About our I-9 fines calculator
This calculator estimates potential I-9 fines based on the information you provide. It is designed to help employers understand how record volume and storage methods can influence financial risk if errors are identified during an audit.
What information the calculator gathers
To generate an estimate, the calculator considers:
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The total number of active I-9 forms you store, including current employees and terminated employees that have not yet been purged
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The percentage of those forms stored on paper versus electronically
How the estimate is calculated
The calculator models scenarios where violations are identified across a portion of records. Penalty ranges reflect federal I-9 violation thresholds and are not limited to minor technical errors. Actual fines can vary based on factors such as violation type and severity, whether errors are technical or substantive, compliance history, and circumstances identified during an inspection.
Results are directional, not definitive. Only a full compliance review can determine actual exposure.
Why this matters
I-9 audits often uncover issues like incomplete forms, missing signatures, late verification, improper storage, and retention errors. Even small error rates can result in significant fines when applied across a large workforce.
Strengthening documentation practices, retention processes, and audit readiness can meaningfully reduce risk, particularly for organizations that still rely on paper I-9s.
