Tips to Avoid Expensive I-9 Penalties
Managing a business comes with many responsibilities. The majority of these tasks may result in serious penalties and fines if not properly managed and monitored. Employers may try to get around certain laws or skimp out on properly completing or documenting the necessary paperwork due to the amount of time and effort that it may take to complete. However, the fines that may come as a result of these decisions could be detrimental to the business.
I-9 Compliance
Form I-9 is the official Employment Eligibility Verification. This is the form that is completed to prove and document United States citizenship identity, and legal authorization to work for paid employees working in the United States. The I-9 is mandated by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Any employer that violates the requirements of the I-9 may face serious fines and penalties.
Penalties for I-9 Violations
Penalties differ for different iterations of I-9 violations. Depending if it is your first time violating an I-9 form or if you are a repeat offender, the penalty that you may be facing will be different. Here are some of the different penalties that you could face based on your violation in 2022:
- For first offense for substantive violations or uncorrected technical errors, the penalties range from $252 to $2,507.
- For second and subsequent paperwork offenses, the range is $1,161 to $2,322.
- For first offenses of recruiting, referral, and rehiring violations, the penalties could be anywhere from $627 to $5,016.
- For second and subsequent offenses of recruiting, referral, and rehiring violations, the penalties may range from $5,016 to $25,076.
How to Avoid I-9 Penalties
Employers are responsible for many daily tasks so closely monitoring the I-9 form process can be challenging. Luckily for employers, they are required to accept I-9 forms that appear to be completed properly by the person presenting the form. However, this can still be a big responsibility to take on. Having a Human Resources Admin can help keep up-to-date with the necessary forms and ensuring that forms are completed truthfully.
While there is no absolute way to avoid I-9 violations, making sure that your employees are well informed on the proper way to complete the form can smooth out many potential issues. While I-9 form fraud is possible, many violations come out of mistakes when filling out the form. An HR Admin who is well-versed on the I-9 form can assist your employees with completing the form and be there to answer any question that they may have. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the I-9 form and potential violations, contact an Abacus Payroll advisor today!
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