Real screenshots from the kit files. Example figures are illustrative.
I-9 and Wage-Hour Audit Kit
Audit your own I-9 files and exempt classifications before someone else does. A form-by-form sweep against the current ICE categories, the 2026 salary-floor check, the duties test, and clear lines for when to bring in counsel.
One-time purchase, no subscription. Instant download.
Built by expert HR practitioners and leaders
- I-9 audit workbook: per-form tracker, documentation log, and a counsel-ready summary
- ICE error benchmarks reflecting the March 16, 2026 fact sheet, substantive vs technical
- Wage and hour workbook with the three-part exemption test, position by position
- 2026 salary floors, federal plus the six states above it, with the higher-floor rule
- Reclassification plan and logs that build the dated, good-faith record
- Two single-case web checkers plus the Start Here guide
The kit organizes the audit and builds the record. It does not make legal determinations and does not replace counsel review.
Self-audit checklists and general business information for planning, not legal or tax advice. Have qualified employment counsel confirm I-9 corrections and exemption calls before you act.
Not the right fit? Take the 60-second match.
Last reviewed June 2026
Buying for clients or multiple entities? The White-Label tier is in the license.
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.
Built on the current rules and honest about its limits
Compliance is the part of HR where small errors carry fines, so the kit is careful where it counts and clear about where a lawyer takes over.
The kit tells you when to call a lawyer
Both audits surface problems that have legal consequences the moment you find them. The checkpoints below are marked in the workbooks, so you slow down before correcting a form or changing anyone's pay. Advice early is far cheaper than the fine or the claim it prevents.
Who does what
An audit splits the work between you, the kit, and your counsel. Here is the split, stated plainly.
- The kit grades the forms; you decide what to escalate. The tracker turns each I-9 into a clear status, and the call on what goes to counsel stays yours, on paper, the way it should be.
- The kit runs the math; counsel makes the exemption call. Salary basis and salary level are arithmetic. The duties test and every close call belong with qualified employment counsel.
- The kit preps the handoff; counsel directs corrections. The Audit Summary arrives at counsel's desk with the counts, the patterns, and the escalation list organized, which is the slow part done.
- The kit plans the reclassification; counsel rules on back pay. The plan tab tracks each position from finding to fixed. Exposure for past weeks is a legal question, not a spreadsheet one.
- The kit keeps the record, and the record is the point. Dated logs of what you found and fixed are the difference between a good-faith employer and an easy target.
Who it's built for
Who this fits, and where to go if that's not you.
Built for
- An owner or HR team of one 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?
Is this legal advice?
What changed in March 2026?
Are the 2026 salary numbers current?
Does it cover my state?
We hired remote employees. Does the I-9 audit cover that?
Will it stay current as the rules change?
What is the refund policy?
What happens after I buy?
Can I expense this purchase to my business?
Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant or tax professional. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.
The 6 red flags to check before you discipline or fire someone
A five-minute screen that catches the most common and most expensive people-decision mistakes before they happen. Free PDF, sent to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
Audit it once and know where you stand
Both audits, the current benchmarks and floors, and every legal checkpoint marked so you know when to bring in counsel.
Self-audit checklists and general information for planning, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed June 2026.