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The Global Insight

Who qualifies as a statutory employee?

Author

James Olson

Updated on March 18, 2026

A statutory employee in California is a worker whose job is classified as that of an employee by state statute. The jobs that are listed in these statutes cannot be done by independent contractors.

What is the difference between a statutory employee and an independent contractor?

A statutory employee is an individual who is specifically defined as an employee by statute. Although most individuals are determined to be employees under common law, some workers—who for other purposes are viewed as independent contractors—have been defined as employees for employment tax purposes.

What are the benefits of being a statutory employee?

The unique advantage of being a statutory employee is that you are an independent contractor, with all the freedom that entails, without having to pay the onerous self-employment tax. This amounts to a functional pay raise of 7.65% and is the best of both worlds.

Where is statutory employee on w2?

Statutory employees. Enter your statutory employee income from box 1 of Form W-2 on line 1 of Schedule C or C-EZ and check the box on that line. Social security and Medicare tax should have been withheld from your earnings; as a result, you do not owe self-employment tax on these earnings.

Is a preacher a statutory employee?

According to the IRS, a pastor is an employee who performs services for a church or organization that has legal control over how they carry out those services. If a pastor earns a salary, the IRS considers them to be a common-law employee and their wages are taxable for withholding purposes.

How do I know if I am a statutory employee?

A statutory employee is an individual who falls under any one of the following categories as specified by the IRS: An individual who works at home on materials or goods that you supply and that must be returned to you or to a person you name if you also furnish specifications for the work to be done.

What is statutory employee income?

A statutory employee is an independent contractor who qualifies for employee treatment. Employers withhold the employee portion of Social Security tax and Medicare tax from a statutory employee’s wages. Employers are not required to withhold federal, state, or local income taxes from a statutory employee’s wages.

What is a w2 statutory employee?

A statutory employee is an independent contractor who is considered an employee for tax withholding purposes if they meet certain conditions. This typically means they will receive a W-2 but are otherwise not considered full employees.

Does a statutory employee receive a w2?

Are church employees statutory employees?

There are basically two types of employees defined by the Tax Code: statutory employees and common law employees. Virtually all pastors, associate ministers, church custodians, church secretaries, paid choir directors, paid nursery workers, etc., are viewed by the IRS as common law employees.

What happens when you are a statutory employee?

When FICA taxes are added to standard income taxes, the overall tax bill can be rather significant. As a statutory employee, your employer is paying their share of FICA taxes, and your overall tax bill will be lower as a result.

Who is a statutory employee of the IRS?

“Statutory” refers to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classification of workers who are subject to tax withholding by statute under its common law rules. A statutory employee is an independent contractor who is considered an employee for tax withholding purposes if they meet certain conditions.

Can a employer withhold taxes from a statutory employee?

A statutory employee is an independent contractor that is treated as an employee for tax withholding purposes if they meet certain conditions. Employers are not permitted to withhold taxes for most independent contractors, but statutory employees differ in that they exist in a place between an employee and an independent contractor.

Who are the Statutory employees of the federal government?

These employees are statutory employees because under the common law test, they are an independent contractor by definition but they can be treated by statute to avoid paying federal income tax. Statutory employees include: Drivers who distribute beverages (but not milkmen) or meat, fruit, vegetable, or baked goods.