Can I ask my employer if I can work as a contractor instead of an employee?

Answer 1

There are specific guidelines in the IRS code that penalize an employer if they misclassify an employee as a contractor. You can ask, but unless you set your own schedule, are responsible for work product independent of the hours you work, can incur financial loss for non-performance, and are not closely supervised, your employer is not likely to classify you as a contractor.