For the majority of income earners, employment status is pretty evident.  If you are going to the same place every day,  have an assigned cubicle with a computer and a corporate stapler, and you have a boss that tells you what you need to do, chances are you are an employee.  Conversely if you have several clients, use your own laptop, and are worried about where your next sale is going to come from, you are probably self employed.

There are, however, some workers whose status is not that apparent.  For example you may work from home and use your own computer, but you report to one entity, where someone supervises and directs your work.  In these cases a determination needs to be made as to whether you are an employee or self employed.  It is not enough for the person paying you to determine your classification ; often, payers are biased as they may not want to take on the financial costs and responsibilities of having an employee (explained below).  As such, when in doubt about your status, it is helpful to answer the following questions: