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micro1 payments and taxes: how contractors get paid

According to micro1's own expert library, contractors sign their contract through Deel (payroll.micro1.ai) and are paid in USD twice a month, for approved hours or approved tasks. You work as an independent contractor, so taxes and social security are your responsibility, not micro1's.

This page sums up what micro1's public documentation says about pay, then gives general tax pointers with links to official tax authority pages. It is not tax advice, and this site is not affiliated with micro1. micro1 makes every decision about contracts and payments.

Contractor, not employee

micro1's page on the expert agreement says experts are engaged as independent contractors, not employees. The same page states that you are solely responsible for your own taxes, social security contributions, insurance and benefits.

In practice this means:

  • No tax is set aside for you by default. You need to plan for it yourself.
  • There are no employee benefits such as paid leave or health insurance.
  • 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 if a client cancels one, when 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 cannot be processed until the identity check (KYC) is complete. It also asks people who already have a Deel account not to sign a new contract with a different 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.

The FAQ is clear that incomplete, rejected or unapproved submissions are not paid. Hubstaff hours are not shown inside Deel. 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 describes 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.

Some extra details from the same page:

  • Payroll is processed on Pacific time, so dates can shift a little depending on where you live.
  • If the 5th or 20th falls on a weekend or a US bank holiday, payment moves to the next business day.
  • Timing can vary by one or two days in rare cases.
  • US-based contractors may see one extra business day.
  • You may get an "approved" email a few days before the money arrives.
  • For longer delays, micro1 says to 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

micro1's documentation says pay reaches payroll.micro1.ai, but it does not list withdrawal methods. Deel's own help center says contractors move money from their Deel balance to a saved withdrawal method, such as a bank transfer, Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Coinbase or stablecoins. It also says:

  • Not all methods are available in every country.
  • The name on the withdrawal method must match your Deel profile name.
  • Fees depend on the method, and separate transaction and exchange fees may apply.

Check the options and fees shown inside your own account before you choose.

For rates, see the guide to micro1 pay rates. The rates on this site are the ones listed by micro1, not earnings. Hours depend on the project and are never guaranteed.

Keep your own records

Because no employer handles tax for you, 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 you may be allowed to deduct, such as equipment or internet, if your country allows it.
  5. Save your signed contract and any Statement of Work.

micro1's FAQ says that if a tax form is issued to you, it is available in your Deel profile. It also says you can get a confirmation of work or payments inside Deel, through Deel's worker verification letter.

Tax basics by region

Tax rules depend on where you live, not where micro1 is. The pointers below are general and come from official government pages. Check your own situation with a qualified accountant or your tax authority.

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. Ask your own tax authority whether you need to register as self-employed before your first invoice. 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, you must 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.
  • Since no employer withholds tax, 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

Look for your tax authority's page on self-employment or freelance income, and check whether you need to register before your first payment. If in doubt, ask a local accountant before you start, not after.

Before you apply

If you are still deciding, the guide on whether micro1 is legit covers what is public about the company. When you are ready, see all 306 open roles on this list, with the rate micro1 lists for each one.

Sources

Updated 9 October 2026.

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