Why should I register as an IC Pro?
Registering for Independent Contractor Pro status will:Get you more shops (especially over other shoppers who aren't IC PRO) - the higher your IC Pro rating, the more likely that you'll receive shops.
- Help keep your shop fees as high as possible.
- Help the entire mystery shopping industry (and the shoppers, the mystery shopping companies, and the companies that pay for mystery shopping) stay profitable and thriving as a whole.
At the federal and state level, government agencies are challenging independent contractor status ("IC" status) in many industries. By declaring more workers as employees instead of ICs, these government agencies can collect more taxes and other revenues from you (as mystery shoppers) and mystery shopping companies. While mystery shopping is not the intended target of these actions, our industry is in definite danger of getting caught up unless action is taken from all sides.
This is why mystery shopping companies are giving preferential treatment to shoppers who support keeping the mystery shopping industry as free as possible by declaring themselves as mystery shopping professionals running independent businesses.