Employment Development Department

Certified Specialist In Taxation Law

Employment Development Department

Employment Tax

Independent Contractor Reporting Requirements

Fact Sheet

Background	California State Senate Bill 542 was passed during the 1999-2000 legislative session and signed into law. This law requires businesses and government entities to report specified information to the Employment Development Department (EDD) on independent contractors. ____________________________________________________________________
Who Must Report	Any business or government entity (defined as a "service-recipient") that is required to file a federal Form 1099-MISC for services performed by an independent contractor (defined as a "service-provider") must report. A service-recipient means any individual, person, corporation, association, or partnership, or agent thereof, doing business in this State, deriving trade or business income from sources within this State, or in any manner in the course of trade or business subject to the laws of this State. An independent contractor is defined as an individual who is not an employee of the business or government entity for California purposes and who receives compensation or executes a contract for services performed for that business or government entity either in or outside of California. ____________________________________________________________________
Benefits of the Program	The information you provide to EDD will increase child support collection by helping to locate parents who are delinquent in their child support obligations. ____________________________________________________________________
Effective Date	January 1, 2001 ____________________________________________________________________
When Must the Information Be Reported	You must report to EDD within twenty (20) days of EITHER making payments totaling $600 or more OR entering into a contract for $600 or more with an independent contractor in any calendar year, whichever is earlier. ____________________________________________________________________
What Information Must Be Reported	You are required to provide the following information that applies. Business or government entity's (service-recipient): Federal employer identification number California employer account number Social security number Business name, address, and telephone number Independent contractor’s (service-provider): First name, middle initial, and last name Social security number Address Start date of contract Amount of contract (including cents) Contract expiration date Ongoing contract (check box if applicable) ____________________________________________________________________
General Information	Report independent contractor information on the Report of Independent Contractors form (DE 542). To obtain forms and/or information, call (916) 657-0529. You may also contact your local Employment Tax Customer Service Office listed in your local telephone directory in the State Government section under "Employment Development Department" or access our Internet site at www.edd.ca.gov. For magnetic media filing, please call (916) 651-6945. ____________________________________________________________________
Where to Send Reports	Employment Development Department PO Box 997350 MIC 99 Sacramento CA 95899-7350 Fax: (916) 255-3211

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.: For questions or comments regarding this web site Michael D. Daniels; Last modified: January 14, 2008