Definition of the concept of "self-employed" and its historical development

The subject of the study is the evolution of the concept of "self-employed" in Russia, starting with its appearance in the scientific literature in the 90s and up to the present state. The study seeks to trace the dynamics of changes in the definition of "self-employment" and "self-employed" under the influence of various factors, including political, legislative and scientific trends. The purpose of the study is not only to establish the chronology of the formation and change of the concept, but also to analyze the ways of its application in practice, in particular, in court decisions. The analysis presented in the paper is aimed at deepening the understanding of the concept of "self-employed" in different contexts and identifying contradictions in its application. This helps to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement practice and improve future theoretical developments in this area. The research methodology consists of general scientific and specific scientific methods of cognition. The following methods were used: dialectical, logical, historical, formal-legal, and hermeneutical. The novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the concept of "self-employed" in Russia, covering various contexts of its application. The research is not limited to simply tracing the chronology of the appearance and change of the term, but also deeply analyzes its interpretation in sociological and legal works, legal acts of the executive branch, laws, decisions of the Constitutional Court and judicial practice, as well as the reasons for the appearance of certain connotations. Special attention is paid to how different interpretations of this concept are mixed in court decisions. The conducted research allows us to draw the following conclusions: The concept of "self-employed" in Russia does not have a single definition, which leads to ambiguity in its application in practice. Historically, the definition of "self-employment" has changed from a broad interpretation (type of employment of people) to a narrower one (tax regime). Judicial practice demonstrates inconsistency in the interpretation of the concept of "self-employed", which complicates law enforcement and requires timely correction.

Self-employment, self-employed, definition, concept, entrepreneurial activity, tax regime, employment, individual labor activity, law enforcement, history of legal regulation