You do not employ a freelancer, but every country still imposes obligations on you when you pay one. A gap in any of the three areas below allows a tax authority to treat the freelancer as your employee.
Classify first
You must apply the worker classification test for the country where the freelancer works. The United States uses IRS and DOL tests, the United Kingdom applies IR35 to limited-company contractors, and Australia enforces sham contracting rules. The label on the contract does not override the facts.
Contract and report correctly
You engage the freelancer under a statement of work built on deliverables rather than hours. In the United States, you collect Form W-9 and issue Form 1099-NEC once payments reach $2,000 in a calendar year, the threshold for payments made from 1 January 2026.
Protect data and intellectual property
The contract needs data-processing terms where GDPR applies and an intellectual property assignment clause, because a freelancer owns their output by default in most countries. You re-test any engagement that passes 12 months.