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H.R. 6653 112th Congress House

Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2012

Official title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide standards for determining employment status, and for other purposes.

Introduced: December 12, 2012 See on congress.gov
Taxation Administrative law and regulatory proceduresContracts and agencyDepartment of the TreasuryEmployment taxes
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Government information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsInternal Revenue Service (IRS)Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 12, 2012
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Dec 12, 2012
Introduced in House
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 Latest action December 12, 2012

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth criteria for classifying a worker as an employee or an independent contractor.

Prohibits: (1) any retroactive assessment of employment tax, except with respect to certain skilled workers, for tax periods after December 31, 1978, unless the employer had no reasonable basis for not treating a worker as an employee, and (2) the issuance, after the enactment of this Act, of Treasury regulations with respect to the employment status of any individual for purposes of the employment tax.

Establishes safe harbor provisions upon which a service recipient or payor may rely in classifying a service provider as an independent contractor rather than as an employee where the service provider: (1) incurs significant financial responsibility for providing and maintaining equipment and facilities to perform work under a contract; (2) incurs unreimbursed expenses or risks income fluctuations because remuneration is directly related to sales or other output rather than solely to the number of hours actually worked or expenses incurred; (3) is compensated on factors related to the work performed and not solely on the basis of hours or time expended; and (4) substantially controls the means and manner of performing the contract services, the specifications of the service recipient or payor, and any additional contractual requirements.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6653: Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2012. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-6653/
MLA
"H.R. 6653: Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2012." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-6653/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6653, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-6653/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6653: Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2012](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-6653/)
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