Is it normal to be asked for a bank account before I sign?

Not before a written offer. Payroll details are collected after you accept. Requests for bank details, identity documents or a tax form during interviews are a common scam pattern.

Can I negotiate a remote contract?

Yes. Notice period, equipment, start date and moonlighting terms are all commonly negotiable, and asking politely about them is normal.

How do I know if I am an employee or a contractor?

Ask which legal entity employs you and whether the document is an employment contract or a services agreement. Classification depends on how the work is controlled, not only on the label. The IRS factors linked below are a good starting point for United States workers.

What to Verify Before Accepting a Remote Job

Updated October 2, 2026

A remote offer arrives without an office to walk into, so the checks you would do by looking around have to be done on paper. Spend an hour on the items below before you sign, resign from your current job or buy equipment. Most of them are free and none are rude to ask.

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Confirm the employer exists and is the one you applied to

Find the company through a source you reached yourself, not through links in the offer email. Check that the company website, the careers page and the recruiter's email domain all agree, and that the role is listed on the company's own careers page or applicant system.

Look for a registered legal entity in the country where it claims to operate. Most countries publish company registers; in the United States, each state keeps its own. A real company that is hiring remotely will not mind you asking for the legal entity that will employ you.

Find out whether you are an employee or a contractor

This is the single biggest difference between two remote offers with the same salary. An employee typically gets taxes handled through payroll and may get benefits and notice protections. A contractor invoices, handles their own taxes and usually arranges their own health cover.

Classification is decided by how the work is actually controlled, not by what the contract calls it. The IRS publishes the factors it looks at for United States workers; other countries have their own tests. If the title says contractor but the company sets your hours, tools and methods, ask why.

Ask directly: which legal entity employs me, and is this an employment contract or a services agreement?
If you are hired through an employer-of-record or a payroll provider, ask for that provider's name and what benefits it supplies in your country.
If you are a contractor, work out what you must set aside for tax and cover yourself for health, sick time and gaps between contracts.

Understand how and when you will be paid

Get the pay currency, the pay frequency, the payment method and the first pay date in writing. Check what fees your bank or payment provider takes on incoming international transfers, because that comes out of the number you were quoted.

Never accept a cheque or any payment that asks you to forward part of it, buy equipment from a named vendor on your own money, or send gift cards. That is a scam pattern, covered in our remote job scam checklist.

Read the contract for the clauses that bite remote workers

Remote contracts hide the same few terms as any contract, but they matter more when nobody can explain them over a desk. Read them yourself and ask about anything you do not follow.

Probation or trial period: length, pay during it, and whether it can end without notice.
Notice period and severance, for both sides.
Intellectual property and moonlighting clauses: can you keep other clients or side projects?
Equipment: who buys it, who owns it, and what you owe if you leave.
Working hours and required time-zone overlap, which should match the job post.
Where you are allowed to work from. Some employers can only hire in countries where they are registered.

Check the people, not just the paperwork

Ask to speak with the person you would report to, by video, before you accept. Look up that person and a few colleagues independently. A company with a team will have people with a visible history; a fake one often has only a recruiter and a logo.

Be wary of anything that rushes you to decide, moves the conversation to a messaging app only, or asks for identity documents, bank details or a tax form before there is a signed offer.

Remote offer verification checklist

The role appears on the company's own careers page or applicant system.
The recruiter's email domain matches the company's website.
You know the legal entity that will employ or contract you.
You know whether you are an employee or a contractor, and what that means for tax and benefits.
Pay amount, currency, frequency, method and first pay date are in writing.
You have read the probation, notice, IP, moonlighting and equipment clauses.
You have spoken with your manager on video.
Nobody has asked you to pay for anything or forward money.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to be asked for a bank account before I sign?: Not before a written offer. Payroll details are collected after you accept. Requests for bank details, identity documents or a tax form during interviews are a common scam pattern.
Can I negotiate a remote contract?: Yes. Notice period, equipment, start date and moonlighting terms are all commonly negotiable, and asking politely about them is normal.
How do I know if I am an employee or a contractor?: Ask which legal entity employs you and whether the document is an employment contract or a services agreement. Classification depends on how the work is controlled, not only on the label. The IRS factors linked below are a good starting point for United States workers.

Sources

General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change; check current official guidance.