As they say, “The ICE man cometh”. Anyone can claim an employer has not complied with I-9 and E-Verify requirements—and worst of all, those claims don’t even have to be true to trigger an audit. If that’s not enough, government agencies in recent years have started to “talk” to each other. For example, the US Department of Labor (DOL) communicates with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) communicates with Child Support Services and on and on.
Research shows, however, that audits are often triggered by complaints, which, in turn, most often come from disgruntled employees. Others come from audits of targeted industries. Moreover, while the Dept of Homeland Security did, temporarily allow remote verification of employee eligibility for employers otherwise working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DHS has announced that the relaxation of the rules will end on July 31, 2023. Homeland Security, therefore, has another reason to be more vigilant.
The point is that you cannot assume that you are immune from an I-9 audit. This webinar will provide pointers to help you minimize your chances of triggering an audit.
