Are dental hygienists 1099 contractors? A lawyer breaks down the risks.
Originally at news.google.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Dental practice owners who classify hygienists as 1099 contractors face IRS and state labor reclassification audits that can trigger back taxes, penalties, and wage claims; any clinic relying on independent-contractor hygiene staffing should audit its agreements immediately.
Key points
- Attorney analysis outlines the ABC test and common-law factors the IRS and state labor boards use to reclassify dental hygienists, directly affecting payroll taxes and benefits liability.
- Misclassification can expose owners to federal employment-tax assessments and state unemployment-insurance claims, particularly in states that apply strict ABC-test criteria to healthcare workers.
- Practices with multi-state hygiene staffing must track the distinct contractor rules in each jurisdiction; a single W-2/1099 model will not satisfy all state tests.
- Correct reclassification to W-2 status triggers new obligations for overtime, benefits eligibility, and payroll-tax withholding that owners must budget into operating costs.
Who should care
Read the original on DrBicuspid
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