@jonhai - also, understand that when you are a contractor and not a w-2 employee, the requirements of whomever is paying you are quite different.
when you are a W-2 employee, the employer has obligations to withhold federal, state, social security and medicare taxes based on federal and state laws.
when you are a contractor, whomever is paying you do not have those obligations, so it is up to you to pay the appropriate taxes
