Interesting Kerry bill that will change how "contractor" vs "employer" is defined

[karynnj]

This is interesting as even in the late 1990s, I knew people who had worked 40 hours a week for AT&T for over 5 plus years who were contractors.

A bill introduced by Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., Dec. 15 would toughen standards for employers in transportation and other industries that use independent contractors.
<snip>
Kerry’s bill, the Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability and Consistency Act of 2009, would require companies to file reports with the Internal Revenue Service on each corporate provider of property and service to whom they pay more than $600 a year.

It would make additional changes to Section 530 to reduce abuses, Kerry and the bill’s co-sponsors, all Democrats, said. “This is about leveling the playing field and ensuring that America's workers receive the protections and pay they deserve,” he said.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters applauded the bill, pointing to a U.S. Department of Labor study that found 30 percent of U.S. companies misclassified employees as independent contractors. Misclassification cost the federal government nearly $35 billion in tax revenue between 1996 and 2004, the Teamsters said.

http://www.joc.com/node/415311

[ProSense]

1. Teamsters statement

here

[wisteria]

2. YES!!! He spoke about this a couple of years ago. I worked a an unwilling contractor

at one time. I mean I was hired for a very small business thinking I was a normal employee only to find out at tax time that I was considered a contracted worker. And, although I was "contracted", I had no say in benefits, time worked, overtime, salary or time off. However, my employer used me as a deduction when it was time to pay business taxes. And, I was responsible for paying my own income taxes- out of the salary I thought was my take home pay after taxes. I was considered an expense of running the business. This lasted for a couple of years.I always felt this was an unfair business practice and that I was being used. So, I suppose the next question would be why I stayed,but that is a whole other story. Anyway, I very pleased to see Senator Kerry stepping in to change this. Yeah!