Filling out ADP payroll forms means completing four core documents when you start a job or update your pay information: a federal Form W-4 for tax withholding, a Form I-9 to prove work eligibility, a direct deposit authorization, and any state or local withholding certificate your jurisdiction requires. Most ADP employers now collect these electronically through Smart Onboarding or the employee self-service portal, though some still use paper. Getting each one right the first time prevents delayed paychecks and incorrect withholding.
Form W-4 for Federal Tax Withholding
The W-4 tells your employer how much federal income tax to pull from each paycheck. The current version has five steps, and only two of them are mandatory for everyone: Step 1 and Step 5. The rest apply only if your situation calls for them, so many people finish in under five minutes.
- Step 1 asks for your name, address, Social Security number, and filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household).
- Step 2 applies only if you hold more than one job at a time, or you’re married filing jointly and your spouse also works. You can use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov/W4App, fill out the Multiple Jobs Worksheet on page 3, or simply check a box if there are exactly two jobs total.
- Step 3 covers dependents. If your total income will be $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less if married filing jointly), multiply each qualifying child under 17 by $2,200 and each other dependent by $500, then enter the total.
- Step 4 has three optional lines for non-job income like interest or dividends (4a), deductions above the standard deduction (4b), and extra withholding per pay period (4c).
- Step 5 is your signature and date. The form is not valid without it.
The most common mistake is leaving Steps 2 through 4 blank when they actually apply. If you and your spouse both work and neither of you completes Step 2, too little tax gets withheld, and you could owe a balance plus interest at filing time. The IRS calculates that interest from the underpayment amount, the period it went unpaid, and published quarterly rates, so the cost scales with how much you underpaid.
You can claim exemption from withholding if you had zero federal income tax liability last year and expect the same this year. Write “Exempt” in the space below Step 4(c) and sign the form. The exemption expires on February 15 of the following year. Submit a new W-4 by then or your employer will start withholding at the default single-filer rate.
Form I-9 for Employment Eligibility
Every U.S. employer must verify that a new hire is authorized to work, and the I-9 is the vehicle for that check. You complete Section 1 on or before your first day of work. Your employer completes Section 2 within three business days after that first day. For a job lasting fewer than three business days, both sections must be done by day one.
Section 1 asks for your full legal name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and citizenship or immigration status. You sign under penalty of perjury that everything you entered is true.
For Section 2, you show your employer original identity and work-authorization documents. Photocopies don’t count. The documents fall into three lists, and you choose which to present: one item from List A, or one from List B paired with one from List C.
- List A proves both identity and work authorization in a single document. Examples include a U.S. passport or passport card, a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), or an Employment Authorization Document with a photo (Form I-766).
- List B proves identity only: a state-issued driver’s license or ID card with a photo, a U.S. military card, or a voter registration card, among others.
- List C proves work authorization only: an unrestricted Social Security card, a U.S. birth certificate with an official seal, or a Certificate of Naturalization.
Your employer cannot tell you which specific documents to bring. The choice is yours, as long as they’re originals from the approved lists. ADP’s Smart Onboarding walks both sides through the process digitally and includes built-in I-9 and E-Verify support.
State and Local Withholding Certificates
If you work or live in a state with an income tax, expect a state-level withholding certificate on top of the federal W-4. The forms look similar but use state-specific allowances, credits, or filing categories that don’t exist federally. California uses the DE 4 as a standalone certificate for state personal income tax withholding.1Employment Development Department. Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate New York handles state, New York City, and Yonkers withholding all on one form, IT-2104.2Department of Taxation and Finance. Instructions for Form IT-2104 Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
Nine states have no state income tax and skip this step entirely: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Everyone else should check whether their state accepts the federal W-4 as a substitute or requires its own form. ADP’s tax center within the employee portal typically surfaces the right state form based on your work and home addresses.
Local income taxes add another layer in some areas. Pennsylvania requires employers to withhold a local Earned Income Tax using Political Subdivision (PSD) codes that pinpoint the exact rate for each municipality, and a Residency Certification Form goes with the W-4 to determine the right local withholding.3Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Local Income Tax Information New York City, Detroit, and several Ohio municipalities also levy their own income taxes with separate rules. If you’re not sure whether your locality taxes wages, ask your employer’s payroll contact.
Direct Deposit Authorization
The direct deposit form authorizes your employer to transfer your pay electronically into your bank account. You need three pieces of information: your bank’s nine-digit routing number, your account number, and the account type (checking or savings). The routing number is the first set of digits printed at the bottom left of a check, and the account number sits just to the right. If you don’t have checks, both numbers are available through your bank’s online portal, mobile app, or by phone.
ADP lets you split your deposit across up to three accounts. For each one, enter the routing number, account number, and either a fixed dollar amount or a designation of that account as the “full net deposit” to receive whatever remains after the other allocations are funded.4ADP. Direct Deposit Instructions If you’d rather take any unallocated funds as a paper check, that’s an option too.
Verify those numbers before you submit. A transposed digit sends your pay to someone else’s account or triggers a rejection. Under ACH network rules, your employer must transmit a reversal within five banking days of the original settlement date, but the money doesn’t always land back in the correct account right away, and the full round-trip can stretch across a pay cycle or longer.5Nacha. Reversals and Enforcement For savings accounts especially, confirm the routing number directly with your bank, since savings sometimes uses a different routing number than checking at the same institution.
Submitting Your Forms Through ADP
Most ADP employers use one of two platforms: RUN Powered by ADP for small businesses, or ADP Workforce Now for midsized and larger companies. Both offer self-service portals where you complete forms digitally. New hires usually receive a link to Smart Onboarding, which walks you through the W-4, I-9, direct deposit setup, and any state forms in a guided sequence. No scanning or uploading required.
If you’re already on payroll and need to make changes, log in at portal.adp.com. Under the Pay and Taxes tab, you can update your federal W-4 elections and modify direct deposit accounts. Address changes live under the Personal Information tab and flow automatically to payroll, benefits, and benefit vendors. When you delete a direct deposit account, ADP holds the change in pending status until a new account is set up, so you won’t accidentally end up with nowhere for your pay to go.
If your employer is on Roll by ADP, direct deposits are typically available within 24 hours after payroll is submitted, provided the employer processes payroll by 7:00 p.m. ET on the deadline date.6Roll by ADP. Frequently Asked Payroll Questions Employers still using paper collect completed forms through HR or payroll directly.
Check Your First Paycheck Against What You Entered
After your first pay stub arrives, compare it against every form you submitted. Confirm the filing status and dependent credits on your W-4 are producing the withholding you expected. Verify the deposit landed in the right bank account for the right amount. Check that any state or local taxes match your jurisdiction. Catching an error on the first stub is a two-minute fix. Catching it in April when you file your tax return is not.
A Note If You’re a Contractor, Not an Employee
The forms above apply to employees on payroll. If you’re paid as an independent contractor through ADP, the W-4 and I-9 don’t apply. You’ll complete Form W-9 instead, providing your legal name, business entity type, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number.7Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification The W-9 isn’t filed with the IRS; it stays with the payer and supplies the information for a year-end 1099-NEC if you’re paid $600 or more during the year. Missing or incorrect TINs trigger IRS backup withholding at 24 percent of every payment, so accuracy on the W-9 matters as much as on any employee form.