Is a statutory employee an independent contractor?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Published Apr 11, 2026
A statutory employee is an independent contractor who is considered an employee for tax withholding purposes if they meet certain conditions. This typically means they will receive a W-2 but are otherwise not considered full employees.
Do independent contractors have to file Schedule C?
Independent contractors use the Schedule C form to report business income. If you’re a 1099 contractor or sole proprietor, you must file a Schedule C with your taxes. Your Schedule C form accompanies your 1040 and reports business income, expenses, and profits or losses.
What schedule do independent contractors file for taxes?
Independent contractors report their income on Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship). Also file Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. You may need to make estimated tax payments.
Is self-employed considered working?
What Is Self-Employment? A self-employed person does not work for a specific employer who pays them a consistent salary or wage. Self-employed individuals, or independent contractors, earn income by contracting with a trade or business directly.
A statutory employee is an independent contractor that is treated as an employee for tax withholding purposes if they meet certain conditions. As a result, statutory employees may receive both W-2s and 1099s from their employer.
Are statutory employees considered self-employed?
However, a statutory employee is technically an independent contractor who works for themselves. Independent contractors pay Social Security and Medicare taxes in the form of self-employment tax. Self-employment tax essentially covers both employee and employer portions of SS and Medicare taxes.
Do you have to file taxes as an independent contractor?
For more information on your tax obligations if you are self-employed (an independent contractor), see our Self-Employed Tax Center. 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.
When is an employee not an independent contractor?
You are not an independent contractor if you perform services that can be controlled by an employer (what will be done and how it will be done). This applies even if you are given freedom of action. What matters is that the employer has the legal right to control the details of how the services are performed.
Who are statutory employees of the Internal Revenue Service?
An individual who works at home on materials or goods that you supply and that must be returned to you or to a person you name, if you also furnish specifications for the work to be done. A full-time traveling or city salesperson who works on your behalf and turns in orders to you from wholesalers, retailers, contractors,…
Can a contractor be treated as an employee?
If workers are independent contractors under the common law rules, such workers may nevertheless be treated as employees by statute (statutory employees) for certain employment tax purposes if they fall within any one of the following four categories and meet the three conditions described under Social Security and Medicare taxes, below.