Employers who want to (or need to) use independent contractors often scratch their heads at a disconnect – how do you determine who is an independent contractor?  I recall at one speaking engagement years ago, an employer who came up to me and asked: “So are you saying that there are TWO tests to determining if someone is an independent contractor?”

Yes, that’s exactly what I was saying.

The Connecticut Department of Labor and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (the state equivalent to the IRS) have each developed tests for determining if someone is an employee vs. an independent contractor.

And they are not the same.

I’ve looked at this before, but my colleagues at Shipman & Goodwin — who now host a terrific new little blog on tax law (www.cttaxalert.com) — have posted about it too — but this time from the perspective of tax lawyers. 

Worth your time.