--- title: "First Hire Checklist by State: Dated I-9, W-4, Report | MCC" description: "Pick a state and a start date for a printable first-employee checklist: EIN, I-9 and W-4 dates, the state's withholding form, new hire report deadline…" url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/first-hire-checklist-by-state" --- Free checklist · Hiring # First hire checklist generator for any state Turn a start date into a dated to-do list for your first employee: federal forms, the state's new hire report deadline, its withholding certificate and registration links. Print it or save it as a PDF. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **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](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number)). 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](https://uscis.gov/node/41765)). 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](https://uscis.gov/i-9-central/completing-form-i-9/completing-section-2-employer-review-and-attestation)). 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](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc753)). New hire report The state's own deadline from the [state table](/bookkeeping/new-hire-reporting-requirements-by-state), 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](/bookkeeping/new-hire-reporting-requirements-by-state) · [Payroll basics before your first hire](/bookkeeping/guides/payroll-basics-before-you-hire-your-first-employee) · [Employee cost calculator](/bookkeeping/employee-cost-calculator) · [NJ Small Employer HR Kit](/toolkits/nj-small-employer-hr-kit) Hiring in New Jersey? ## Hiring Your First Employee in New Jersey Kit Fill-in Word files and printable PDFs for a first New Jersey hire: the setup checklist (EIN, NJ-REG, workers' compensation), payroll provider or do-it-yourself, the new-hire paperwork checklist with deadlines, an offer letter template and a first-payroll checklist. Each deadline cites USCIS, the IRS or New Jersey. Want a second pair of eyes on your books? [A free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check). [Get the kit ($25)](/toolkits/hiring-your-first-employee-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/hiring-your-first-employee-kit#free-starter)14-day full refund[First Employee Bundle for New Jersey ($59)](/toolkits/first-employee-bundle)14-day full refund Share ## Add this calculator to your site Free to use. Paste this where you want it to appear. It runs in the visitor's browser, so nothing they enter is sent to us. **No frames on your site?** Link to the tool instead: [See every calculator you can embed](/embed#tool-bookkeeping-first-hire-checklist-by-state) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want payroll set up for you? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)