Gathering information about a new hire

We provide the setup forms you can give employees to help you gather information.

1. In the navigation bar, click Taxes > Payroll Tax.
2. Click Employee Setup under Forms.
3. Click Print a blank employee packet near the bottom of the page.
4. Click View on the New Hire Packet page. If you have run payroll on employees you haven't finished setting up, you won't be able to view or print these forms.
5. Right-click in the form to print, and then select Print (or for Mac, press Command-P).
6. Ask the employee to fill out the forms and return them to you.

You'll use the information from the forms when you add your employee to QuickBooks Online Payroll.

Report new hires

All states require that you report new hires.

When you add a new employee to your company, you must file a new report to the state agency. If the employee has been separated from the company for 60 days or more, you re-register the employee with the state agency. In either case, you'll need the employee's birth date and personal information when you file that report. To be thorough, be sure you have the following information about your employee:

• A completed Form W-4
• Direct deposit information, if the employee wants it
• Personal information, such as first and last name, home address, gender, birth date, and email address
• Employment location and hire date
• Pay rates, types of pay, pay schedule, and pay method
• Tax information, such as Social Security number, federal and state filing status, and allowances
• Deductions, such as pretax deductions, after-tax deductions, retirement plans, garnishments, and company contributions
• Paid time off, based on vacation and sick pay policies

Fill out the new hire form

When possible, we pre-fill the new hire form for you, and put it on your Activity list.

When we pre-fill the new hire form for the state, we'll enter the first paycheck date for the employee rather than the employee's hire or start date. The first paycheck date is the info required by all states (except Colorado).

To find information about new hire reporting for your state:

1. Click the State government resources link below.
2. Click your state.
3. Look for New Hire Reporting, and click the corresponding link.

See also

• What do I need to do when I hire a new employee?
• Add an employee
• Employee authorization form for direct deposit
• Add or change the type of pay (wages)
• Assign vacation or sick leave policies to an employee
• Payroll topics

Still stuck? Contact us