I recently applied for a part time position as a private investigator to supplement my income. Already work M-F 9-5 but its still not enough, I live in a city with a high cost of living. I had two interviews, on the second interview i spoke with the hiring manager and he explained the requirements for the position were 1. Have my own vehicle that has a $300k liability insurance policy, a smartphone, a digital camera, a laptop, a “hidden” camera such as a keyfob, watch or pen camera and the equipment to transfer photos and videos between my cameras and laptop. When we discussed compensation i asked if this was a W2 position or a 1099 and the manager told me W2 i would be an employee. My next question was do i get any equipment allowances? He said in addition to my hourly pay i would get $0.50/mile for driving to and from the location i need to go to. Can someone shed some light on this because ive always been under the impression that W2 employees are not required to purchase their own equipment/supplies.