A Sustainable Workforce Starts With You

Worker Misclassification

Payroll fraud (also called worker misclassification and workplace fraud) is the illegal practice of designating an employee as a "1099 worker" or an independent contractor. Unscrupulous employers do this to avoid paying payroll taxes, unemployment tax, or workers’ compensation insurance and are therefore able to submit lower bids for projects, undercutting responsible contractors. Several states have already passed laws to penalize those who cheat workers and taxing agencies in this way.

The deadline for issuing 1099s to contractors and consultants who worked with you last year was the 31st of January. There was a last minute flurry of people trying to get w-9s...