An independent contractor agreement sets the terms between a business and a self-employed worker: the scope, the pay, and who owns the work, while making clear the contractor is not an employee.
An independent contractor agreement is the contract you use to hire someone who is self-employed rather than on payroll. It pins down what they will deliver, how much you will pay, and who owns the finished work. Just as important, it records that the person is an independent contractor, which affects taxes, benefits, and liability on both sides.
Open it in the editor with the fields already mapped, or download the DOCX to edit offline.
Drop signature and date fields, then route each party in order or in parallel.
Everyone signs, and you get a tamper-evident PDF plus an audit certificate.
Free forever. No credit card. Your recipients sign with no account.
Use one whenever you pay someone who is not on your payroll to do work: a freelancer, a consultant, or an agency. A handshake or an email thread leaves too much open, such as what exactly is being delivered, when payment is due, and who owns the result. A signed agreement settles all three before the work starts.
The line between a contractor and an employee is not just wording. Misclassifying an employee as a contractor can lead to back taxes, penalties, and owed benefits. A genuine contractor controls how they work, uses their own tools, can take other clients, and handles their own taxes. Say that in the agreement, and make sure the working relationship actually looks that way.
By default a contractor can keep rights to what they make unless the contract says otherwise. If you are paying for code, designs, or copy, you want those rights assigned to you. This template transfers the work product to the client once payment is made, and asks the contractor to waive moral rights where the law allows, so you can use the deliverables freely.
Decide up front whether you are paying hourly, per project, or on milestones, and how quickly invoices get paid. The contractor invoices you and pays their own income tax; you do not withhold it. In the US that usually means issuing a 1099 at year end once you pay them over the reporting threshold.
Most engagements expose the contractor to something sensitive, such as customer data, pricing, or unreleased plans. The confidentiality clause here covers that during and after the project, so for routine work you often will not need a separate NDA.
Set a notice period so either side can step away without a fight. On termination you pay for the work done up to that date, and the contractor hands over what they have produced. Agreeing this before the project starts saves an awkward negotiation later.
Add both parties' legal names, the start date, the fee and payment terms, and the governing-law state. Attach or describe the scope of work so there is no argument about what is included. Leave the signature blocks for the eSignature step so the audit trail records who signed and when.
Signing online beats printing and scanning, and it leaves a stronger record. Upload the template, drop signature and date fields for the client and the contractor, and send it. Each party signs from an emailed link, and the finished PDF carries a tamper-evident seal and a full audit trail.
Set the full terms of a job: role, pay, benefits, hours, and how it can end.
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View templateThis template and the guidance on this page are provided for general information only and are not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state, so review the final document against your own situation and have a qualified lawyer check anything high-value or regulated before you sign.
Yes. Signed with a valid electronic signature, it is binding under the US ESIGN Act and state UETA laws, and under eIDAS in the EU. Keep the signed copy with its audit trail, which records each signer's identity, IP address, and the time of signing.
An employment contract puts someone on your payroll, with tax withholding, benefits, and ongoing control over their work. An independent contractor agreement engages a self-employed person for specific work; they control how it gets done, invoice you, and pay their own taxes.
Whoever the contract says. Without an assignment clause the contractor can keep rights to what they create. This template assigns the work product to the client once payment is made, so you own the deliverables.
Usually not for routine work, since this agreement already includes a confidentiality clause. For a highly sensitive project you can still add a standalone NDA on top.
Yes. Download it as an editable Word file to adjust the terms, or as a print-ready PDF. You can also fill and sign it online without downloading anything, which keeps a full audit trail.
Yes. Both parties sign one agreement so the terms bind each side. Signing online lets you route the same document to both and get back a single sealed copy you can each keep.
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