Required reporting for newly hired employees

Florida employers should have previously received information from the Florida Department of Revenue regarding the New Hire Reporting Law which became effective October 1, 1998.  As we have received numerous questions from our clients regarding this new law, and as others may be unaware of it, we are providing information to advise you of the new law's requirements and how you can comply with them.

Beginning October 1, 1998, all employers in the country, regardless of size, must provide information on newly hired or re-hired employees required to complete Form W-4 to a designated state agency; in Florida, the designated agency is the Florida Department of Revenue.  The reporting requirements are that certain information must be provided to the State within twenty (20) days from the new employee's hire or re-hire date as to employees hired or re-hired on or after October 1, 1998.  The following basic information must be reported to the State:

• Employer name, address, and federal employer identification number.
• Employee name, address, social security number, and date of hire or re-hire.

You may also comply with the reporting requirements by the following methods:

• Fax or mail the State a copy of Federal Form W-4 with all of the required information.
• Fax or mail the State a printed list with all of the required information.
• If you use a payroll service, ask the service to report the new hires or re-hires for you.
• Report the information online to the Florida Department of Revenue's web site located at http://www.fl-newhire.com.
• Transmit the required information by diskette, magnetic tape, or electronic file transfer.  Prior to utilizing this method you should contact the Florida Department of Revenue at 1-888-854-4791 for more information regarding the data specifications required.