An international contractor (a.k.a Global Contractor) is a self-employed individual or business entity based in one country that provides services to clients or companies located in another country.
To be clear, international independent contractors aren't 1099 workers. But because “1099” is the IRS code for U.S.-based contract workers, U.S. companies may associate “1099” with all contractors, regardless of where the contractors are based.
Companies must ensure that foreign independent contractors comply with immigration laws by obtaining the necessary work permits and visas. It is important to research and understand the regulations specific to the contractor's home country and the country where the work will be performed.
Global contractors are self-employed individuals or businesses that provide services to clients across multiple countries. They operate internationally and are generally responsible for managing their own taxes, compliance, and business operations ing to the local laws in the country where they're based.
Hiring international independent contractors can be a simple solution for meeting your global staffing needs, but only if you thoroughly understand how to work with contractors in their host country in order to minimize the risk of employee misclassification.
However, the IRS doesn't require a company to withhold taxes or report any income from an international contractor if the contractor is not a U.S. citizen and the services provided are outside the U.S. filing forms 1099 is required if: The contractor is located internationally but is a U.S. citizen.
Foreign independent contractors must submit IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E to certify their foreign status and claim any applicable tax treaty benefits. The US company may also need to file Form 1099-NEC if certain conditions are met, though this is more common for domestic contractors.
US company hiring a foreign independent contractor living abroad. The US company doesn't need to report the payments they made to the foreign independent contractor to the IRS if they are not US-sourced income. The company also doesn't need to withhold any tax.