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Self-Employed? 8 questions to determine if you are self-employed or an employee

Are you self-employed or an employee?

With Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty announcing that the Government plans to launch a fresh crack down on bogus self-employment it is important that freelancers understand whether they are in fact classed as self-employed.

This article should help you to establish whether you are indeed a self-employed freelancer and if so what are the next steps in terms of being compliant with Revenue.

8 questions to ask yourself?

Do you have control over what tasks are done, where they are done and when they are done
Are you free to hire people, on terms agreed by you, in order to complete work agreed to be undertaken by you?
Can you provide your services under different contracts to multiple different customers at the same time?
Do you provide all the machinery/equipment necessary to complete the job?
Do you have your own separate insurance cover?
Do you control your own working hours?
Do you have a fixed base where you store materials/equipment?
Do you stand to profit from good performance of contracts and are also exposed to the financial risks of correcting poor work?

If you answered “yes” to all of the above then in all likelihood you are considered to be self-employed.

If you answered “no” to some or all of the above questions then you would need to have your situation reviewed in detail to determine whether in fact you are an employee and not self-employed.

I am self-employed, what do I need to do now?

Becoming self-employed and starting your own business can be both exciting and daunting in equal measure with a whole host of tasks that need to be completed.

The most important things to consider would be:

Registering your business name with the CRO
Getting registered with Revenue for taxes
Opening new business bank accounts
Getting the right insurance cover
Obtaining finance for your business including exploring all grant funding opportunities

The best first step you can make is to choose a great accountant who can help you to navigate through all the above and much more.

Date published 23 Apr 2019

This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.

Choose the right accounting firm for you

Running your own business can be challenging so why not let TaxAssist Accountants manage your tax, accounting, bookkeeping and payroll needs? If you are not receiving the service you deserve from your accountant, then perhaps it’s time to make the switch?