Guides

Contractor Onboarding

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1099 Contractors can be onboarded to the payroll solution via the API or white-label components. Thankfully, since employers aren’t responsible for paying taxes on or withholding taxes from a contractor’s pay, much less information needs to be collected to onboard a contractor than a W-2 Employee.

In this guide

  • How to create a Contractor
  • How to submit a W-9 form
  • How to add a contractor Bank Account
  • How to onboard a contractor using white-label components

API

Create a Contractor

Call Create Contractor.

🔔

Note

Remember to replace the placeholders such as {{testApiKey}} in the code samples below.

curl --request POST \
     --url https://api.zeal.com/contractors \
     --header 'Accept: application/json' \
     --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
     --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     --data '
{
     "new_contractors": [
          {
               "email": "[email protected]",
               "first_name": "Monica",
               "middle_name": "string",
               "last_name": "Hall",
               "type": "individual",
               "ssn": "123456789",
               "ein": "string",
               "business_name": "string",
               "address": "1 Market St.",
               "city": "San Francisco",
               "state": "CA",
               "zip": "94110",
               "onboarded": false
          }
     ],
     "companyID": "{{companyID}}"
}
'

W9: Fetching Paperwork Templates

The W9 form can be sent to Zeal using the Paperwork endpoints.

The Paperwork Template object outlines the fields that represent a Paperwork Template, which includes key information such as the name of the form, the applicable jurisdiction(s), and the fields on the form. For the purposes of this guide, we will be focusing on Paperwork Templates with paperwork_type as W9.

Paperwork Templates can be fetched using the Get Paperwork Template. Be sure to include the jurisdiction(s) and the effective date for the W9 form you want to retrieve.

curl --request POST \
     --url https://api.zeal.com/paperwork/templates \
     --header 'accept: application/json' \
     --header 'content-type: application/json' \
     --data '
{
  "companyID": "fc235fcccee46aa8a082f357715bcfa",
  "paperwork_type": "W9",
  "worker_type": "Contractor",
  "jurisdictions": {
    "type": "include",
    "jurisdictions": [
      "US"
    ]
  },
  "jurisdiction_type": "WorkLocation",
  "effective_date": "2024-07-01"
}
'

This will return the templateID for the W9 that you will need when creating a Submission. Here is an example response:

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "templateID": "form-479ae926-3a6c-4b72-956a-4fe569064215",
      "form_name": "Federal W-9",
      "paperwork_type": "W9",
      "worker_type": "Contractor",
      "jurisdictions_filter": {
        "type": "include",
        "jurisdictions": [
          "US"
        ]
      },
      "jurisdiction_type": "WorkLocation",
      "effective_date": "2022-01-01",
      "archive_date": "",
      "form_fields": [
        {
          "field_name": "signature_text",
          "label": "Signature Text",
          "error_text": "A signature is required",
          "type": "base64",
          "zeal_autofill": false,
          "required": false,
          "fieldName": "signature_text",
          "x": 148.802,
          "y": 229.07,
          "width": 150.00000000000003,
          "height": 22
        },
        {
          "field_name": "type",
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "required": false,
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true,
          "fieldName": "type",
          "x": 61.075,
          "y": 618.384,
          "width": 18,
          "height": 18
        },
        {
          "field_name": "first_name",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "last_name",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "ssn",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "address",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true,
          "fieldName": "address",
          "x": 185.615,
          "y": 528.333,
          "width": 150,
          "height": 16.29600000000005
        },
        {
          "field_name": "city",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "today_full",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Date autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true,
          "fieldName": "today_full",
          "x": 421.25,
          "y": 229.11,
          "width": 150,
          "height": 22,
          "_id": "66ad78fc79101a05d8c4e286"
        },
        {
          "field_name": "start_date",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_ein",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "state",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "zip",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "middle_initial",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_name",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true,
          "fieldName": "business_name",
          "x": 90.6556,
          "y": 661.36,
          "width": 149.99939999999998,
          "height": 15.480999999999995
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_city",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_address",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_state",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "business_zip",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Company object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        },
        {
          "field_name": "address_line2",
          "required": false,
          "label": "Contractor object autofill field",
          "type": "string",
          "zeal_autofill": true
        }
      ],
      "status": "Active",
      "urls": []
    }
  ]
}

Note that the Paperwork Template also includes a URL containing the form in case you want to show a worker what they are filling out.

W9: Submitting Paperwork

To submit a completed W9 form, use the Create Paperwork Submission or PUT /paperwork/submissions endpoint. The endpoint accepts the following body parameters:

  • templateID: Unique identifier for the Paperwork Template (from previous step)
  • worker_type: Type of worker (contractor)
  • companyID: Unique identifier for the company
  • employeeID: Unique identifier for the employee (nullable if the worker type is contractor)
  • contractorID: Unique identifier for the contractor (nullable if the worker type is employee)
  • fields: The completed fields and values

Below is a JSON body example of a PUT /paperwork/submissions request:

{
  "templateID": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000",
  "worker_type": "contractor",
  "companyID": "603d0f8f1c4b2a4e28c8f0b4",
  "contractorID": "603d0f8f1c4b2a4e28c8f0b4",
  "fields": {
    "field1": "value1",
    "field2": "value2"
  }
}

This will save the completed W9 paperwork submission for this contractor.

W9: Fetching Paperwork Submissions

You can always fetch the completed paperwork submission(s) using the Get Paperwork Submissions or POST /paperwork/submissions endpoint. The endpoint allows filtering by paperwork_type, companyID, jurisdiction_filter, and worker_filter.

Below is an example JSON response of a successful POST /paperwork/submissions request:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "templateID": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000",
      "submissionID": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4a5b-8c7d-9e0f1a2b3c4d",
      "submission_date": "2023-06-01T12:00:00Z",
      "worker_type": "contractor",
      "companyID": "603d0f8f1c4b2a4e28c8f0b4",
      "contractorID": "603d0f8f1c4b2a4e28c8f0b4",
      "fields": {
        "field1": "value1",
        "field2": "value2"
      },
      "paperwork_type": "W9",
      "url": "https://example.com/submission/12345"
    }
  ]
}

Add a Bank Account (optional)

📝

Note

This is an optional step. A Contractor onboarded without a bank account can still be paid with any disbursement method other than direct_deposit.

Call Create Bank Account to create the contractor bank account.

curl --request POST \
     --url https://api.zeal.com/bankaccount \
     --header 'Accept: application/json' \
     --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
     --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     --data '
{
     "companyID": "{companyID}",
     "id": "{{contractorID}}",
     "institution_name": "Chase",
     "account_number": "123456789",
     "routing_number": "267084131",
     "type": "checking"
}
'

Set onboarded to true

Call Set Onboarded Status to True.

curl --request POST \
     --url https://api.zeal.com/contractors/setOnboardedStatusToTrue \
     --header 'Accept: application/json' \
     --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{testApiKey}}' \
     --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     --data '
{
     "contractorID": "{{contractorID}}",
     "companyID": "{{companyID}}"
}
'

With the onboarded status updated, the contractor is considered onboarded and can start receiving payments.

White-Label

Access the Employer Dashboard

Navigate to your Partner Dashboard and ensure that Test Mode is enabled. Then, click on a Company to access the Employer Dashboard as an Admin.

Zeal Partner Dashboard in Test Mode

Add a Contractor

Navigate to the People page, click the Contractors tab, then click Add contractor .

Fill the contractor information and click Add Contractor.

Send the onboarding link

Back on the People page, find the Contractor and click Copy onboarding link then click Send link to contractor's email.

🪄

Tip

The link can also be accessed programmatically by calling Generate Contractor Onboarding Link.

Complete the onboarding flow

When the contractor navigates to the page, they see the white-label component on your domain with your logo.

Contractor Onboarding

The contractor completes the onboarding flow. You can view the information in the Admin/Employer Dashboard.

📝

Note

When the Contractor Onboarding flow is completed successfully through the white-label, data about the Contractor is sent to the webhook established for the Contractor Event Webhook.

Recap

  • To onboard a contractor, personal information and a W-9 form should be collected
  • Bank account details don't need to be submitted, but the contractor can't be paid by direct deposit without them
  • Employers can create Contractors from the Employer Dashboard
  • Contractor can complete onboarding through the Contractor Onboarding component

Updated about 1 month ago

What’s Next

Now that we've onboarded our first contractor, the next step is to pay them.