You work as a contractor

micro1's page on the expert agreement says experts are engaged as independent contractors and are solely responsible for their own taxes, social security contributions, insurance and benefits. In practice:

  • Nobody withholds tax for you, so you set it aside yourself.
  • Paid leave and health insurance are yours to arrange.
  • You provide your own equipment, unless a Statement of Work says otherwise.
  • Roles continue while the client has work. micro1 says it will try to move contractors to a similar pipeline when a client cancels one and such a pipeline exists.

How micro1 pays, step by step

1. Contract and onboarding in Deel

micro1 uses Deel as its contract and payroll platform, at payroll.micro1.ai. You receive the contract there, sign it, set up your profile and upload the required documents. micro1's FAQ says payments are processed once the identity check (KYC) is complete. If you already have a Deel account, sign the new contract with the same email address.

After signing, you can add a business entity to receive payments, through the account settings in payroll.micro1.ai. Pick the correct country of jurisdiction during setup.

2. How the amount is calculated

micro1's FAQ lists three pay structures. Your contract says which one applies.

  • Hourly: pay is based on the hours you track that the project team approves. Time is tracked in the Hubstaff desktop app, only while you actively work on the pipeline.
  • Pay per task: each approved task is paid at your hourly rate multiplied by a "Project Payout Multiple", which appears in the special clauses of your contract.
  • Flat fee: a fixed one-time payment in USD per approved task.

Only complete, approved submissions are paid. Hubstaff hours reach Deel only when they are exported at the end of each cycle, and each Deel invoice shows the total hours for that cycle.

3. When the money arrives

micro1's payroll policy sets two pay periods per month:

  • Work from the 1st to the 15th: approval around the 18th, paid around the 20th.
  • Work from the 16th to the end of the month: approval around the 3rd, paid around the 5th of the next month.

From the same page:

  • Payroll is processed on Pacific time, so dates can shift a little depending on where you live, and in rare cases by one or two days.
  • When the 5th or 20th falls on a weekend or a US bank holiday, payment moves to the next business day.
  • US-based contractors may see one extra business day.
  • The "approved" email usually arrives a few days before the money.
  • For longer delays, contact your pipeline lead. For problems with the Deel account itself, micro1's FAQ points to Deel's support team.

4. Getting the money out of Deel

Pay lands in your balance at payroll.micro1.ai. Deel's help center says contractors move money from that balance to a saved withdrawal method: a bank transfer, Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Coinbase or stablecoins. Your account shows which of these work in your country and what each one costs.

Wise lets eligible customers hold money and receive payments in supported currencies. Availability depends on your country of residence and the currency. Visit Wise.

Affiliate link: we refer you to Wise and may earn a commission if you sign up through this link and complete a qualifying transaction.

For rates by field, see the guide to micro1 pay rates.

Keep your own records

Good records make tax time much easier. A simple routine:

  1. Download every Deel invoice and keep it in one folder per year.
  2. Note the date each payment reached your bank and the amount in your own currency.
  3. Save the exchange rate or bank statement for each USD payment.
  4. Keep receipts for work costs such as equipment or internet, where your country lets you deduct them.
  5. Save your signed contract and any Statement of Work.

micro1's FAQ says any tax form issued to you is in your Deel profile, and Deel's worker verification letter gives you a confirmation of work or payments.

Tax basics by region

Tax rules depend on where you live, not where micro1 is. The pointers below come from official government pages.

European Union

The EU's Your Europe portal explains that you are usually taxed in the country where you are tax resident, and that this country can generally tax your worldwide income. You are usually tax resident where you spend more than six months a year, but each country has its own test. Many countries have double tax agreements, which usually set out which country can treat you as resident if two countries claim you. The Portuguese version of this page goes deeper for residents of Portugal: recibos verdes, VAT and Segurança Social.

United Kingdom

GOV.UK says you must send a Self Assessment tax return if you worked as a sole trader and earned more than £1,000 in the last tax year, before deducting costs. If you need to send a return for the first time, tell HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year. Registering late can lead to a penalty.

United States

The IRS treats independent contractors and gig workers as self-employed. According to the IRS Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center:

  • You must file a tax return if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more.
  • Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare and is reported on Schedule SE.
  • With no employer withholding, you generally pay estimated tax each quarter (Form 1040-ES).

micro1's FAQ explains how to download Form 1099-NEC from the tax forms section in Deel, when one is issued to you.

Other countries

Elsewhere, start from your national tax authority's own pages on freelance or self-employed income, and check whether you need a tax number or a registration before your first payment.

CountryOfficial starting point
IndiaIncome Tax Department e-filing portal
IndonesiaDirectorate General of Taxes (DJP)
NigeriaNigeria Revenue Service, Tax ID portal (the service that replaced the Federal Inland Revenue Service)
EgyptEgyptian Tax Authority
PhilippinesBureau of Internal Revenue
BrazilReceita Federal

Deel issues invoices for each pay cycle and, where one applies to you, a tax form in your profile. Keep both with your tax records.

What to watch out for

  • Talk to a qualified accountant or your tax authority before your first invoice, and ask whether you need to register as self-employed first.
  • Finish the Deel KYC early: payments wait for it.
  • Use a withdrawal method in your own name, matching your Deel profile, and compare its fees and exchange costs before you pick it.
  • Submit only finished work for approval, since rejected or incomplete submissions are not paid.
  • Set aside part of every payment for tax as it arrives.

Before you apply

The guide on whether micro1 is legit covers what is public about the company. When you are ready, see all 269 open roles on this list, with the rate micro1 lists for each one.

Sources

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