When a family hires an individual to perform duties in or around their home, they are considered a “household employer.” The IRS views the worker — whether a nanny, health aide, housekeeper, gardener, cook/chef, personal assistant, estate manager, etc. — as an employee of the family. Misclassifying an employee as an “independent contractor” is considered tax evasion.
If a household employee is paid more than $1,900 (2014) in a calendar year, the household employer is required to withhold and remit payroll taxes to the state and the IRS. If a household pays an employee less than the threshold in a calendar year, payroll taxes are not required to be withheld and remitted; however, the household is still legally considered an employer and, therefore, must adhere to federal and state labor laws.
Click on the pictures below to read more from Care.com and HomePay on the financial and legal responsibilities for household employees:
