But first things first…

What is Form I-9 Anyway?

When you hire a new employee for your small business, you need to complete a few formalities. One of these formalities is to verify that the person you’ve hired is legally eligible to work in the U.S. You do this by filling out Form I-9.

So in simple words, Form I-9 is a piece of document that verifies the work eligibility status of your employees.

For every employee, you must fill out a separate Form I-9…correctly, of course. And this is where things can get tricky.

For someone who is filling out Form I-9 for the first time, the form can be confusing. This can result in mistakes. And if you don’t have the resources or an HR expert to help you correct those mistakes, you can end up in serious trouble.

To make sure that doesn’t happen with you, we’ve compiled this quick guide to filling out Form I-9. It contains some tips and common mistakes that employers make when filling out Form I-9.

Tips for Filling Out Form I-9

Okay, let’s start with the tips.

Make sure when filling out the form, you write down everything clearly so that the writing is legible and easy to understand. Avoid using abbreviations. Don’t cross things out. Keep the use of white-out to minimal. Most importantly, fill the form with black or blue ink.

Also, always re-read the form once you’ve completed it to make sure every question and section has been addressed.

And yes, verify that the hire date entered in “Section 2” matches with the date provided in the payroll records.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out Form I-9

Right off the bat, ensure you’re using the latest version of Form I-9. Many times, employers unknowingly use and fill out an old I-9 form. You can download the most recent version of the form here.

Another common mistake employers make when filling out Form I-9 is that they forget to sign the form. Always make sure you’ve signed the form before filing it into the folder.

Lastly, employers also commonly forget to enter the document title for the acceptable documentation presented by the employee to verify their work eligibility.

Additional Information

You must retain all I-9 forms with you for at least 3 years after the date of hire for future reference.

We hope you found this guide useful. If you’ve any questions about Form I-9 that you’d like to ask, feel free to reach out; A&B Accounting and Business Solutions will be happy to provide you business consultation services.