Local Government Requirements for Task Rabbit

Created:

Jul 6, 2020

Updated:

July 6, 2020

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To be a Tasker in the U.S., people must be 18 years old, have a social security number for the background check, have a checking account and credit card, and have a smartphone to use the app on. The checking account is to receive payments, and the credit card is to pay a $25 registration fee.
Of note, recent sources (February 2020) indicated that the age requirement for TaskRabbit is 21, although this is different from the company's official help page. This may be an indication that this had changed recently, but we were not able to confirm this.

AB5 is a law that went into effect in California on January 1, 2020. The purpose of the law was to keep employers from classifying people who should be classified as employees, as freelancers. The state believed this designation was being used by employers to avoid providing benefits and paying people minimum wage.
One of the strategies that freelancers who want to keep working can employ is to obtain a business license, and ensure they are set up as a legitimate business for tax purposes.
According to the California Secretary of State website, most businesses in California require a license or permit to operate. Workers can find information on potential requirements at the CalGOLD website.
While we did not find a job type that would have been a perfect fit for a Tasker, there were plenty of jobs listed that may include the type of tasks that would be completed by someone working for TaskRabbit. These included graphic design, landscaping, and building and dwelling services.
A search of these types of services for Agoura Hills found that all entities doing business in the city are required to obtain a business certificate.
Finally, although Reddit is not usually a source we use for research, we did locate a screenshot that a user shared indicating the requirements for Taskers to keep working in California. One of the key points was that the Taskers had till April 6, 2020, to provide proof of obtaining a business license.

Many of the tasks offered on TaskRabbit would be those that would be done by a handyman. In North Carolina, there are no licenses for a handyman, however, if someone makes more than $30,000 per year from these jobs, they must register as a general contractor.
With over 80 business licenses offered in NC, it is very possible that a Tasker would be required to have one based on the types of tasks they are doing and how much income they are making.

There are only 108 reviews on Indeed by TaskRabbit Taskers. Of those reviews, the average rating is 3.4 out of 5. By category, work-life balance is rated highest, followed by culture, pay & benefits, job security, and management.
Users rate their satisfaction with TaskRabbit on Sitejabber, and the average review is 2 out of 5 stars, indicating many people are not satisfied with the work that is done. This is based on 302 reviews.
On the TaskRabbit website, California appears to be the only state they provide direction with regard to needing/obtaining a business license. This help is mainly focused on how to provide that information to Task Rabbit and leaves the determination of whether it is needed up to the Tasker.

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