Aan de slag als zzp'er
Embrace the freedom of freelancing, and banish the administrative burden
Invoicing, tax obligations, contracts, even the simple act of getting paid: all this can feel so overwhelming for an independent contractor. Fortunately, there are solutions to eliminate the time and frustration of managing admin. Use this guide as a blueprint to get set up to take payments with speed and confidence so you can put your focus back where it matters: your clients.
How to set up the right business registration
Setting up contract agreements for new clients
How to get paid as an independent contractor
How to manage and monitor invoices
Managing independent contractor taxation obligations
Liability considerations for independent contractors
Accounting requirements for independent contractors
How do I ask the company I’m working with to convert me to an employee?
5 ways Remote makes life easier for contractors and their clients
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How to set up and get paid as a freelance contractor: your blueprint to eliminate annoying admin
As an independent contractor, you’re responsible for handling everything about your business: getting and keeping clients, working on projects, handling admin, and marketing your business. You are also responsible for tasks that might lie outside your expertise, such as writing up contracts and handling taxes.
It can be nerve-wracking to draw up a contract if you’re unsure of what employment laws might impact your business, especially if your client is based outside your country. You may also find yourself wondering how to get paid without huge processing fees getting sliced out of your hard-earned paycheck.
We are here to assure you that you can manage all of these things. In fact, getting set up and paid as a freelance contractor can be fast, easy, and efficient — no matter where your clients are based.
This guide is full of practical support for independent contractors, especially if you’re new to being the boss of your business. We’ll explain how you can set up a process to manage your work and discuss how automation can make this process easier.
We’ll discuss the four scariest problem areas for freelancers and show you how to manage this side of your business with ease:
Contracts
Payments and fees
Invoicing
Tax
Ready to learn more about simplifying your freelance business? Let’s start at the very beginning: setting up your business.
How to set up the right business registration
To begin working as an independent contractor, you’ll first need to choose a legal structure for your business. This will dictate what your tax and legal obligations are. The structure you choose will depend on where you’re claiming tax residency. Countries, and in some cases, specific regions have their own laws governing independent contractors.
Most countries offer a few common options
Individual entrepreneur. This is a simple structure for independent, individual contractors. In some countries, like France, there is a distinction between the individual and the business; in others, there is not.
Partnership. A partnership agreement. Often there is no separation between the partners as individuals and the business entity.
A limited liability company. A formal, legal entity that is separate from the individual running it. In most cases, all income and losses are attributed to the company as opposed to you personally.
Other options may exist depending on the country in which you are operating. Australia, for example, offers a trust model, in which a trustee manages a business and all of its activities on behalf of beneficiaries.
There are pros and cons to each of these structures, but most independent contractors choose the individual entrepreneur model, as it is fairly simple to set up and operate.
For more information about labor laws in a specific country, check out Remote’s Country Explorer — our global hiring guides are packed with useful information that can help you establish your freelance business.
Read more on how to become an independent contractor
Contractor Management
Contracten opstellen voor nieuwe klanten
Veel zzp'ers vinden het niet leuk en intimiderend om contacten voor klanten op te stellen, vooral als ze er niet veel kennis van hebben. Soms beginnen ze zelfs zonder contract aan een opdracht.
Afzien van een contract is echter een onverstandige zet. Contracten zijn cruciaal; ze beschermen je op verschillende manieren. Meestal heeft een contract betrekking op:
Contracten beschrijven specifieke taken, te leveren prestaties en projectvereisten. Met een duidelijke beschrijving kunnen zzp'ers binnen de kaders van hun opdracht werken en ervoor zorgen dat er niet van ze wordt verwacht dat ze taken uitvoeren die hierbuiten vallen zonder de juiste vergoeding.
Contracten beschrijven duidelijk de betalingsvoorwaarden, waaronder het bedrag, de betalingsmethode en eventuele mijlpalen of deadlines.
Contracten gaan over het eigendom van en de rechten op intellectueel eigendom dat tijdens het project wordt gecreëerd. Duidelijke bepalingen met betrekking tot intellectueel eigendom beschermen zzp'ers tegen mogelijke geschillen.
Contracten beschrijven de voorwaarden en procedures voor beëindiging of opschorting van de overeenkomst. Dit kan zzp'ers beschermen tegen plotselinge beëindigingen.
Contracten verduidelijken de relatie tussen de zzp'er en de klant en beschermen beiden tegen mogelijke problemen rondom verkeerde classificatie.
Helpful though they are, there’s no doubt contracts can be tricky as contractor rights and working conditions differ around the world. If you’re using a random contract template you found online or drawing up your own, your document may not be legally binding in some countries. It might also actively work against your interests.
Contractors can make sure their work with local and international clients is legal and above board by using one of Remote’s compliant and personalized contract templates. These templates are customized according to country-specific legislation to help contractors stay compliant regardless of where the client is based.
If you have your own contract that you’re happy with, you can keep it. When you onboard as a contractor to the Remote platform, you can upload your own contracts instead of using ours.
Learn more about contracts here.
More on independent contractor agreements
Independent contractor agreements: a guide for businesses
The dangers of contractor misclassification
In nearly every country, independent contractors are classified differently than employees. Many of the protections and benefits employees enjoy, such as health care, pensions, and stock options, do not typically apply to contractors. As an independent contractor, you give up those benefits for the freedom of choosing your own clients and working when, where, and how you want.
Despite this distinction, some companies may deliberately misclassify you to circumvent their legal obligations. Other times, it may happen accidentally. Whether it’s intentional or not, misclassification can result in penalties and fines for both you and your client. Your client can face hefty penalties in their country, and you may face the consequences of not having paid the correct amount of tax in your own country.
Remember that it’s in your best interest to be properly classified as a contractor.
Firstly, a contractor has the freedom to work as they please. In the United States, for example, companies are not allowed to tell a contractor how to perform a job or require set work hours. The contractor is able to work in their own way and time, and the only requirement is that the project for which they are engaged is completed. Secondly, being properly classified as a contractor gives you more control over your income.
Every country has different penalties for misclassification. To avoid these, work with your clients to ensure you are not misclassified. Discuss your role and responsibilities with them, and review the working arrangement regularly. If your working relationship changes over time and you become more integrated into a client’s company, you can ask to be converted into an employee.
Learn more about the dangers of misclassification in the following guides
Employee and independent contractor misclassification: Expert guide
The consequences of misclassifying employees as contractors
How to get paid as an independent contractor
As an independent contractor, it’s down to you to handle your invoices and payment collection. Unfortunately, this means billing each client individually and collecting payment through their preferred payment method — which can be inefficient and time-consuming.
Some of the most common ways to collect payments include:
Bank transfers
Bank transfers, A transfer of funds between two bank accounts, While these transfers are quick, they typically come with hefty service fees.
Direct deposits. A deposit directly into your bank account. Also quick, but can cost your client fees. It can also become complicated if you’re doing business with multiple clients or clients in different countries.
Paper checks. Paper checks can easily be deposited via an app, but this method is becoming increasingly outdated due to long processing times. Besides, physical checks can also be lost or stolen.
Money orders. Money orders are a secure form of payment that can be used internationally in many countries but can be inconvenient. They must be purchased in person, and like checks can be stolen, lost, or delayed in the mail. Additionally, using money orders might be considered suspicious as they are often used by scammers.
Virtual wallets. Virtual wallets are gaining popularity and are a quick way to get paid, however, they may not be accepted by some clients. There are also some security concerns about using digital wallets.
Digital transfer services like PayPal and Wise. Digital transfer services are quick and easy to use and often allow you to invoice clients. However, they may take a cut of the profits or charge high currency exchange rates, and that amount can be sizable.
Alternatively, you can use a trusted solution like Remote. Our platform is a simple, secure, and reliable way to get paid quickly in your country’s currency — and with no hidden fees. You simply add your bank account as a withdrawal method in your Remote dashboard, and payments from your client are deposited directly into your account.
You don’t have to keep checking the dashboard to see if you’ve been paid, either: Remote sends an email as soon as your invoice has been paid. Learn more about how our platform can help with payments.
Your go-to guide for freelance invoicing plus a free template
How to invoice as a freelancer: a simple guide and a free invoice template
How to get paid by international clients
International payments are more complex than domestic ones. Converting currency, negotiating wire transfers and other payment methods, and expensive processing fees can make accepting international payments stressful.
Remote makes this process much easier. Our contractor management service covers more than 200+ countries and territories, making it easy for you to get paid in your currency of choice, no matter what currency you invoice in. Here’s how it works:
1. Invoice
You invoice your client in whatever currency works best for the client and upload the invoice to Remote’s contractor management platform.
2. Payment is made
The client pays all their invoices in their own currency.
3. Payment is received
When Remote receives the payment, we convert it to your preferred currency before paying it out to you.
Contractors have two options when it comes to payouts. You can add your bank account details directly on Remote where our payouts are powered by Wise or you can use a Stripe Connect account. You can change your preferred currency and payment details at any time.
What about fees?
We work with several partners to make sure our pricing is both fast and as affordable as possible. We do charge your clients a $29 fee for payment processing, but as a contractor, the only fee you pay is a mid-market currency conversion fee. If you’re being paid in your preferred currency already, there’s no fee at all.
You can learn more about our fees in this support center article.
How to manage and monitor invoices
Invoicing as an independent contractor can be a hassle. You might find yourself using a patchwork of solutions to manually create, send and track invoices. It’s not an efficient system. Manual processes are slow, tedious, and error-prone.
By automating your invoicing, you can simplify billing and get back to your paid work. Remote can help you do that.
With Remote, you no longer need to rely on spreadsheets, email, and other manual tools to invoice for payments. Our platform lets you create invoices, submit them for approval, and get paid in your local currency without needing to switch to any other tool or software. That means no more email back-and-forth; you just up your invoices in Remote. We’ll route them to your clients, and you’ll see status updates as your invoice moves through the approval process.
Setting up billing
As a contractor, you submit invoices to clients through your Remote dashboard. You can do this in one of two ways:
1. Upload your own invoice
Create an invoice that includes the invoice date and invoice amount, then submit the invoice as a PDF.
2. Create an invoice on Remote
Use our templates to create an invoice on our platform. You can also create a recurring invoice that is automatically sent to your employer.
To learn more, check out this article in our Help Center.
Managing independent contractor taxation obligations
As an independent contractor, you’re responsible for paying your own taxes. However, every country has its own tax code, which means that taxes are handled differently from country to country.
In the US, for example, you are responsible for paying your taxes directly to the government. In other countries, your clients may be responsible for deducting tax from your payment. To learn more details about the tax obligations for contractors in your country, visit Remote’s Country Explorer page.
This is part of the reason it’s important to be properly classified as a contractor; your classification will impact how you pay taxes.
Liability considerations for independent contractors
When you’re an employee, the company handles liability issues. However, with great freedom comes great responsibility. As a sole proprietor, you are personally liable for things like finance and tax debts. This means your private assets can be forcibly used to settle your business debts. This sounds scary, but many independent contractors purchase liability insurance to help mitigate this risk.
It’s also important to protect yourself legally when drafting and signing agreements with clients. Remote’s team of legal experts helps by vetting our contract templates so that you’re compliant in the country you’re working in.
Boekhoudkundige vereisten voor zzp'ers
Als zzp'er hoef je niet elk jaar een jaarrekening te publiceren. Je moet wel een overzichtelijke administratie bijhouden van je rekeningen, waaronder alle facturen aan klanten en zakelijke aankopen, zodat je je inkomen en belastingen kunt bijhouden.
Je kunt deze gegevens zelf bijhouden met een boekhoudprogramma of een professionele boekhouder aannemen.
Overweeg ook om een aparte bankrekening te openen voor je zakelijke uitgaven. Sommige landen vereisen een zakelijke rekening zodra je omzet een bepaald bedrag overschrijdt.
Hoe vraag ik het bedrijf waar ik werk om me om te zetten in een werknemer?
Ga het gesprek aan en bespreek voorzichtig de risico's en voordelen van een werkgever-werknemerrelatie. Benadruk vooral dat deze overstap gunstig is voor beide partijen, niet alleen voor jezelf. Er zijn een aantal redenen waarom een bedrijf je zou willen omzetten naar een werknemer. Je kunt bijvoorbeeld benadrukken dat de klant controle heeft over de uren die je werkt en de manier waarop je taken afwerkt.
Luister goed naar de zorgen van de klant. Internationale klanten hebben misschien niet het gevoel dat ze je kunnen aannemen zonder een juridische entiteit in het land waar je werkt. Stel in dat geval voor dat ze gebruikmaken van een employer of record (EOR).
Een EOR is een bedrijf dat helpt bij het in dienst nemen van werknemers in andere landen door namens een bedrijf op te treden als de lokale werkgever. Meestal zal een EOR ook het administratieve HR-werk op zich nemen, waaronder de lokale salarisadministratie, administratie van de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden en naleving van de belastingwetgeving.
Remote is bijvoorbeeld een EOR en kan helpen om de overgang te vergemakkelijken door je klant (of werkgever) compliant te houden met de wetten in jouw land.
Als je meer wilt weten over hoe je voor jezelf kunt opkomen als remote werknemer, download dan onze Remote Toolkit.
5 manieren waarop Remote het leven van zzp'ers en hun klanten makkelijker maakt
Zoals je kunt zien, is er veel om rekening mee te houden als je als zzp'er aan de slag wilt gaan. Remote kan je bij veel dingen helpen, zodat jij kunt focussen op de groei van je bedrijf en op je klanten. Zo werkt dat:
Lees hier meer over hoe Remote je kan helpen als zzp'er.
Ga aan de slag met Remote en regel het in een paar minuten
Het is prettig om de vrijheid en flexibiliteit te hebben om op je eigen voorwaarden te werken. Maar je administratieve verantwoordelijkheden kunnen je afleiden van wat je echt wilt doen: je klanten helpen, snel betaald krijgen en je bedrijf laten groeien.
Door gebruik te maken van een stabiel, betrouwbaar platform zoals Remote, kun je snel en efficiënt aan al je verplichtingen voldoen. Zo kun jij je richten op je bedrijfsdoelen.
Op ons platform kun je snel, eenvoudig en probleemloos aan de slag als zzp'er. We begeleiden je bij de onboarding en de stappen die nodig zijn om je identiteit te valideren voor veiligheidsdoeleinden. Je kunt de vereiste belastingdocumenten ook veilig uploaden naar het platform.
Lees meer over hoe Remote jou én je klanten tijd en middelen kan besparen.
Ga vandaag nog aan de slag met Remote.