I have a dilema. I interviewed for a job as a senior accountant on Friday, and I think the interview went well. I think there's a good chance that I'll be offered the job. But the company is doing something that skirts the edges of legality. To avoid paying payroll taxes, the employer health tax, and workers compensation insurance they don't have any employees, everyone who works for them is an "independant contractor". So if they offer me the job, I'd have to set up as a sole proprietorship and register for a HST number - I'd basically become self employed with only one full time client. There are some slight advantages to doing this as there are a bunch of thins I'd be able to deduct as business expenses from a tax perspective that I can't deduct now. The big downside is if they decide they hate me in 6 months or a year, I wouldn't be eligible for employment insurance. So it's kind of high risk.

Plus if I take it, once I register as a sole proprietorship, there's a bunch of regulatory stuff I have to go through with my accounting licencing body. I'd have to take some mandatory courses, all of which cost money, and I'd have to take out practice liability insurance which while I could deduct it from income as an expense for tax purposes, I really don't have the money to pay for it now.

But I'm kind of stuck. I really need a job, my savings will only last through Sept. and then I have to start taking money out of my retirement savings account.

It would be a good job, from a recovery perspective for where I am now, as it's a bit junior to what I'm qualified for so it would be easy for me. It offers great flex time, which would allow me to keep going to addictions aftercare, and to do the stuff downtown that I need to do 3 days a week. I figure I could be in the job for a year or so and then start looking for something permanent where I'd actually be an employee.

Just the lack of employment insurance scares me. And I'm not sure I want to work for a company that's operating on the edge of the law.

It just pisses me off too that more and more companies are doing stuff like this to get out of paying payroll taxes, and giving employees benefits and retirement plans.

It's really hard to know what to do.

--splitimage