Official forms
Where do you get the official forms and posters for a first employee?
Short answer: every form you need to hire a first employee has an official source, and you should download it there rather than from a random template. This page is a directory of those sources: IRS EIN application, USCIS Form I-9, IRS Form W-4, the ACF State New Hire Reporting directory for new-hire reporting, and the DOL Wage and Hour Division workplace posters. The step-by-step order is already on the paperwork to hire your first employee checklist and the trade-business first-employee checklist; this page does not repeat that walkthrough.
Key takeaways
- The EIN application is free on the official IRS site. You do not need a paid filing service.
- Form I-9 comes from USCIS, not the IRS. Section 1 is due by the first day of work; the employer’s section has a short official deadline explained on I-9 Central.
- Federal workplace posters are free from the Department of Labor. The DOL elaws Poster Advisor helps you see which federal posters apply. Most states also require their own posters from the state labor department.
On this page
Official federal forms
| Item | Official source | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Employer Identification Number (EIN) | IRS EIN application | The IRS says you need an EIN if you have employees. It is free to apply online. |
| Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification | USCIS Form I-9 and I-9 Central | Verify identity and work authorization. Keep I-9s separate from personnel files, as USCIS instructs. |
| Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate | IRS Form W-4 | Federal income-tax withholding. Use the current revision from IRS.gov. |
| Publication 15 (Circular E) | IRS Publication 15 | The federal payroll rulebook: withholding, deposits, and returns. |
| Form 941 and Form 940 | IRS employment tax due dates and the form pages on IRS.gov | Quarterly employment-tax return and annual FUTA return. See the DIY payroll calendar for when they are due. |
| Form W-2 | The current Form W-2 pages on IRS.gov | Annual wage statement for the employee and the Social Security Administration, generally due January 31. |
State income-tax withholding forms, unemployment-tax accounts, and paid-leave registrations come from the state agencies, not from the IRS. Start with the state payroll-tax index, which links official unemployment agencies and tax departments, and with the ACF State New Hire Reporting directory for new-hire reporting. Several states require that report sooner than 20 days.
Federal workplace posters
Federal labor-law posters are free. You do not need to buy a laminated kit from a vendor to be in compliance with the federal requirement, though a purchased kit can be convenient if it is kept up to date. Official starting points:
- The DOL Wage and Hour Division workplace posters page, which lists the federal posters the Wage and Hour Division administers, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) poster.
- The DOL elaws Poster Advisor, an official DOL tool that asks about your business and lists federal poster requirements.
- The OSHA Job Safety and Health poster, which most employers must display.
Which federal posters apply can depend on your size, whether you have a federal contract, and which statutes cover you (for example, FMLA has an employee-count threshold). This page does not invent that list for your shop. Run the official advisor and read the DOL poster page. State labor departments publish their own required notices — unemployment, workers’ comp, state minimum wage, and paid-leave notices in states that have those programs. Get those from the state, not from a third-party blog.
How this directory fits the checklist
Use the paperwork checklist for order: EIN and state accounts before the first day, I-9 and W-4 on day one, new-hire report by the state deadline, posters up when work starts, payroll and deposits after that. Come back here when you need the official PDF or the filing URL. If you are still deciding W-2 versus 1099, that is a classification question, not a forms question; see 1099 vs W-2.
After the forms, price the hire The calculator turns a wage and state into employer taxes.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked questions
Where do I get Form I-9?
From USCIS, at uscis.gov/i-9, with instructions on I-9 Central. It is not an IRS form. Section 1 is due by the first day of work.
Do I have to pay for workplace posters?
No. Official federal posters are free from the U.S. Department of Labor. State posters are published by state labor agencies. Paid kits are optional and are only useful if they stay current.
Where do I report a new hire?
To your state's new-hire directory. The official ACF contacts and program-requirements page lists each state's process. This site's state payroll-tax pages also link the reporting site when the official URL is complete.
Figures on this page were checked against the linked official IRS, DOL, USCIS, ACF, and (where used) Indiana ICRB pages in November 2026. Examples are planning estimates, not a tax, legal, or insurance outcome. Confirm with your agencies, accountant, and carrier before you hire or classify a worker.