Service · Contractor management
Contractor management in Vietnam.
Keep contracting freelancers in Vietnam yourself, with the paperwork, checks and records handled for you.
Updated 22 October 2026 · Written and checked by Nhân Kiệt's payroll and employment-law team (labour leasing licence 029/LĐTBXH-GP, employing people in Vietnam since 2009) · About 3 min read · General information, not legal or tax advice
Short answer
What is contractor management in Vietnam?
Contractor management is for companies that contract freelancers in Vietnam themselves but want the paperwork and compliance handled. Your company stays the party to each service contract and pays the freelancer; Nhân Kiệt supplies bilingual Vietnamese–English contract templates with confidentiality and IP assignment, reviews each engagement against the employment test in Article 13 of the Labour Code, collects onboarding documents through our portal, tracks deliverables, invoices and payment dates, and keeps the records together. If your Vietnamese entity pays a freelancer, it must withhold 10% income tax on payments of ₫2,000,000 or more; if a foreign company pays from abroad, the freelancer generally declares their own tax, and we remind them of it. When an engagement starts to look like employment, we move the person to Contractor of Record or Employer of Record before it becomes a reclassification risk.
Key takeaways
- You keep contracting and paying freelancers; Nhân Kiệt handles the paperwork and checks.
- Bilingual contract templates include confidentiality and assignment of the work to you.
- Every engagement is reviewed against Article 13, where reclassification costs about 32% of pay in back insurance.
- A Vietnamese payer withholds 10% on payments of ₫2,000,000 or more; freelancers paid from abroad declare their own tax.
- Engagements that become employment move to Contractor of Record or Employer of Record.
What is included
What we handle, and what stays with you.
| Task | Nhân Kiệt | Your company |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual contract templates with IP and confidentiality | Prepares | Signs |
| Classification review against Article 13 | Reviews and advises | Decides |
| Onboarding documents and identity checks | Collects through the portal | — |
| Deliverables, invoices and payment calendar | Tracks and reminds | Approves and pays |
| Tax withholding (Vietnamese payer) | Prepares declarations | Withholds and files |
| Records and annual summary | Keeps | Receives |
Which service
Contractor management or Contractor of Record?
- Contractor management: you want to stay the contracting party, already pay freelancers, and need structure and checks.
- Contractor of Record: you would rather not contract or pay freelancers yourself; Nhân Kiệt does both and invoices you once. See Contractor of Record.
- Employer of Record: the person works under your direction day to day. See what an EOR is.
Common mistakes
Freelancer mistakes we help you avoid.
- One-page agreements with no scope, IP or confidentiality terms.
- Freelancers who drift into full-time roles with fixed hours and a manager.
- Payments with no invoice or deliverable behind them.
- A Vietnamese entity paying without withholding the 10% tax.
- Records spread across emails instead of one place.
Questions
Contractor management in Vietnam: frequently asked questions
What is contractor management?
A service for companies that contract freelancers directly: contracts, classification checks, onboarding, payment tracking and records are handled for you, while you stay the contracting party.
Who pays the freelancer under contractor management?
Your company pays directly. Under Contractor of Record, Nhân Kiệt pays instead and invoices you.
Does a foreign company withhold Vietnamese tax for freelancers?
Generally not when paying from abroad; the Vietnamese freelancer declares and pays their own income tax. A Vietnamese entity paying a freelancer withholds 10% on payments of ₫2,000,000 or more.
How do you check a freelancer is not an employee?
We review hours, direction, tools, exclusivity and how payment is tied to deliverables, against Article 13 of the Labour Code.
What happens if a freelancer becomes an employee in substance?
We recommend moving the person to Employer of Record, so they have a labour contract, insurance and leave from an agreed date.
How much does contractor management cost?
It is quoted to the number of freelancers you manage. Ask for a quote with your expected volume.
Hiring in Vietnam? We handle all of this as your employer.
Nhân Kiệt employs your team, runs payroll, insurance, tax and work permits. Fee: US$99–199 per employee a month, plus VAT.
Request a quote