Who is a Self-employed Person?

In this guide a self-employed person means anyone over age sixteen and under pensionable age (currently 65) who is gainfully employed in the island but whose employment is NOT under a contract of service in accordance with Section 12 of the National Insurance and Social Security Act, 1966. For example, partners in a business arrangement, sole traders, medical practitioners and other professionals in private practice fall into this category.

Majority shareholders in limited liability companies who are involved in the day-today operations as officers of the company may be classified as self-employed persons and should seek to have their insurability status determined by the National Insurance board. Generally speaking nationality makes no difference and contributions must be paid whether or not the self-employed person is Barbadian.

Persons who are employed in Barbados by an employer who does not reside here and has no place of business here will be treated as self-employed. Note that nationals of another territory employed in Barbados by the Government of that territory in a diplomatic or military capacity are not liable to be insured either as self-employed or as employed persons.

It is important to note that the National Insurance Board has the power to decide on questions regarding:

• Whether a person's employment renders him/her liable to be insured.
• the class or category of insured persons in which a person should be included.

There is no right to appeal against such decisions except on a point of law, in which case the appeal lies to the High Court.

Persons ordinarily resident in Barbados who are temporarily employed outside Barbados by reason of having been recruited in Barbados for employment under a labour programmed sponsored by the Government shall be insured during such temporary employment as if they were self-employed persons.