My new employers....

[Anonymous]

I don't understand this argument that people are making that the employers may innocently just not know what they are doing. If you HIRE an individual for a JOB that you created and intend to make the rules, common sense dictates that you have an EMPLOYEE and you became an EMPLOYER the second you started INTERVIEWING. Sure they may be choosing ignorance or doing the legwork to do it right, but if they knew enough about tax forms to offer a 1099, they knew to some degree that they have a tax responsibility and they were trying to put it all on you.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand this argument that people are making that the employers may innocently just not know what they are doing. If you HIRE an individual for a JOB that you created and intend to make the rules, common sense dictates that you have an EMPLOYEE and you became an EMPLOYER the second you started INTERVIEWING. Sure they may be choosing ignorance or doing the legwork to do it right, but if they knew enough about tax forms to offer a 1099, they knew to some degree that they have a tax responsibility and they were trying to put it all on you.

While I don't disagree that careful reading of the tax code makes it clear that a regular nanny is a household employee, I can see why people get confused. Most of the workers providing service in your home are either independent contractors or employees of a company where you pay the company. Many people who don't have kids have a housekeeper that comes weekly or bi-weekly/charges a flat fee to clean the house/brings her own cleaning supplies and they just write her check. She files as an IC. You combine what they are used to doing and what they hear others doing and you get this problem.

[Anonymous]

I would file as missing w-2 and make the parents pay if it comes down to it. When you say you want to pay on the books, you mean LEGALLY on the books. Parents need to learn that they can't cheat the system or you with taxes. If it means the IRS coming after them for money then so be it. They will also find it harder to cheat with future nannies as I am sure if you are caught not paying taxes that they will keep a closer eye on you in the future in case you try to do it again. Or at least that is what people might think and so it might scare them into doing things properly from then on.

This is really, really dumb advice. The OP should turn down the job if the parents will not handle taxes correctly. She should not take the job and just report the parents at the end of year. She will not only be out of a job but she will lose a reference for a good chunk of time making it even harder to find the next job. Her interests are better served walking away and finding an offer that includes paying taxes.

[Anonymous]

Op here and just wanted to give an update. The parents are planning to do taxes correctly! Turns out they just were not aware nannies weren't contractors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here and just wanted to give an update. The parents are planning to do taxes correctly! Turns out they just were not aware nannies weren't contractors.

Thats great news OP! Glad it worked out.

[Anonymous]

What state are you in?

[Anonymous]

Michigan

[Anonymous]

Some nannies prefer to get paid off the books. Employers can either agree or not agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here and just wanted to give an update. The parents are planning to do taxes correctly! Turns out they just were not aware nannies weren't contractors.

Thanks for the update. I'm glad it all worked out! I have found that a fair number of nanny employers are willing to do taxes once they are presented with and understand all the information. Lucky you for finding such employers.

[Anonymous]

Some nannies prefer to get paid off the books. Employers can either agree or not agree

That's illegal and I wouldn't hire a nanny who expected me to break the law for them.