Independent Contractor Support for BARE International Evaluators
To become an evaluator, you must be 21 years of age or older in the United States, or 18 years of age or older outside of the United States. You must also have established yourself as independent contractor. Here’s why being certified will help you make the most of your self-employment as a Mystery Evaluator.
In order to be eligible to perform BARE International project you must be certified as an independent contractor. Government agencies at every level are increasingly scrutinizing relationships between independent contractors (such as Mystery Evaluators) and their clients (like BARE International). By becoming certified as an independent contractor, you’re actively showing you’re legitimately self-employed, therefore eliminating the guess-work faced by both parties.
So how do you become certified? Don’t worry, this process is easier than it sounds…
To become an independent-contractor, we recommend that you obtain a tax ID number from the IRS. You may either create a business or simply use your own name. Another way is to use Certified SE. For only $10.99 per year you can distinguish yourself from the competition, and demonstrate to current and potential clients that you genuinely want to be self-employed and have taken steps to establish your independent business. Certified SE certifies independent entrepreneurs who genuinely want to be self-employed and have taken affirmative steps to establish an independent enterprise. You can choose General or Industry-Specific certification such as Mystery Shopping.
***A certification can also help you demonstrate to the IRS that you are engaged in a qualified trade or business that is eligible for a new tax deduction – of up to 20% – for independent contractors.***
By establishing yourself as an independent contractor in this manner, you represent that you are working for yourself and therefore able to market your services to any other mystery shopping companies you desire.
Once you establish your independent business, register your services with BARE International’s website by signing up as an evaluator in order to receive notices about upcoming opportunities. To register with BARE, complete the online registration and agree to BARE’s working relationship terms and conditions. You will be self-employed as an independent contractor thus, if you earn over $600 in one year you will receive a 1099 at year end for filing of taxes.
Don’t forget, there are NEVER any fees to register your services with BARE International. In fact, if you see offers from other organizations stating that there is a fee to sign up before you are able to get mystery shopping assignments, BEWARE. You and your services are valuable and you should be compensated for providing them, not the other way around. This is not an accepted or standard practice for legitimate companies like BARE. We encourage you to sign up for and to work with companies that are part of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA).
