How to get an independent contractor agreement signed online

What the agreement should cover

• Scope: the services, deliverables and deadlines, or a reference to a statement of work for each project.
• Payment: the rate or fixed fee, how invoices are submitted, and when they're paid.
• Independent status: the contractor controls how the work is done, supplies their own tools and pays their own taxes.
• Ownership of the work: who owns what the contractor creates, and when ownership passes.
• Confidentiality, plus any non-solicitation terms your lawyer recommends.
• Insurance and liability, and how either side can end the agreement.

Send the agreement and the W-9 together

In SignMaster, one send is an envelope, and an envelope can hold several documents. Putting the agreement and the W-9 in the same envelope means the contractor signs both in one sitting.

1. 1

   Add both documents

   Start a new envelope and upload the agreement and the current W-9 from the IRS website. Drag them into order, agreement first. When they're all signed, both come back as one PDF.

2. 2

   Set the order of signing

   Add the contractor as Needs to sign, then yourself with Add me, and keep In order so they sign before you countersign. Add your bookkeeper as Receives a copy if they need the W-9.

3. 3

   Let the W-9 fill itself in

   The IRS form has fillable boxes, and SignMaster offers to turn them into fields with Add form fields. Assign them to the contractor, then add Signature and Date signed to the agreement for both of you.

4. 4

   Protect the taxpayer ID

   A W-9 carries a Social Security or employer number. Under Private notes & access codes, choose Emailed code for the contractor, so the documents open only after they enter a one-time code from their inbox.

5. 5

   Send and countersign

   Click Send for signature. When the contractor finishes, it's your turn; switch on Sign my part right after sending beforehand and you can countersign with your saved signature in a click.

When you hire contractors often

Save the agreement as a template with roles called Contractor and Company, and set the emailed code once under Sending defaults so every send uses it. When terms change for everyone, such as a new rate card each January, bulk send the updated agreement to your whole contractor list from a CSV, each with their own name and rate printed on it.

If you're the contractor receiving one, read the payment terms and the ownership clause closely: they decide when you get paid and what you can reuse in your portfolio. If something needs changing, use Request changes on the signing page rather than signing and arguing later.