

Ask HN: Looking to hire designer for a few days. What do I need to know? - leejw00t354

I'm probably going to hire a freelance web designer for a few day to complete a project.
The designer will probably be freelance so I will be paying a fixed amount on completion. 
Are there any legal issue such as tax details I need to be aware of.
Also should we be signing any documents, for example a requirements list to state the conditions for completion of the job.
Thanks<p>Edit:
I live in the UK.
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dangrossman
Yes you absolutely need to agree to a written contract to the work, laying out
what's going to be done, what you're going to pay, when copyright gets
transferred, etc. Having a contract protects both parties in the event of a
dispute over the scope of the work, the payment you agreed to, and the rights
to the final product.

Assuming you're in the US, you're doing business with an individual and not a
business, and you pay this person more than $600, you probably need to collect
their tax ID number with a Form W9 so that at the end of the year, you can
send them and the IRS a Form 1099-MISC to report the non-employee compensation
you paid.

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leejw00t354
Thanks for your help. It's probably going to be around £250 ($400) I live in
the UK though so I assume that last bit doesn't apply.

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dangrossman
You can get a designer to work for a few days for £250 in the UK?

~~~
leejw00t354
If they're a student yeah. I'm at university at the moment and I've done a few
jobs for minimum wage. I think they seem to think they're doing you a favor,
trusting in a students abilities and giving you some experience at the same
time. It's not something I would be happy to do anymore.

