Can a business offer benefits to its freelance and contracted workers? Short answer: nope.

The IRS has drawn a fine line between a traditional workforce and employees contracted for a specific task or time duration.

Employers who might want to offer benefits for a valued freelancer employee would be advised to "put a ring on it," so to speak, and hire the individual as a traditional employee.

But in this case, all of the benefits of traditional employees would have to be provided as well: payroll, Social Security, unemployment, and all the standard benefits given to employees.

With no middle way, this benefits trouble shows a growing problem for businesses around the country, and for the millions of contract workers they employ.

Read full article at Star Tribune.