I'm probably going to hire a freelance web designer for a few day to complete a project.
The designer will probably be freelance so I will be paying a fixed amount on completion.
Are there any legal issue such as tax details I need to be aware of.
Also should we be signing any documents, for example a requirements list to state the conditions for completion of the job.
Thanks<p>Edit:
I live in the UK.
Yes you absolutely need to agree to a written contract to the work, laying out what's going to be done, what you're going to pay, when copyright gets transferred, etc. Having a contract protects both parties in the event of a dispute over the scope of the work, the payment you agreed to, and the rights to the final product.<p>Assuming you're in the US, you're doing business with an individual and not a business, and you pay this person more than $600, you probably need to collect their tax ID number with a Form W9 so that at the end of the year, you can send them and the IRS a Form 1099-MISC to report the non-employee compensation you paid.