Employer-Created New Hire Reporting Form
Author: Sara M. Wincek
When to Use
Employers are required by federal and state law to report information about newly hired and rehired employees. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require new hire reporting. The information reported aids the government in its effort to collect child support as well as detect fraud in other government programs.See Payroll > New Hire Reporting.
Federal law requires employers to collect and transmit specific items of information to state directories for each newly hired or rehired employee. Since nearly all of the information that federal law requires employers to report is found on each employee's federal IRS Form W-4, many employers choose to submit copies of these forms as the new hire report. However, many states require more information to be reported in addition to the federal requirements. In those states, the Form W-4 is, therefore, not adequate for new hire reporting. In addition, it is against the law to alter Form W-4 in any way. Only a copy of an original Form W-4 may be used by employers if additional information will be written on the form. Not only is this time consuming but the chance for error is increased, which may result in costly penalties.
Some states permit employers to create their own reporting form or to use a state form specifically designed for new hire reporting. The following model Employer-Created New Hire Reporting Form will prevent errors and save time because it can be tailored as needed, as well as be kept on file and completed or altered electronically.
