LARGE MSC BEING AUDITED
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Interesting. Let us know how it goes.
I hope it's not one I work for... lol.
Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.
Not scheduling for ANY company.
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.
Not scheduling for ANY company.
I believe this is happening across many IC industries. I've been contacted for the same reason about a merchandising company that I work for.
We community activists always said that the government taxes everything but the death certificate...
Arch Stanton Wrote:
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> We community activists always said that the
> government taxes everything but the death
> certificate...
Except that they're $9 a copy paid to the state where I live.
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> We community activists always said that the
> government taxes everything but the death
> certificate...
Except that they're $9 a copy paid to the state where I live.
This is off topic...
Amazon.com is now charging state sales tax to Florida residents. It started today, May 1st.
Amazon.com is now charging state sales tax to Florida residents. It started today, May 1st.
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“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Oh that just sucks.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
Well, if the powers that be decide we are employees....some of us would see our incomes go up. Many of us would see our NET income increase, as we would no longer be liable for about 15% self-employment tax on our income. The 8% or so would be taken out of our checks, and the "employer" would match it. Mostly, we'd still be considered "part-time", so we wouldn't qualify for
benefits like full time employees generally do.
OTOH, we'd lose our "business deductions".
I personally hope we maintain IC status. To me, the implications of losing IC status are...staggering.
JM2CW.
cease
benefits like full time employees generally do.
OTOH, we'd lose our "business deductions".
I personally hope we maintain IC status. To me, the implications of losing IC status are...staggering.
JM2CW.
cease
My income would plummet if we were forced to be employees. Look at the average pay based on the expected time. Not to mention we would no longer have the flexibility of choosing which assignments and when we want to work. Currently I rarely work in the evenings or on the weekends. Do you think my MSC employer would accept that or would they require me to go visit some fast food store in a bad neighborhood for the late night meal?
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
I would like to see the MSC named or see a link to a source for the information, please.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I went through that, as a real estate broker in another state. Apparently, some agents and associate brokers had complained: "can the broker-in-charge force us to...?" Usually it was to sit at a desk all day and answer sales calls. One interviewer from the Real Estate Commission came into our office, another called me on the phone, but neither seemed to want to get to the bottom of the matter, or ask any in-depth questions. My guess is that many brokers-in-charge were just too cozy-friendly with the Real Estate Commission.
If it works on the same principles and politics as real estate, there will probably just be less pressuring from MSC's (I'm reading that some do attempt to pressure), but no MSC's will face any fines or criminal repercussions. If the politics are different than I imagine, there will possibily be fines or such slaps on the wrist for MSC's, but I still can't imagine that they would try to make MS's into employees. They don't want us to be, and most of us don't want to be, either.
If it works on the same principles and politics as real estate, there will probably just be less pressuring from MSC's (I'm reading that some do attempt to pressure), but no MSC's will face any fines or criminal repercussions. If the politics are different than I imagine, there will possibily be fines or such slaps on the wrist for MSC's, but I still can't imagine that they would try to make MS's into employees. They don't want us to be, and most of us don't want to be, either.
The problem may be that many MSCs treat their editors and schedulers like employees but require them to be ICs with no benefits or employer Social Security contribution. That's why the MSPA wants to scare all of us shoppers into opposing any laws or investigations concerning IC status. It's not the shoppers that are "at risk" of being turned into employees. It's usually the editors and schedulers who deserve to be treated as employees, but are forced into IC status, who are the ones needing help from state and federal labor agebcies.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Do you know how your name was picked for the interview? Tax records? Just curious.... Please let us know anything you can share after the interview and thanks!
jackaroe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was contacted today by a state tax board saying
> that they are questioning mystery shoppers of this
> MSC as part of an audit as to weather they are
> properly classifying mystery shoppers as IC or
> should be classified as employees.
> I have an interview scheduled for Friday morning.
jackaroe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was contacted today by a state tax board saying
> that they are questioning mystery shoppers of this
> MSC as part of an audit as to weather they are
> properly classifying mystery shoppers as IC or
> should be classified as employees.
> I have an interview scheduled for Friday morning.
Its Maritz
And I was told as part of the audit there list of "shoppers" was requested.
They said they are doing a random sample of interviews with the shoppers as part of the audit to determine if Independent Contractor is properly being used.
Ill know more tomorrow morning
And I was told as part of the audit there list of "shoppers" was requested.
They said they are doing a random sample of interviews with the shoppers as part of the audit to determine if Independent Contractor is properly being used.
Ill know more tomorrow morning
Do you know what area code these phone calls are coming from? I've been getting some weird/uknown numbers in the past day or so.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I assumed it was one of the big companies. While their mystery shopping division may be smaller than a company like Market Force, they are so much larger overall than any mystery shopping company. This is only a guess, but it is certainly possible they are improperly classifying independent contractors in some of their other divisions and the investigation is across the board.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
I do not mean to derail this very interesting discussion, but I cannot resist sharing that when I went to google "What is the difference between independant contractor and employee", Google suggested that I might be looking for "What is the difference between indentured servant and slave."
no doubt it is because of all the extra work they took on
this year and had their non employee, employees
to do extra work without extra pay in the office...
this year and had their non employee, employees
to do extra work without extra pay in the office...
= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody
Thanks for the info jackaroe... appreciate it.
Ishmael, you owe me a keyboard. I just spit coffee all over mine
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
I received a card in the mail from a state tax board asking me to call them. It did not state on the card why I was requested to call. It was not by phone for the initial contact. I googled the number to make sure it really belonged to a tax agency.
They said it was two divisions they were auditing, Mystery shopping and I forget the other?
They asked for a time for a phone interview which is tomorrow morning.
The agent did say to me on the phone he Had no idea what mystery shopping was before the audit began.
Not sure what that means.
They said it was two divisions they were auditing, Mystery shopping and I forget the other?
They asked for a time for a phone interview which is tomorrow morning.
The agent did say to me on the phone he Had no idea what mystery shopping was before the audit began.
Not sure what that means.
Il add, the state tax board is from the state I live in.
I would not want our IC status in my state to go. If we have to be employees of the companies we shop for, we would lose a lot of shops. As employees, we may be subject to non-competes, which would be crazy. When one of my favorite shops and biggest clients stopped its program I contacted the scheduler to find out what happened; and the scheduler said that one of the states in question had an issue with IC's in MSing.
I would definitely not want to lose IC status. If I got a call or letter from the Tax Men asking for an interview or to answer questions, I'd ignore them until they served me with a subpoena. But I'm intensely anti-government.
sethd85 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When one of my favorite
> shops and biggest clients stopped its program I
> contacted the scheduler to find out what happened;
> and the scheduler said that one of the states in
> question had an issue with IC's in MSing.
Ooo. That's rather disturbing. :/ A whole program stopped for one state having questions? Sheesh.
-------------------------------------------------------
> When one of my favorite
> shops and biggest clients stopped its program I
> contacted the scheduler to find out what happened;
> and the scheduler said that one of the states in
> question had an issue with IC's in MSing.
Ooo. That's rather disturbing. :/ A whole program stopped for one state having questions? Sheesh.
Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.
Maybe the state is responding to a complaint filed by an IC.....
(heart)
(heart)
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
I think they got what they deserved being questioned.
I did one shop for them last summer, I did the job, the report and still waiting for the payment. I e-mailed them twice and gave up waiting for an answer. The scheduler told me to invoice them and when I tried, it said I did not do this job.
I used that shop as a tax write off.
I did one shop for them last summer, I did the job, the report and still waiting for the payment. I e-mailed them twice and gave up waiting for an answer. The scheduler told me to invoice them and when I tried, it said I did not do this job.
I used that shop as a tax write off.
Willing to travel, Alberta, Canada
I can't wait to hear more on this subject!!
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I could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong.
I could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong.
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