[consulting] (no subject)

[Jamie]

There's a few issues this brings to mind. First off would be the terms. 
If you are using their office and their internet and the internet goes 
down for a couple of hours, leaving your down, while you be paid for 
your time? If I'm working at home and my net goes down, there is always 
other things I can do (maybe even clean the house!).

The bigger issue, is a legal one and depends upon how you operate as a 
business. I suggest checking out this page:

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html

I did something very similar in the early 90s. I had a client that was a 
local municipality, handling their computer systems (and ironically one 
of the main systems was their tax system). I had an office in the city 
building also, even though I was an independent contractor. The 
requirements for this was:

- I had 24/7 access to my office (ie: I had a key to the city building 
and my office)
- I was not obligated to work from the office. I could also work from 
home and bill them.

These two items were actually at the recommendation by the head of the 
city tax department, who happens to be a tax law professor now, and the 
city's attorney. I don't know how much the laws have changed in the past 
20 years since I haven't had the same situation come up again and the 
work I do now is totally different from then, but I would consider it 
very carefully. It might even be worth talking to a tax attorney about it.

Jamie Holly
http://www.intoxination.net
http://www.hollyit.net


On 2/10/2011 5:35 PM, Gordon Heydon wrote:
> Hi,
>
> No you should not reduce your rate for working at home. They are 
> getting the same expertise, the same amount of work done. It should 
> not matter if you are at home or in the office.
>
> Your work is not worth any less just because you are not in their office.
>
> If anything you should be charging more to be in their office, 
> Generally you do not charge for traveling to their offices and other 
> incidental expenses that are incurred, such as lunch and parking.
>
> Gordon.
>
> On 11/02/2011, at 6:52 AM, nan wich wrote:
>
>> An interesting question for all of you: I just got a gig for a month 
>> or so on a local government site. I don't remember if I mentioned 
>> that I worked from home a bit on my previous gig or not. But they did 
>> ask if I would reduce my rate a bit when I worked from home. That is, 
>> it would be a dual rate deal; $x in the office, $x-5 from home (for 
>> example).
>> What would you think about this? Keep in mind, I would be getting 
>> paid with my own tax money.
>>
>> /*Nancy*/
>>
>>
>> Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -- Dr. Martin 
>> L. King, Jr.
>>
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