News, insight and advice to keep you informed.

IRS Reminder for Classification of Workers as Employees or Independent Contractors

The IRS has emphasized the importance of correctly determining whether the individuals providing services to businesses were employees or independent contractors. Generally, an employee performs services that businesses control. Independent contractors offer their services to the public. Businesses have a right to control the details of the services performed.

The classification depends on the:

  • company’s behavioral Control on what the worker does and how the job is performed;
  • business’ direct or control the financial and business aspects of the worker; and
  • relationship of the Parties ascertained by written contracts or employee type benefits.

Misclassification of Workers
Businesses could be held liable for employment taxes if an employee is misclassified without a reasonable basis.

Workers can use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages, to figure and report their share of uncollected taxes due on their compensation if they believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors

Voluntary Classification Settlement Program
Taxpayers can reclassify their workers as employees for future tax periods for eligible taxpayers that agree to treat their workers as employees through the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program. Taxpayers must fulfill eligibility requirements, apply by filing Form 8952, Application for Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, and enter into a closing agreement with the IRS.

Self-employed individuals must file an annual tax return and pay estimated tax quarterly. They pay self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare tax) and income tax. If self-employed individuals use part of business home, they may claim the home office deduction.

Gig Economy
Taxpayers must report gig economy income on a tax return even if the income is part-time, temporary or side work; not reported on a Form 1099-K, 1099-MISC, W-2 or other income statements; or paid in any form, including cash, property, goods or virtual currency.

Taxpayers Urged to Develop Emergency Preparedness Plans for Surviving Natural Disasters

The IRS has reminded taxpayers to develop emergency preparedness plans due to the upcoming hurricane season and the ongoing threat of wildfires in some parts of the country. September is declared as the National Preparedness Month.

Further, the IRS advised taxpayers to:

  • secure critical documents such as tax returns, birth certificates, deeds, titles and insurance policies inside waterproof containers in a secure space;
  • duplicate and scan key documents for backup storage on electronic media such as a flash drive, CD or in the cloud, which provide security and easy portability;
  • record all property, especially expensive and high value items. The IRS disaster-loss workbooks in Publication 584 and Publication 584-B can help individuals and businesses compile lists of belongings or business equipment;
  • employers who use payroll service providers should check payroll service provider’s fiduciary bonds as they could protect the employer in the event of default by the provider;
  • employers should create an Electronic Federal Tax Payment System account at EFTPS.gov to monitor their payroll tax deposits and receive email alerts; and
  • reconstruct records after a disaster for tax purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Further, taxpayers who have lost some or all their records during a disaster can visit the IRS’s Reconstructing Records webpage.

In addition, taxpayers residing in a federally declared disaster can check for the available disaster tax relief on the IRS Tax Relief in Disaster Situations webpage or Around the Nation on IRS.gov. The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. Taxpayers impacted by a disaster can contact the IRS at 866-562-5227 to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues. Further, taxpayers impacted by a disaster outside of a federally declared disaster area may qualify for disaster relief. This includes taxpayers who are not physically located in a disaster area but their records essential for filing or payment deadlines postponed during the relief period are located in a covered disaster area.

Use of E-Signatures Approved for Certain Forms

The IRS has allowed taxpayers to use electronic or digital signatures on certain paper forms they cannot file electronically. The Service has balanced the e-signature option with critical security and protection needed against identity theft and fraud. The IRS will accept a wide range of electronic signatures. Acceptable electronic signature methods include:

  • a typed name typed on a signature block;
  • a scanned or digitized image of a handwritten signature that’s attached to an electronic record;
  • a handwritten signature input onto an electronic signature pad;
  • a handwritten signature, mark or command input on a display screen with a stylus device; and
  • a signature created by a third-party software.

Moreover, the IRS will accept images of signatures (scanned or photographed) including common file types supported by Microsoft 365 such as tiff, jpg, jpeg, pdf, Microsoft Office Suite, or Zip.

The IRS has allowed taxpayers and representatives to use electronic or digital signatures on paper forms, which they cannot file using IRS e-file, including for example:

  • Form 11-C, Occupational Tax and Registration Return for Wagering;
  • Form 637, Application for Registration (For Certain Excise Tax Activities);
  • Form 706, U.S. Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return and other forms in the 706 series;
  • Form 709, U.S. Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return;
  • Form 730, Monthly Tax Return for Wagers;
  • Form 1066, U.S. Income Tax Return for Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit;
  • Form 1120-C, U.S. Income Tax Return for Cooperative Associations and other forms in the 1120 series;
  • Form 3520, Annual Return To Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts; and
  • Form 3520-A, Annual Information Return of Foreign Trust With a U.S. Owner.