User:Iprofessional/sandbox

Overview
iProfessional (Independent Professional Solutions) is a nationwide employer of record that partners with independent contractors and provides them with full-service alternative business solutions to incorporating while allowing them to maintain their independence. iProfessional also works with corporations and brokers across the country to mitigate misclassification risk, reduce overhead, and provide a safe way manage contingent workers.

For Independent Consultants
iProfessional offers a number of business solutions that provide alternatives to the traditional model of incorporating or working as a 1099. Each independent consultant that becomes a member of iProfessional is given a business center. The independent consultant utilizes the business center as a platform to offer his or her services without having to worry about administrative level tasks. A business center manager is assigned to each member and serves as their single point of contact for all activity.

Master Service Agreements
Members have access to preexisting client relationships that iProfessional has cultivated over twenty-five years. Existing master service agreements allow members to skip much of the qualifying process that independent consultants undergo when working for Fortune 1000 companies.

Business and Medical Insurances
Members automatically become participants in iProfessional's suite of multimillion dollar business insurances which include errors and omissions, fidelity bonding, general liability, and excess liability policies. Members can choose to opt in to part of all of iProfessional's full suite of medical insurances which include: Major Health, Dental, Life and Long-term disability.

The Business Center
The core of the iProfessional model is the business center. The business center is a separate entity within the iProfessional structure that serves as the hub for each member's financial and administrative activity which includes: payroll, invoicing and collections, medical benefits, tax payments, 401(k) and pension funding. The member is considered an "employee" of the business center and receives a W-2 at the end of each tax year. All activity through the business center can be securely accessed in real time on iProfessional's website.

For Corporations and Brokers
iProfessional offers to corporations, brokers, and other firms that engage independent contractors ways to mitigate 1099 misclassification risk by managing contingent workers through iProfessional business centers. This creates a single system in which to manage time worked and expenses for each independent consultant. iProfessional also offers a managed benefits and pension program on an individual or group basis.

Definition
Worker misclassification is when an employer improperly classifies a worker as an independent when the worker is an employee in the eyes of the law. Employers misclassify their workers because they have huge financial incentive to do so . For example, in some corporations head count restrictions are in place which limit the number of active employees permitted at any given time in order to maintain a healthy balance sheet. Subsequently, hiring independents can be recorded as an expense. Independents do not qualify for the “Family Medical and Leave” act as well as the “American with Disabilities Act”. Most importantly, when an independent is on payroll, an employer is not required to withhold the worker’s portion of Social Security and Medicare (FICA), state and federal income taxes, or to make contributions to worker compensation and unemployment insurances. The government claims that this ultimately damages the rights of the worker, creates illegal advantages for misclassifying businesses, and deprives the government of tax revenue.

Penalties
When an employer is caught misclassifying they can be found liable for all FICA and income tax payments that have not withheld, all unpaid overtime, workman’s compensation, unemployment insurances contributions, and any unpaid benefits that would have otherwise been offered to the worker, not to mention significant penalties and interest. In the famous Vizcaino v. Microsoft case, $97 million were awarded in unpaid benefits to a large group of programmers along with $27 million in lawyer’s fees. Estrada v. FedEx Ground, another iconic misclassification case during the 1990’s, exposed misclassified delivery drivers in Los Angeles, forcing the drivers to cover taxes, the costs of vehicle maintenance, fuel, and insurance; none of which should have fallen on the FedEx employees. These practices incited a class action law suit in 1999 which came to a head in 2005 with a $17 million dollar ruling in favor of Estrada and the other 191 plaintiffs. FedEx is still fighting similar cases today.

Section 530 of the Tax Revenue Act of 1978
Section 530 of the Tax Revenue Act of 1978 allows a taxpayer to treat a worker as not being an employee for employment tax purposes (but not income tax purposes) if they had reasonable basis to do so regardless of the worker’s actual status under the common-law test. It was created in response to taxpayers complaining that the IRS was too aggressive on misclassification. In order to qualify for relief a taxpayer must have:


 * "Consistently treated the worker" and workers in similar positions as independent contractors.
 * "Filed in good faith" all of the required return forms with the IRS for the years in question.
 * "Had reasonable basis" to to treat the worker as an independent contractor.
 * "Any other reason" to treat the contractor as such. In the words of the law this is to be "construed in favor of the taxpayer" Known reasons for qualifying for relief have ranged from advice from an attorney to an incorrect but in-good-faith application of the common law rules to determine worker status.