I-9 and Wage-Hour Audit Kit

Audit your own I-9 files and exempt classifications before someone else does. A 23-point I-9 file review graded with the ICE error categories from the March 16, 2026 fact sheet, the 2026 salary-floor check, the duties test, and clear lines for when to bring in counsel.

Five files that take you from the binder to a defensible record

A guide to read first, a workbook that grades every I-9, a second that tests every exempt position, and two quick checkers for single cases. Built to be used together on one audit.

• Start Here. How the two workbooks and the checkers fit together and the order to run them. One page, read it first.
• I-9 Audit Kit. A per-employee tracker that grades each form complete, technical, or substantive; a documentation log for every fix; a counsel-ready audit summary; and the ICE error benchmarks updated for the March 16, 2026 fact sheet. Opens on a worked example. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.
• Wage and Hour Classification Kit. The 2026 federal and state salary floors, a position-by-position audit of the three-part exemption test (salary basis, salary level, duties), a reclassification plan, and a documentation log. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.
• I-9 and Exempt-Status Checkers. Two single-case screens that open in any browser: check one employee’s I-9 or one position’s exemption before you commit to the full audit. They run locally and upload nothing.

The method in the order an audit runs

Forms first, pay second, and every fix lands in a log. The workbooks grade and organize; counsel makes the legal calls.

• Screen the I-9 file. Pull every active employee into the I-9 Tracker and grade each form against the Benchmarks tab: complete, technical, or substantive. The March 2026 ICE fact sheet reclassified a long list of formerly technical errors as substantive, so the old mental checklist is stale.
• Check the salary floors. In State Thresholds, compare every exempt salary to the 2026 federal and state numbers and apply the higher floor. The federal line held at $684 a week after the 2024 increase was vacated and rescinded; six states now sit well above it.
• Test duties, not titles. Run the three-part test in Position Audit for each exempt role: salary basis, salary level, duties. A manager title with no exempt duties fails, and the workbook makes you write down why each position passes.
• Fix with counsel and log everything. Move findings to the Audit Summary and the Reclassification Plan, get counsel’s call on corrections and any back pay, and date every fix in the Documentation Log. The dated record is the good-faith evidence.

Who it is built for

Built for

• An owner or lean HR team who has never audited the I-9 binder and suspects what is in it.
• An HR lead with exempt roles paid near the old floors who needs the 2026 numbers checked position by position.
• A consultant or fractional HR lead running a compliance cleanup ahead of a sale, an audit, or a funding round.

If you are looking for

• Pay-range posting rules, not classification. The US State Pay Transparency Pack covers the state-by-state disclosure rules.
• Compliance outside the US. This kit is built on US federal and state rules; for Canada start with the Ontario Job Posting Transparency Pack.

Before you buy

What format are the files and can I edit them?

Two Excel workbooks, a Start Here PDF, and two web checkers that open in any browser. The workbooks work in Excel or Google Sheets, and everything is editable and yours to keep. The checkers run locally and upload nothing.

What changed in March 2026?

ICE updated its Form I-9 inspection fact sheet on March 16, 2026. A long list of errors that used to count as technical, with a cure window, now count as substantive, with fines of $288 to $2,861 per form and no cure period. The Benchmarks tab lists the current categories in plain language, with the reclassified ones flagged.

Are the 2026 salary numbers current?

The federal floor is $684 a week ($35,568 a year): the 2024 increase was vacated in court and then formally rescinded by the Department of Labor in May 2026. The State Thresholds tab carries the 2026 state floors above it with effective dates, and every tab shows its review date so you can see how current it is.

Does it cover my state?

The salary-floor table lists the federal baseline, the six states with higher 2026 floors, and the rule for everyone else: apply the higher of the federal or state number. Duties tests and overtime rules also vary by state, so the workbook prompts you to confirm the rules where you operate rather than assume the federal line.

We hired remote employees. Does the I-9 audit cover that?

Yes. Remote verification failure is one of the substantive categories in the tracker: where documents were examined remotely, the audit checks that the alternative-procedure box and the E-Verify status are documented on the form.

Will it stay current as the rules change?

Meaningful updates are released as the rules change, and each file shows its review date so you can see how current it is. Salary floors reset every January, so plan to re-run the thresholds check each year.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.

What happens after I buy?

Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here page first; it tells you the order to work in. Questions or want a hand getting set up? Email support@truestephr.com.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer: save it, extract it (right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on a Mac), and open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and the editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or their free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Docs and Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.

Scope

This kit is a set of working tools and editable templates for running an HR process in a clear, consistent, and defensible way. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for qualified counsel on your specific situation. The rules in this area vary by jurisdiction, they change, and applying a template to the wrong facts can create the exact exposure you are trying to avoid. Have your policies, your notices, and any individual decision reviewed against applicable law before you act on them.