Before hiring your first employee, you must obtain an Employment Identification Number (EIN) from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The EIN is often referred to as the employer`s tax number or Form SS-4. The EIN is required to report taxes and other documents to the IRS. In addition, the EIN is required if you report information about your employees to government agencies. Request an EIN online or contact the IRS at 1-800-829-4933. Employers are required to register all newly hired and rehired employees in the government`s New Employee Reporting System within 20 days of hiring. The EIN is used to report employee information to state agencies and to report taxes and other documents to the IRS. Federal law requires employers to verify an employee`s eligibility to work in the United States. Within three days of hiring, employers must complete Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Check, which requires employers to review documents to confirm the employee`s citizenship or eligibility to work in the United States. Many large payroll service providers also bundle additional services such as human resources.
Be sure to carefully consider your options and find a payroll service provider that meets all your needs at the right price. You should find a payroll provider that also has solid customer service and support in case you run into any issues or have any questions. A background check is an optional part of the hiring process that can provide you with additional information about your candidates. Information found by a background check, such as an arrest record, but cannot be used as evidence of guilt. Employers should also make sure they understand the impact that rejecting people with backgrounds can have on otherwise strong candidates. If you run a large company, you may want to consider hosting interview panels where each interviewer is asked to focus on a specific area during the interview. In this situation, one person may focus on teamwork while another is looking for technical skills. The advantage of this approach is twofold: you get an assessment of a candidate`s very specific skills and your employees feel part of the process. Again, payroll service providers typically provide a W-4 form and make it easy to enter the information into the system.
You just need to make sure that each new employee fills it out and submits it. You can also download Form W-4 from IRS.gov. You can also apply by phone, mail or fax. All you need to ask for is the tax identification number, such as the social security number, of the general manager or owner of the business, and basic information about the business, such as if and how it is registered. CO— wants to inspire you from respected experts. However, before making a business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation. Being a good employer doesn`t stop at fulfilling your various tax and reporting obligations. Maintaining a healthy and fair workplace, providing benefits and informing employees about your company`s policies are essential to your company`s success. Here are some extra steps you should take after hiring your first employee: Small businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalents (FTEs) are exempt from the mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ABA), which requires large companies to purchase health insurance for their employees or pay an annual fine. That said, the federal government offers incentives to small employers who offer insurance. Hiring your first employees can be an exciting but daunting feat. There are several steps to follow, such as verifying the identity of a potential candidate and getting the right insurance, among others.
Here are the legal requirements associated with hiring an employee for your business. Employers must send copy A of the W-2 forms to the Social Security Administration by the last day of February to report your employees` wages and taxes for the previous calendar year. In addition, employers must send copies of W-2 forms to their employees by January 31 of the year following the reporting period. Before officially welcoming a new employee, you must verify their identity using the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9. Your potential employee will fill out their credentials, such as Social Security number and citizenship status, and provide copies of acceptable documents proving their identity. It`s up to you or your HR team to make sure these documents are genuine. Keep each of these I-9 forms for at least three years after the employee is hired. Every time your company hires a new employee, you must report their information to your state registry. This information will then be transmitted to the National Register of New Hire, where the State can find and withhold the income of those who are in arrears in paying child support. In addition to simply deciding to add new employees to your business, there are several steps required by federal and state governments before you can hire someone.
The U.S. Department of Labor states that companies generally have to pay federal and state unemployment taxes if they employ at least one person for 20 weeks in a calendar year or if their employees` wages exceed $1,500 per quarter. Your company will first register with the state office responsible for unemployment insurance, then register your employees` quarterly salaries and pay quarterly unemployment taxes online. In addition to completing the form, the new employee must provide an original document (such as a U.S. passport) or documents (such as a state driver`s license and Social Security card) proving their identity and legal status in order to work in the United States. A Form I-9 must be completed within three days of an employee`s first day of work. Are you ready for extra help, but don`t know how to hire employees? Congratulations, hiring is an important step. Whether you`re an entrepreneur starting a home-based business or a service provider expanding, you may need to hire employees to help you. Federal law requires employers to report basic information about new hires to the state where the employee will work within 20 days of hiring.
(Some states have even tighter deadlines.) This information is included in the National New Hire Directory, which is used to locate and retain the income of individuals who owe child support. According to the IRS, you must keep payroll tax records for at least four years. Good records can also help you monitor your business` progress, prepare financial statements, identify sources of income, track deductible expenses, prepare your tax returns, and support items reported on tax returns. But even if you choose a payroll service (or outsource payroll to an accountant), it`s good to know the basics of how it works. There are three parties to payroll: paying employees, paying payroll taxes (to the IRS and your state tax authority), and filling out tax forms. While these are the most important steps employers need to take required by federal or state laws, there are other smart things to do before you start hiring people. This includes creating an employee handbook so there are no questions about your employee`s rules and protocols (even your first hire) and creating a personnel file for each employee. Before hiring employees, you must register your business with federal and state agencies. The IRS requires every business with employees to have what`s called an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a unique nine-digit number used for tax identification purposes.
Once you have the right processes and procedures in place, adding new employees should be much easier and faster. It`s just the setup in the first place that takes time. You must verify that each new employee is legally entitled to work in the United States. Ask the employees you hire to complete Form I-9, Verification of Employment Eligibility PDF. When hiring employees, there is information you need to secure for your documents and forms that you need to fill out, including the following: If you`re ready to hire new employees for your startup, check the legal requirements your business needs to comply with. This is a withholding tax certificate (Form W-4) that employees must sign before starting work and then forwards to the IRS. When you start hiring workers, your company must comply with the rules of the Federal Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), which were enacted in the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970. OSHA has a number of safety rules, such as safe tools and equipment and handling hazardous chemicals. Hiring employees involves a significant amount of paperwork. Each year, you must complete IRS Form 940 and pay federal unemployment tax. You may also need to post notices and posters about employee rights and protections.
For each new hire, you must complete Form I-9 for USCIS and Form W-4 for IRS. Many people opt for a payroll service to save time and avoid any complications associated with payroll (such as taxes). Some payroll services also offer integration with your insurer and take care of reporting on new hires, eliminating those headaches. Legally, you can continue to operate as a sole proprietor while hiring employees. However, this can put you at significant legal risk.