How it works. Choose the state where the employee will work and their first day. You get a dated list: what to finish before day one, what's due on day one, and the I-9 and new hire report deadlines after it, each with the official link.
Make your first hire checklist
Pick a state and a start date to see your dated checklist.
Where the dates come from
- EIN
- Free from the IRS; an approved online application issues the number immediately (IRS).
- Form I-9, Section 1
- The employee completes it no later than the first day of employment, and may do it any time after accepting the offer (USCIS).
- Form I-9, Section 2
- You examine the documents and complete it within 3 business days after the first day of paid work; for a job of fewer than 3 days, on the first day (USCIS).
- Form W-4
- The employee completes it when hired. Keep it at least 4 years. Without one, withholding is figured as single or married filing separately (IRS Topic 753).
- New hire report
- The state's own deadline from the state table, counted in calendar days from the start date. Read the state's wording on the checklist: a few count from the first day of work or the first day services are performed for pay.
Hiring several people in different states? Run the checklist once per state; the federal items stay the same and only the state lines change.
General information checked November 2026 against the official pages linked on this page, not legal or tax advice. Rules and portals change; the state's own new hire site and your payroll provider or accountant have the final word. MCC Solutions is not a law firm or a CPA firm.
Questions about the checklist
What paperwork does a first employee need in the first week?
Federally: Form I-9 (the employee's part by the first day, yours within 3 business days) and Form W-4 before the first payroll, with an EIN in place beforehand. Then the state: a new hire report by the state's deadline, the state withholding certificate if the state has one, unemployment insurance registration and the required posters.
How is the I-9 date counted?
USCIS says the employer completes Section 2 within 3 business days after the employee's first day of paid work: start on a Monday and Section 2 is due by Thursday. The checklist counts Monday to Friday and doesn't skip holidays, so its date is never later than the rule's.
Why does my state show 'not confirmed' for some items?
We list a form, registration page or poster page only after opening the state's official page for it. Those three items are filled in for the most populous states first (20 so far); for the rest, the checklist names the step and leaves the link to the state.
Can I print or save the checklist?
Yes. Select Print checklist and the page prints only the dated list, with the links written out. Choosing Save as PDF in the print dialog keeps a copy. Nothing you enter is sent or stored.
Does the checklist cover independent contractors?
It notes when the state's official page says contractors must be reported, and on what terms. Whether someone is an employee or a contractor is a separate legal test; the IRS and your state's labor department have the rules.
Related: New hire reporting requirements by state · Payroll basics before your first hire · Employee cost calculator · NJ Small Employer HR Kit