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The Daily Insight

Can you be employed as an independent contractor?

Author

Mia Ramsey

Published Mar 25, 2026

If you are an independent contractor, you are self-employed. If an employer-employee relationship exists (regardless of what the relationship is called), you are not an independent contractor and your earnings are generally not subject to Self-Employment Tax.

If you are an independent contractor, you are self-employed. To find out what your tax obligations are, visit the Self-Employed Tax Center. However, your earnings as an employee may be subject to FICA (Social Security tax and Medicare) and income tax withholding.

Is working as an independent contractor worth it?

As an independent contractor, you’ll usually make more money than if you were an employee. Companies are willing to pay more for independent contractors because they don’t have the enter into expensive, long-term commitments or pay health benefits, unemployment compensation, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes.

What does it mean to be an independent contractor?

In a nutshell, independent contractor jobs are defined as an individual providing service or work to another entity as a non-employee. There are many pros and cons that are associated with working as an independent contractor, and I’ll start with the pros:

Do you have to pay taxes if you are an independent contractor?

Independent Contractors are responsible to pay their own taxes. Employment Insurance (EI) Employers must make payroll deductions from an employee’s remuneration and remit the amounts (the employee’s EI premiums) to the Receiver General.

Do you have to pay ei if you are an independent contractor?

Employees may be eligible for EI benefits. Independent Contractors do not pay EI premiums unless they opt into the EI program for access to employment insurance special benefits. Employers must make payroll deductions from an employee’s remuneration and remit the amounts to the Receiver General for CPP.

Can a physiotherapist be an employee or independent contractor?

Independent Contractors are not entitled to the protections of the Labour Relations Code . Physiotherapists are responsible for their own registration and licensing fees as well as any professional association fees. However an employer may pay or reimburse these fees on an employee’s behalf.