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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] was CSA worker payment: now interns

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  • From: Sisters of the Soil <2soilsisters AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] was CSA worker payment: now interns
  • Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:49:00 -0700

Hi.  Here's my two-cents on interns as contractors.  It seems to me that it would be difficult- for the simple reason that you do not want them to be acting independently and without your direct supervision.  Given that interns are individuals seeking education and experience, there is an implicit (if not explicit, per your description of the internship) expectation of careful attention to the farmer's directives and instructions.  You probably, also, want to expect them to be there on a reliable and consistent schedule that you dictate, to at least some degree, etc.  All of which smacks of "employee" status, rather than "independent contractors" providing unique services, different from those of employees, and performed under their own direction, etc.  The accountant said something like "if it quacks like a duck and acts like a duck, the IRS and the state taxing entity will treat it like a duck, even if you call it a cat."  I don't know much about using a stipend approach and need to investigate that more but I wonder if it might be the better way around the whole tax withholding issue.  Anyone with experience or thoughts about that approach?
 
Doreen

 
On Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 1:46 PM, TxBeeFarmer <txbeefarmer AT gmail.com> wrote:
I was hoping interns could be considered contract labor with no withholdings from their check.  Does anyone know if there are any tax benefits?  I hear Joel Salatin (Polyface Farm) is big on interns.
 
TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b



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