What Are Independent Contractors?  Independent contractors are responsible for their own work.  An independent contractor is a person who has decided to independently work for himself or herself. An independent contractor is responsible to pay his own self-employment and payroll taxes, and deal with risks and liabilities attached to his work himself. Independent contractors pay their own work expenses, tools, and materials to perform a service. The independent contractor also self advertises his services to anyone that might want them. Independent contractors have a right to control what is provided in the contract and what the contract entails. They are [...]