Eclipse of 2017 and More

It was a pretty exciting year to have the path of the total eclipse go through the greater Kansas City area. We hope you had a chance to experience this rare event! Some in our office took road trips to get into the path of totality and fun was had by all!

Changes to I-9 Form for New Hires

If you are a business owner or are in a position responsible for HR compliance, this update affects you. On July 17th, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of Form I-9. While the changes are subtle, the consequences of non-compliance can be costly, so it is imperative all old versions of Form I-9 you may have printed or bookmarked be destroyed and replaced with the new version.

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is a document that verifies the identity of new hires to ensure they are authorized to work in the United States. Employers are required to use the updated version no later than September 18, 2017. An easy way to confirm you are using the correct version is to check the notations at the top and bottom of the form; it should read “Form I-9 07/17/17 N”. Failure to use this version can be costly; the minimum fine has increased from $110 to $216, while the maximum fine increased from $1,100 to $2,154.

If you have already completed Form I-9 for your new and existing employees, you do not need to complete updated forms. However, if you are hiring new employees or have employees that did not previously complete one, you are required to complete this new version. The updated Form I-9 along with additional information can be found at the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9.

IRS Scam Calls

The IRS has issued a warning against a new phone scam linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). These scam artists are becoming more clever and threaten the involvement of local police and other law-enforcement groups if you fail to make an immediate “tax payment” though a prepaid debit card. As a reminder, the IRS, and its authorized private collection agencies, will never call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer (the IRS does not even accept these methods for tax payments). If you suspect you have been targeted or have any questions you are encouraged to give our office a call. For a list of other signs of a scam please visit the IRS’s website by clicking here.