Understand how Form I-9 works in QuickBooks Online Payroll

Learn about Form I-9 and how you and your employees can fill it out in QuickBooks Online Payroll Premium and QuickBooks Online Payroll Elite.

About Form I-9

Form I-9 is a document issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. You use this form to document that you’ve verified your new employee’s identity and authorization to work in the US. 

Both you and your employee need to complete sections of Form I-9. Your employee also needs to show you identification and employment authorization documents (see the list of acceptable documents on page 2 of Form I-9). 

You’re required to keep a completed, signed, and dated Form I-9, along with any copies made of supporting documents for each employee for 3 years after the hire date, or 1 year after the date they end employment with you, whichever is later.

For help completing Form I-9, check out the Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (M-274) and I-9 Central.

Use Form I-9 in QuickBooks Online Payroll Premium and Elite

If you don’t already have a completed I-9 for your new employee, you and your employee can use the digital Form I-9 in QuickBooks Premium and Elite. The digital Form I-9 is not available in QuickBooks Online Payroll Core.

Get started

1. Go to Payroll, then Employees.
2. Select Add an employee.
3. Enter your new employee’s name, email address, and hire date. 
4. Select Include employment eligibility Form I-9. 
5. Select Add employee.

Next steps for your employee

1. Your employee will get an email invitation to set up a QuickBooks Workforce account. 
2. They’ll enter some personal info and complete their section of Form I-9. 

Next steps for you

Review your employee’s eligibility documents, then complete your section of the I-9 form.  You can do this two ways: 

In QuickBooks Online

1. Go to Payroll, then Employees.
2. Select your employee.
3. From Employment eligibility, select Start.
4. Complete the form and upload copies of your employee’s documents.

Or, you’ll get an email notification. Select Complete I-9 to complete the form and upload copies of your employee’s documents.