The better practice, when negotiating a physician employment agreement, would be to NOT automatically assume, in laying out the effect of termination, that termination without cause means the employee is without fault. Instead, the employer would be better served in taking a more hard-line approach. For example:
If you are single and under age 65, you can earn up to $9,499 in a year and not file a tax return. Should you be 65 or older, you could earn up to $10,949 and be exempt from filing a federal tax return. However, you may qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit, which is refundable in cash to you. Also, if you've had income taxes withheld, you should file to receive a refund of your money. Married Taxpayers Filing Jointly If both married taxpayers are under 65, they can earn up to $18,999 and not need to file a return.
You can pay your child up to $6,300 in wages (the maximum standard deduction for the single person in 2016) without incurring income taxes and most employment taxes. The wages would be tax-free to your young employee and you could deduct the wages as a business expense on your own tax return.