Harold

Certificates of
Achievement

Certificates of Achievement

We now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping:

  • Debits and Credits
  • Adjusting Entries
  • Financial Statements
  • Balance Sheet
  • Income Statement
  • Cash Flow Statement
  • Working Capital and Liquidity
  • Financial Ratios
  • Bank Reconciliation
  • Payroll Accounting
Badges and Points
  • Work towards and earn 30 badges
  • Earn points as you work towards completing our course
View PRO Plus Features
Course Outline
Take the Tour Join Pro Upgrade to Pro Plus